Search News
For the Media
For media inquiries, call CWA Communications at 202-434-1168 or email comms@cwa-union.org. To read about CWA Members, Leadership or Industries, visit our About page.
1,578 former AT&T Wireless Workers Organize with CWA at Cingular Call Centers in Oklahoma and Oregon
Thanks to strong inside committees and support from CWA members at Cingular Wireless, 1,578 former AT&T Wireless customer service representatives gained CWA representation at Cingular call centers in Oklahoma City, Okla., and Portland, Ore., on Sept. 2 and Sept. 6 respectively.
At the Portland call center, 444 workers – customer service representatives and finance department representatives – gained union representation following a card check procedure. They will be represented by CWA Local 7901 which is based in Portland.
District 7 Organizing Coordinator Jana Smith-Carr reports that the workers' 25-person, inside organizing committee worked tirelessly to assist co-workers in gaining CWA representation. They signed a public mission statement which listed the advantages of CWA representation, answered co-workers' questions about unions, and passed out leaflets to workers outside the call center every afternoon and evening for three weeks. The committee also held training sessions on Sundays.
The committee's slogan – "It's not just about us....it's about our families, too!" – resonated with the customer service representatives. Their goals are gaining respect and getting improvements in their benefits and working conditions.
In Oklahoma City, 1,134 former AT&T Wireless employees – customer service representatives and analysts – work at two Cingular Wireless locations several blocks from one another. As in Portland, large majorities of the workers supported CWA representation in the card check. They will be represented by CWA Local 6016.
Hard work and dedication of the workers' 52-person, inside organizing committee was key to their gaining union representation, said District 6 Organizing Coordinator Sandy Rusher. Members of the committee from both locations distributed signed mission statements, wore badges ("Ask us about our union") made by one of the committee members, hand billed, staffed tables, and phoned co-workers so employees could make an informed decision.
The workers' concerns are the high cost of health care for unrepresented Cingular employees, pay protection, working conditions, and job security.
CWA Local 6016 EVP Kay Samaripa provided support and encouragement to the workers, along with assistance from two CWA stewards from a unionized Cingular Wireless call center in Oklahoma City – Josh Boulware and Jay Albertson, and support from Local 6016 officers Audry Brown, VP, and Barry Gardner, PRES, and Local 6001 organizer Ann McQueary.
At the Portland call center, 444 workers – customer service representatives and finance department representatives – gained union representation following a card check procedure. They will be represented by CWA Local 7901 which is based in Portland.
District 7 Organizing Coordinator Jana Smith-Carr reports that the workers' 25-person, inside organizing committee worked tirelessly to assist co-workers in gaining CWA representation. They signed a public mission statement which listed the advantages of CWA representation, answered co-workers' questions about unions, and passed out leaflets to workers outside the call center every afternoon and evening for three weeks. The committee also held training sessions on Sundays.
The committee's slogan – "It's not just about us....it's about our families, too!" – resonated with the customer service representatives. Their goals are gaining respect and getting improvements in their benefits and working conditions.
In Oklahoma City, 1,134 former AT&T Wireless employees – customer service representatives and analysts – work at two Cingular Wireless locations several blocks from one another. As in Portland, large majorities of the workers supported CWA representation in the card check. They will be represented by CWA Local 6016.
Hard work and dedication of the workers' 52-person, inside organizing committee was key to their gaining union representation, said District 6 Organizing Coordinator Sandy Rusher. Members of the committee from both locations distributed signed mission statements, wore badges ("Ask us about our union") made by one of the committee members, hand billed, staffed tables, and phoned co-workers so employees could make an informed decision.
The workers' concerns are the high cost of health care for unrepresented Cingular employees, pay protection, working conditions, and job security.
CWA Local 6016 EVP Kay Samaripa provided support and encouragement to the workers, along with assistance from two CWA stewards from a unionized Cingular Wireless call center in Oklahoma City – Josh Boulware and Jay Albertson, and support from Local 6016 officers Audry Brown, VP, and Barry Gardner, PRES, and Local 6001 organizer Ann McQueary.