AT&T Legacy T Mobilization Report #15

The 2 month anniversary of the contract expiration found the country a flurry of mobilization actions.

Members were really busy this week, and we had some awesome activities at work and in the public.  If you haven’t joined in, please contact your Local to see how you can help make a difference in this battle against one of the greediest companies and their attack on good middle class jobs and workers.

AT&T can clearly afford to help rebuild our nation’s economy by bringing jobs back to the United States, and by providing job security, good wages and affordable healthcare to its current represented workforce.  We need to publicly encourage AT&T to be a responsible corporate citizen.

We need your help to apply public pressure to help move the bargaining table.  If your Local mobilization committee is unsure what type of actions you should be doing, please contact your District Mobilization Coordinator listed below.  Our Collective action is the key to getting a fair contract.

All members should continue to work safely and provide the outstanding quality that CWA members are known for.  Make sure your safety and protective gear is functioning properly.  If you witness any unsafe working conditions or OSHA violations, report them to your Local Stewards or Officers.  You can also contact OSHA directly and then notify your Local Union.

Here are some of the reportable actions from around the country:

Local 1051 members ring bells, shake pill bottles, and use various other noise makers in support of a fair contract.  They wear RED Thursdays & BLACK Fridays, and continue to do a quality job safely.

Local 1150 has been holding weekly rallies on Wednesday and continues inside mobilization with daily stands and noise making.  Members continue wearing RED and BLACK.

Local 1152 celebrated the 2 month anniversary with a 10 minute stand, blew horns, clapped, tossed beach balls marked “CWA”.  The beach balls were confiscated by management, and threats regarding continued mobilization were issue to the Union.  Members refreshed their desks with fresh red balloons
and signs last week.  Weekly rallies and mass walk-ins are held EVERY Thursday.  The Company’s regional motivation games “SOUP” are being boycotted, stating “No contract, NO SOUP”, and members received wooden spoons from the Local saying, "CWA Stirring it up".

Local 1153 members work closely with Local 1150 on coordinated mobilization actions.  Members continued to sign postcards and letters to the Governors in New York and Connecticut.

Local 2204 members marked the 60 day expiration by wearing black on Thursday, as they are still in mourning without a contract.

Local 2252 members continued noise activity levels within the office and wearing red, and participated in office-wide mobilization Thursday, marking 60 days without a contract.

Local 3207 continues to mobilize every day including wearing bandannas or camouflage clothes Wednesday, RED Thursdays, BLACK Fridays, and standing up in the center for 5 minutes twice each day.  The Local holds informational demonstrations monthly.

Local 3250 held a great rally at the Alpharetta location with much support from the community and other unions including the Teamsters Local 728.  The Teamster Semi truck stopped directly in front of the building and blew the horn.  Thursday members participated in a sit-in marking 2 months without a contract, and Friday there was an action in support of District 9.

Local 3902 continues mobilization actions.

Local 4050/4090 members were among many that participated in a state-wide grievance action attempting to reach resolution on the issue and prevent it from impacting other workers in the future.

Local 4250 members and retirees continue with organizing drives in the greater Chicago area.

Local 4252 wears RED Thursday and BLACK Friday, with a group of members that are wearing RED and/or bracelets every day.

Local 4998 members have continued actions in the office including wearing RED Thursdays.

Local 6143 continues to show their support by wearing red on Thursday and black on Friday.  They have participated in the nationwide actions going on, including our healthcare day, and distributed flyers to members and organizing retailers.

Local 6150 members are clicking and making noise every odd hour and participating in RED Thursdays. 

Local 6201 begins the day with members walking into the office in solidarity, chanting once the door is closed.  Standing and Tapping actions continue throughout the day.  Members are participating in the branded apparel boycott, and do not carry anything with an at&t logo on it.  Activists make sure that all members are up to date on bargaining information and upcoming mobilization actions.  WTF stickers are worn daily, along with red armbands.  Members are committed to providing the best customer service, so customers can recognize they are better served with American Union employees who actually care about the success of the company and satisfaction of our customers.

Local 6450 continued to show support to our bargaining team as we approached 2 months with no contract.  Brothers and sisters from District 6 Locals 6360 and 6327 helped to organize a rally in downtown KCMO on Tuesday; in attendance was JWJ and Occupy KC.  Thursday members walked in together, gathered in the hall and walked around the call center whistling “Mighty Mighty Union”.  Later Thursday several members were in the halls shouting and chanting, “What do we want…. a fair contract!!”  Members continue to make random noises daily.  A care package was sent off to our bargainers thanking them for all they have done thus far, and a “special” box has been sent for the at&t bargainers filled with lots of trinkets members have collected over the years, with a letter asking them to give us a fair contract and affordable healthcare in exchange.

Local 7050 members continue the branded apparel boycott, and are making sure they are safe on the job, especially with the severe summer heat.  Vehicle checks are being done regularly to ensure the temperature doesn’t negatively affect the company vehicles or the workers.

Local 7250 held its weekly rally outside on Thursday and held a lunchtime mini-rally in the elevator lobby on every floor.  The Company continued to threaten Union Leaders if mobilization continues.  This has been added to the NLRB charges that are already being investigated.  Technicians remain focused on quality and safety on the job.  Inside members are also focused on quality and customer service, but continue with the stand ups 3 times daily, following the Company’s ergonomic recommendations to stand hourly and walk around as stated in the policy, and remind their co-workers to do the same.  They are wearing RED Thursdays & BLACK Fridays, and organizers have continued visits to local retailers that sell AT&T products and services.

Local 7750 continues to organize retailers that sell AT&T products and services.  They are always looking for more people to join; please contact the Local.  Members continue to keep each other informed, participate in actions inside, and hold flagpole rallies outside the main building.

Local 13500 members continued to wear RED every Thursday, make noise every hour on the hour, and continued to take Health Care breaks on Friday.  They marked the 60 day expiration by participating in an office-wide mobilization on Thursday.

Local 13550 members have increased noise levels with cow bells, horns, clappers, etc. every half hour, and health break actions every day.  The 2 month expiration was marked by participating in the office-wide mobilization action on Thursday.  Outside the office several members took a road trip to West Virginia to focus on organizing outsourcing groups who are doing similar call center work for AT&T, stopping at several subcontracting facilities along the way, including TRG and Teleperformance in PA and Aegis in West Virginia; over 600 flyers were distributed to contracted employees.  The police were called and Local 13550 members were asked to leave the premise by the security guard.  The contracted employees followed up with phone calls to the Local and are very interested in organizing with CWA.

Local 13552 has everyone wearing RED Thursdays and BLACK Fridays.

***

Members continue to move into action across all states as we bring our campaigns against AT&T's corporate greed into more community events.  Locals have already been to golf tournaments, major league baseball games, street festivals, outdoor concerts, summer fairs, farmers markets, etc.  Anywhere people are gathered, we should be there informing the public about AT&T’s attack on good middle class jobs and their refusal to help rebuild the nation’s economy by bringing work back to the United States.  (It doesn’t have to be an AT&T sponsored event.)

Organizing continues in full swing nationwide.  Best Buy & Radio Shack are 2 major resellers of AT&T products and services.  It is important for us to help organize workers that are doing the same work that CWA members are doing at AT&T.  It is very easy to talk to workers at major retailers.  Get together with one or more co-workers and select a store location near you.  Report your actions to the District Mobilizers below.

If you experience a change in working conditions, please report it to your Local Officers or Stewards and bbates@cwa-union.org.  Also report all violations of our right to concerted actions to bbates@cwa-union.org and your District or Sector Staff.  You will likely be directed to file charges against the Company for violating our right to participate in concerted activities.

Mobilization reports and pictures should be sent to your District Mobilization Coordinator.  If your Local President and Local Mobilization Coordinator have not been receiving flyers or information, please let us know.

Send pictures and mobilization reports to your mobilization coordinators:
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 

Mobilization Coordinators: If you are unsure what to do during Mobilization Phase 3, 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.