Bargaining Update

United Flight Attendants Launch Worldwide Protest Today as Holiday Travel Begins

At airports across the world, including Guam International Airport (GUM), Flight Attendants protested United Airlines stalling tactics at the bargaining table.

As the holiday travel season begins, United Airlines Flight Attendants are picketing airport bases around the world today calling on the airline to complete its merger with Continental Airlines as it promised to do five years ago.

United management is still dragging its feet negotiating a fair contract with 24,000 Flight Attendants, represented by AFA-CWA, despite enjoying historic profits.

"With a busy holiday travel season underway, passengers flying United suffer under the inefficiency of its fractured three-part operation," AFA-CWA International President Sara Nelson said. "It's been five years, and now five holiday seasons since United Airlines initiated the merger. United Flight Attendants are still without a joint contract and work another holiday season without sharing in the profits they help create. A joint contract provides Flight Attendants, the airline and its passengers with the stability of a fully operational airline."

Flight Attendants at London's Heathrow Airport show solidarity with other United Airlines Flight Attendants around the world as they fight for a fair contract.

The protests, which include Flight Attendants from all U.S. airlines, the Air Line Pilots Association, passengers and many other unions, are taking place at airports in Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Denver, CO; Frankfurt, Germany; Guam; Hong Kong; Honolulu; Houston, TX; Las Vegas, NV; London, England; Los Angeles, CA; Orange, CA; Tokyo, Japan; Newark, NJ; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, DC.

Visit OurContract.org for more information.

NewsGuild Reaches Groundbreaking Contract Settlement with The Nation Magazine

The NewsGuild of New York has reached a groundbreaking, new six-year contract with The Nation. The contract will provide employees four months of paid parental leave regardless of gender, a nearly unheard of benefit in the news industry, and a 25 percent pay increase over the life of the agreement.

Editors and other Guild members at The Nation magazine voted on Dec. 16 to ratify a new contract that includes a groundbreaking four months of parental leave and raises pay by 25 percent over six years.

"Kudos to The Nation for taking such a progressive stance and working with us to trailblaze a path for other media organizations to follow. Journalists are parents too, and it's important that they have the opportunity to be with family during this joyous period, without worrying about repercussions from their employer," said Peter Szekely, president of The NewsGuild of New York.

NewsGuild members at The Nation voted overwhelmingly to ratify the agreement yesterday.

Read more about the contract at the NewsGuild website.

Waterloo City Workers Win Pay Raises

In Iowa, Waterloo City Council members voted on Monday to approve three-year labor contracts with seven unions including CWA. The agreement covering CWA members was ratified and became effective July 1. Read more here.

New Flyer Workers to Vote on New Agreement

CWA and New Flyer of America have reached a tentative five-year agreement for workers at the company's Crookston, MN, facility. This Sunday, Dec. 19, workers will hold a ratification vote. The current contract expires on Dec. 31. Read more here.

Verizon Workers Mobilizing for a Fair Contract

Over 200 CWA Local 1108 members – joined by supporters and elected officials – rallied for fairness at Verizon and collected over 10 boxes of toys for less fortunate children. Supporters included Suffolk County, NY Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory; Suffolk County, NY Majority Leader Rob Calarco; Suffolk County, NY Legislators Kate Browning and Bridget Fleming; Babylon Town, NY Supervisor Rich Schaffer; Brookhaven Town Councilwoman Valerie Cartright; and New York State Assemblyman Andrew Raia; Long Island Federation of Labor Executive Director Roger Clayman; and Long Island Jobs with Justice Director Anita Halasz.

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CWA Local 2201 members (left to right): Joanne Goodrich, Diane Clayton, Erica Pryor-Davis, Michelle Camp, Donna Kimble, Christine Young rally for a fair contract at the Verizon Park Central work site in Richmond, VA, on Friday.

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Mason Pinto, 6, son of CWA Local 1120 LPAT leader Rob Pinto, has a very specific wish of Santa this Christmas. He is asking Santa to get Verizon Wireless to reinstate Bianca Cunningham, a leader who helped organize 65 Verizon Wireless workers in Brooklyn. Cunningham was fired for her union activities.

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CWA Local 2204 Radford members (from left to right): Richard Hanks, Dennis Jones, Jimmy Johnson and James Wampler stand up to Verizon. Technicians and directory assistance operators who work at this location hold informational picket mobilizations at least three days every week.

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Tabitha Wimmer (left) and Christina Gravely (right), Radford work location directory assistance operators, mobilize after work as Rosie the Riveter showing why a fair Contract is important to them.