Bargaining Update

Mobilization Makes the Difference…

At AT&T Southeast

CWAers who are fighting for a fair contract at AT&T Southeast know that mobilization makes all the difference. That's why the number of members attending Local 3204's mobilization training is way up since training began last May.

Local 3204 President Ed Barlow said the mobilization classes are held twice a week. "At the start, we had maybe five or six per class. That's grown to as many as 50 members in a class. Members come in and spend a whole day with the union. We answer questions, train them on how to enhance solidarity at their locals. When their coworkers hear about the training, they sign up to come to the class."

CWAers sign up to be picket captains and help schedule actions at their worksites. In District 3, members have designed specifically colored clothing to be worn on specific days. There are "Blue Mondays," "White-Out Wednesdays," red on Thursdays, of course, and black on Fridays. Outside techs always wear orange.

"When you've got 28,000 people in nine different states wearing the same color, it sends a big message to the company," Barlow said.

A growing number of Local 3204 members are turning up for mobilization training.

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More mobilization training underway for members of Locals 3805 and 3806 in Tennessee.

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Outside technicians, members of Local 3315 in Paducah, Ky., always wear orange in solidarity.

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At Verizon

Inside call centers and garages, and at public rallies, Verizon members in Districts 1 and 2-13 are standing up to "Verigreedy" and building support for their fair contract fight.

In D2-13, bargaining committee member Julie Daloisio, president of Local 13500, said the management bargaining team definitely was tracking every mobilization move our members are making. "So when something works, when we've gotten a rise out of some supervisors, that's our signal – "Let's do it again," she said.

Local 13500 call center members stand up together at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and wave red towels or shake noisemakers. Members of Local 2108 have organized Militant Mondays, when members wear camouflage clothing. The local also leafleted call center members with a flyer and a PayDay candy bar with the message: "Lowell got his, it's time we got ours," said Local 2108 President Marilyn Irwin.

Steve Lawton, president of Local 1102, said the local started getting ready for mobilization last January, and the program has really come together. "We don't do anything crazy or controversial, but these actions accomplish what we need to – putting management on notice that we're united and we're taking the fight to them."

Listen to the Sept. 15 Verizon town hall call here.

Members of CWA Local 2108 know it's "Militant Monday" by their camouflage green.

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CWA Verizon workers and retirees greeted CEO Lowell McAdam outside a New York City hotel where he was scheduled to speak at a conference organized by Wall Street bank Goldman Sachs.