AT&T Legacy T - Mobilization Report # 19

Three months past expiration, still no contract in sight.  Members heat up mobilization across the country.   

Call Congress NOW at 888-877-2040 and tell them to support AMERICAN JOBS by supporting the U.S. Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act (HR3596).  This bill will help stop companies like AT&T from shipping good American jobs overseas. 

Workers have moved to action and recruited friends and family to help spread the word about AT&T’s corporate greed to the public.    If you have not been involved in actions in your Local or your community, it’s not too late!    Call your Local Union hall today, or talk with an Officer, Steward or Mobilizer in your work area. 

We are spreading our message in our communities at street festivals, County fairs, Farmers Markets, Major League Baseball games, Golf tournaments and any other public event where people are gathered.  A new flier was created to help spread our message to the public.  If you haven’t seen it, you can contact your District Mobilization Coordinator listed below.

Charges at the National Labor Relations Board have been filed by several Locals due to changes in working conditions that the company has imposed on our members.   If you experience a change in working conditions, please report them to your Local Officers, or Stewards and bbates@cwa-union.org. 

Violations of our right to participate in concerted actions should also be reported to bbates@cwa-union.org and your District or Sector staff.   You should file charges at the NLRB in both cases of changes in working conditions and violations of our right to participate in concerted actions.

Here are some of the reportable actions from last week: 

Locals 1150 members are wearing RED Thursdays, BLACK Fridays and standing and making noise at 11:50 daily.  Public actions in solidarity with Local 1153 and District 1 continue.

Local 1152 mobilization on the inside includes standing 3 times every day, wearing RED Thursdays & BLACK Fridays, Mass walk ins and rallies every Thursday.  

Local 1153 works with Local 1150 on actions outside in the public.   Inside members are wearing RED Thursdays, BLACK Fridays, holding rallies weekly, and continue to BOYCOTT OVERTIME. 

Local 2204 members continue to wear RED Thursdays and put signs in the parking lot in their cars adjacent to the AT&T know they are expecting a fair contract.

Local 2252 members continue inside mobilization including standing, clicking, making noise and wearing RED.  Activists handed out flyers and desk signs marking 120 days without a contract. 

Local 3106 members wear RED Thursdays and take health breaks together every hour. 

Local 3108 continue insides and outside actions. Members are making a lot of noise every day 3 times daily.  They are doing ergonomic exercises as a group daily as well.   

Local 3207 members are engaged in the ‘Fight for the American Dream’ and mobilize everyday including; wearing bandanas, RED Thursdays, BLACK Fridays, standing up for 5 Minutes twice daily, taking hourly health breaks.  Members decorated their lockers and clothes with CWA slogans and comments.  WTF is posted on the Union boards.  The Local continues to hold rallies and informational pickets which receive support from our allies and the public.   

Local 3250 members across all states remain engaged in the fight for a fair contract by holding rallies, leafleting the public and our communities.   Inside actions include wearing RED Thursdays, BLACK Fridays, random noise actions when the feeling hits a member, inside rallies, keeping members informed through flyers, and one on one communication.  Outside members are putting gas in their trucks in $32.50 increments when they need gas.  The Local continues to collect cash and notes from members with concerns over cash balance.

Local 3603 members participate in inside actions including wearing RED Thursdays.

Local 3902 members are standing in solidarity every hour on the hour, wearing RED & BLACK throughout the week.  Activists remain engaged in public action.   Members continue to BOYCOTT OVERTIME.

Local 4250 members are taking frequent ergonomic breaks to stay healthy on the job, while they remain focused on customer service and following AT&T’s policies and procedures.  The overtime boycott continues until a fair contract is reached. Members wear RED Thursdays, some wear it every day. 

Local 4252 members continue to wear RED Thursdays and participate in outside actions.

Local 4340 Officers have been holding work site meetings to keep members informed about bargaining and mobilization.  Members are engaged in mobilization actions on the job and in the public.

Local 4998 organizers continue to talk to workers at Best Buy and Radio Shack.  Members show solidarity on the job by wearing RED Thursdays & BLACK Fridays.

District 4 Midwest Local technicians that were forced to walk off the job over safety are glad to be back to work with a new policy in place so that our technicians are not left alone in high risk areas. 

Local 6143 Officers continue to hold break room chats with members every Thursday to keep members informed about bargaining and upcoming mobilization actions.  Members show support by wearing red ribbons and WTF stickers to wear or place at desks. 

Local 6150 members show support by making noise on the job every other hour, wearing RED Thursdays & Black Fridays.

Local 6201 walks in together followed by chanting and tapping actions throughout the day.  Members continue to wear RED armbands and WTF stickers on their badges.  Members stay updated on bargaining and mobilization through face to face meetings, email, social media and the website.  Public actions continue asking people to contact AT&T about brining jobs back to the United States. 

Local 6350 continued to tell management that no contract = no overtime.  Members continue inside actions including making noise in the office, wearing RED Thursdays and BLACK Fridays.   The varied weekly rally times appear to be causing Local management some concerns, which require them to reiterate the break and lunch policy frequently to all employees.

Local 6450 continues to mobilize inside and outside.  Members wear RED Thursdays, BLACK Fridays, AND have something on their desk that says CWA to show support for a fair contract.  Random noise actions continue throughout the day.  Organizers are visiting ALL resellers to encourage members to join CWA.  Members are following ergonomic break recommendations per company policy.  Local activists are planning 2 major outside actions for this week.

Local 7050 members remain focused on safety on the job and quality work.  The branded apparel boycott continues. 

Local 7250 members were joined by family members and community activists at the weekly demonstration downtown Minneapolis.  Outside technicians remain focused on safety and quality. Inside members also participated in mini-rallies in the elevator lobbies.  Many inside actions continue including; stands 3 times daily, wearing RED Thursday & BLACK Friday.  Per AT&T policies, hourly ergonomic breaks are being taken in attempt to maintain good health.  Mass organizing and Public leafleting events continue.

Local 7750 Members continue to show more unity and support as bargaining drags on.  Daily hallway walks have expanded, and more members are wearing RED Tuesday & Thursday while wearing BLACK Friday & the rest of the week.  Flag pole rallies and noise making continue.

Local 9415 worked together with Locals 9421 & District 9 to organize a rally at the Capital.  They remain focused on bringing work back into the United states that has been sent overseas.  Members continue to wear RED Thursdays and remain focused on performing quality work safely.  Outside actions will continue. 

Local 13550 passed our flyers this week regarding AT&T’s continued use of outsourcing with a focus on job security.  Members continue to wear WTF buttons daily.   Inside noise actions each half hour have escalated in level letting AT&T know CWA is still waiting for a fair contract.   Members are wearing ‘Fighting for the American Dream’ t-shirts, RED Thursdays & BLACK Fridays.

Local 13552 members show solidarity by wearing RED Thursdays and BLACK Fridays.

Our members take great pride in the quality of work they perform and follow AT&T’s safety creed on the job every day.  “No job so important, and no service so urgent that we cannot take the time to perform our work safely…”  If you are experiencing nor witness any unsafe working conditions or OSHA violations; report them to your Local Union Stewards or Officers right away.  You can also contact OSHA directly and then notify your Local Union.  *Remember to check your safety and protective gear as well.

Organizing campaigns at retailers like that sell AT&T products and services Best Buy and Radio Shack have expanded to included AT&T authorized agents and contractors that AT&T uses to do business.  Many of the contractor jobs belong or used to belong in our bargaining units.  If we can’t get the work back, we should work to help organize the people doing the work today.

Members in the field are the force behind any movement that has been made so far at the bargaining table.   There are many actions happening in each Local, check with your Local Officer to see how you can participate.  Make sure you are doing your part.

 Are your Local’s actions missing from the report?  Send pictures and reports to your mobilization coordinators listed here:

D1 Chris Wise christopherjwise1@gmail.com
D2/13 Mary Lou Schaffer marylouschaffer@msn.com
D3 Glenda Poindexter gotorganize@gmail.com
D4 Dave Skotarczyk davecwa@sbcglobal.net
D6 Sarah Harreus sharreus@sbcglobal.net
D7/D9 Shari Wojtowicz whatawitch@hotmail.com
Staff Rep Jim Cosgrove jcosgrove@cwa-union.org 

Local Mobilization Coordinators: If you are unsure what to do during this phase of mobilization, or how to ramp up your current actions, please contact your District Coordinator above.  If you have any problems or questions, call your District Staff person or the National T&T Office.

Stand Strong.  Stay Mobilized.