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1,300 Cingular 'Blue' Workers Gain Representation
More than 1,300 workers have gained CWA representation at a call center in Austin, Texas, 21 stores in six cities in Missouri and at 75 retail locations in New York State through the union's massive Cingular "Blue" organizing campaign among the employees of the former AT&T Wireless.
The Austin call center, currently with 800 employees and 1,000 expected by January, is the third to choose CWA since March. With the addition of 416 workers in the New York retail stores, the union now represents about 2,000 of the 20,000 workers who came under the union-negotiated card-check and neutrality organizing policy at Cingular following that company's acquisition of AT&T Wireless earlier this year. CWA's card check agreement with Cingular officially took effect July 1.
"This is amazing growth for our union," CWA Executive Vice President Larry Cohen said. "Behind this is nearly 15 years of tremendous leadership by District 6. Our whole union has benefited from this leadership at Cingular and beyond." To CWA Vice President Milburn, he said, "Thanks, Andy, for all that you and District 6 do for all of us."
Cohen also had high praise for District 1 Vice President Chris Shelton and the staff and local leaders who mounted the Cingular retail drive.
"They have really gone all out, knowing how important this is for workers at Cingular and for CWA," Cohen said. He congratulated the dozens of Cingular workers who agreed to keep their co-workers informed and who educated themselves about the union," noting that, "Locals 1101, 1118, 1122 and 1170 pitched in to work on the campaign in a coordinated and systematic way."
Luz Riley, president of Local 6132 in Austin, said that efforts to help the call centers form a union a few years ago had met with stiff resistance from AT&T. "Now that it's Cingular, things went so much smoother," she noted.
Six months ago Riley and other local organizers started to leaflet on the sidewalk outside the facility, soon building up an inside organizing committee of about 40 workers. Some of the workers had been active in the earlier drive.
Local Secretary-Treasurer Richard McCullough, and Stewards Brandon Gaovonghet and Jason Peavler, as well as District 6 Area Director-Organizing Danny Fetonte, assisted the committee. Said Fetonte, "The committee came to work early, stayed late, and worked on their lunch hours to win over their co-workers."
Earlier, District 3 organizers signed up a majority of 390 eligible workers at the Cingular "Blue" call center in Memphis, Tenn., where recognition was granted on Aug. 11. In March, 324 call center workers in Jackson, Miss., gained CWA representation.
Local officers and organizers in Missouri have also gone full speed to organize Cingular retail stores, getting 71 representation cards signed and AAA certification to represent 99 workers, District 6 Organizing Coordinator Tom Newport reported on Aug. 19.
Their cooperative efforts involved, from Local 6327 in Kansas City, Vice President Anetra Session, Jaunita Lizotte, Lisa Millican and Cynthia Marshal; Local 6320 in St. Louis, President Kevin Kujawa, Sonja Gholsten-Byrd, Tia Bowling, Dave Hoyt, Tony Franks, Deon Grooters and Jim Henderson, and Local 6314 in Columbia, President Bryant Liddle.
Local 6316 in Cape Girardeau had only one store, but Secretary Kara Hutchason and Meredith Elfrink signed up all three workers.
Local 6313 President Steve Wood brought in more than 75 percent of those working in the Joplin store, and Local 6312 President Jim Billedo and Carl Cutter signed up 22 of 23 workers at four locations in Springfield.
Involved in the New York campaign, along with District 1 Organizing Coordinators Tim Dubnau and Erin Bowie, said Ed Sabol, organizing director and administrative assistant to Cohen, were organizers Jimmy Trainor, secretary of Local 1101, Heather Trainor, Pam Galpern, Richie Meringlo, Keith Purce, Bryan Raymond, Local 1122 Vice Presidents John Mudie and Jim Wagner, Gill Carey, Local 1118 executive vice president, Rachel Tetrault, John Pozdowski, Priscilla Colvin, Jeff Lacher and Patrick Welsh, among others.
They started building contacts during the recent round of Cingular bargaining. A major theme of the campaign, Dubnau said, has been, "When we all join together, we'll have greater power and a much better chance at making real improvements"
The New York drive is part of a major 7-state effort to bring recognition to some 2,200 Cingular "Blue" workers in District 1, Shelton reported.
The Austin call center, currently with 800 employees and 1,000 expected by January, is the third to choose CWA since March. With the addition of 416 workers in the New York retail stores, the union now represents about 2,000 of the 20,000 workers who came under the union-negotiated card-check and neutrality organizing policy at Cingular following that company's acquisition of AT&T Wireless earlier this year. CWA's card check agreement with Cingular officially took effect July 1.
"This is amazing growth for our union," CWA Executive Vice President Larry Cohen said. "Behind this is nearly 15 years of tremendous leadership by District 6. Our whole union has benefited from this leadership at Cingular and beyond." To CWA Vice President Milburn, he said, "Thanks, Andy, for all that you and District 6 do for all of us."
Cohen also had high praise for District 1 Vice President Chris Shelton and the staff and local leaders who mounted the Cingular retail drive.
"They have really gone all out, knowing how important this is for workers at Cingular and for CWA," Cohen said. He congratulated the dozens of Cingular workers who agreed to keep their co-workers informed and who educated themselves about the union," noting that, "Locals 1101, 1118, 1122 and 1170 pitched in to work on the campaign in a coordinated and systematic way."
Luz Riley, president of Local 6132 in Austin, said that efforts to help the call centers form a union a few years ago had met with stiff resistance from AT&T. "Now that it's Cingular, things went so much smoother," she noted.
Six months ago Riley and other local organizers started to leaflet on the sidewalk outside the facility, soon building up an inside organizing committee of about 40 workers. Some of the workers had been active in the earlier drive.
Local Secretary-Treasurer Richard McCullough, and Stewards Brandon Gaovonghet and Jason Peavler, as well as District 6 Area Director-Organizing Danny Fetonte, assisted the committee. Said Fetonte, "The committee came to work early, stayed late, and worked on their lunch hours to win over their co-workers."
Earlier, District 3 organizers signed up a majority of 390 eligible workers at the Cingular "Blue" call center in Memphis, Tenn., where recognition was granted on Aug. 11. In March, 324 call center workers in Jackson, Miss., gained CWA representation.
Local officers and organizers in Missouri have also gone full speed to organize Cingular retail stores, getting 71 representation cards signed and AAA certification to represent 99 workers, District 6 Organizing Coordinator Tom Newport reported on Aug. 19.
Their cooperative efforts involved, from Local 6327 in Kansas City, Vice President Anetra Session, Jaunita Lizotte, Lisa Millican and Cynthia Marshal; Local 6320 in St. Louis, President Kevin Kujawa, Sonja Gholsten-Byrd, Tia Bowling, Dave Hoyt, Tony Franks, Deon Grooters and Jim Henderson, and Local 6314 in Columbia, President Bryant Liddle.
Local 6316 in Cape Girardeau had only one store, but Secretary Kara Hutchason and Meredith Elfrink signed up all three workers.
Local 6313 President Steve Wood brought in more than 75 percent of those working in the Joplin store, and Local 6312 President Jim Billedo and Carl Cutter signed up 22 of 23 workers at four locations in Springfield.
Involved in the New York campaign, along with District 1 Organizing Coordinators Tim Dubnau and Erin Bowie, said Ed Sabol, organizing director and administrative assistant to Cohen, were organizers Jimmy Trainor, secretary of Local 1101, Heather Trainor, Pam Galpern, Richie Meringlo, Keith Purce, Bryan Raymond, Local 1122 Vice Presidents John Mudie and Jim Wagner, Gill Carey, Local 1118 executive vice president, Rachel Tetrault, John Pozdowski, Priscilla Colvin, Jeff Lacher and Patrick Welsh, among others.
They started building contacts during the recent round of Cingular bargaining. A major theme of the campaign, Dubnau said, has been, "When we all join together, we'll have greater power and a much better chance at making real improvements"
The New York drive is part of a major 7-state effort to bring recognition to some 2,200 Cingular "Blue" workers in District 1, Shelton reported.