Bargaining Update

CWA President Shelton Leads Thousands of AT&T Southeast Workers in Atlanta Rally

CWA President Chris Shelton and District 3 Vice President Richard Honeycutt joined nearly a thousand CWAers at an informational picket and rally outside AT&T headquarters in Atlanta this past Saturday.

CWA President Shelton marches with CWAers at AT&T rally in Atlanta.

"The only reason this company is successful, the only reason it can buy DirectTV or companies in Mexico, is because the people here today break their backs every day to make this company successful," President Shelton said.

"You should be extremely proud of the mobilization and the solidarity that you show, not only by being here, but every day since bargaining started. That's what's going to get you a contract. We can do all the yelling we want. If management knows you're behind us, they're going to have to move, and they've already started moving, because they knew this rally would be a tremendous success," Shelton told a sea of red-shirted CWA members at the rally. Watch some video of the rally here.

AT&T workers in CWA District 3 turned out in force to tell AT&T that they will not accept higher health care costs, unsafe working conditions and other concessions that the company is demanding. CWA members in nine Southeastern states are working without a contract; negotiations continued this week.

More than 1,000 CWA members marched and rallied outside AT&T headquarters.

Vice President Honeycutt said, "Our bargaining team has been working hard for over two months to reach an agreement but it seems that AT&T is only interested in one-sided negotiations. We have seen an unprecedented amount of mobilization activities throughout District 3 and our members have proven that they are willing to do whatever it takes to secure the contract they deserve."

CWA Local 3204 President Ed Barlow said the way AT&T has gone about bargaining has shown members how much they need their union. "AT&T, we are here to let you know today, we are not playing in Atlanta, GA," Barlow said. "We will fight to win contracts that honor our sacrifices for this corporation. It's our turn."

AT&T is a very profitable company, with profits last year of $6.5 billion and second quarter 2015 revenues topping $33 billion. AT&T also recently completed a $48.5 billion acquisition of DirecTV.

Left: CWAers on the march for a fair contract. Right: CWA members call out AT&T for its corporate greed.

CWA Members Hold Day of Action, Stand Up to Verizon across Northeast

Across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic in communities including Baltimore, Poughkeepsie, Philadelphia, Manhattan, the Bronx, Roanoke and New Windsor, CWA members held solidarity actions and rallies last week for a fair contract at Verizon.

Thousands of CWAers and members of the IBEW rallied before work and outside corporate offices to let Verizon's management know that we're in this fight for the long haul and won't be intimidated, despite Verizon's boasts that it's ready for a strike.

Yonkers, NY Mayor Mike Spano, said the negotiations "should always be about people, about the men and women who work for this company and we need to make sure you guys get what you deserve. You can count on my support. We are pushy, and we are out there making sure that you get the contract that you absolutely need."

In Salisbury, MD, CWA Local 2106 members protested for two hours outside a Verizon location and were joined by Mayor Jim Ireton. CWA Local 13101 members held two rallies, in Dover and Wilmington, DE.

"We're fighting to maintain what we have and what we've earned over the past 60 years, both for our members and for our retirees to ensure livable wages and, of course, health care and fair retirement packages with a company that can easily afford all of this," said Local 13101 President Jim Ryan. "A company that makes $12 million in profit per day can afford things like that."

Keep up with the latest at standuptoverizon.com.

Left: CWA Local 1104 members rally before work in Plainview, NY. Right: NY Assembly Member Brad Hoylman shows his solidarity with members of CWA Local 1101 in Manhattan. Across Verizon territory, CWA members were joined by elected officials at rallies and actions.

Left: In Annapolis, members of CWA Local 2100 stand up to Verizon. Right: In Richmond, CWA Local 2201 members are mobilizing for a fair contract.

IUE-CWA Local 84717 Begins Bargaining with Delphi

Some 700 IUE-CWA members are mobilizing for a fair contract at Delphi Automotive in Warren, OH. The IUE-CWA bargaining team kicked off negotiations with Delphi last week on the current contract that expires on Oct. 12. IUE-CWA Local 84717 President Edward Salus said, "there's no question that IUE-CWA members are standing strong with our bargaining team. Our unity is strong and we will be able to attain a great contract for our brothers and sisters."

Catholic Health Workers Fighting for a Fair Contract

Nurses at the St. Joseph Campus of the Sisters of Charity Hospital in Buffalo, NY, members of CWA Local 1168, want a fair contract. Negotiations for a new contract covering the 200 nurses got underway with the hospital's parent employer, Catholic Health, on June 29. The current contract expires on Aug. 31. CWA Locals 1168 and 1133 represent about 3,200 workers at Catholic Health's facilities in the Buffalo area

Jenny Applewhite of 1199SEIU, a union partner in the health care workers' coalition, joins the mobilization and fires up the crowd.