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Cingular 'Blue' Organizing Tally Hits 5,000
CWA representation came to 805 former AT&T Wireless workers on Sept.9 at two Cingular call centers in Greensboro, N.C., District 3 Vice President Noah Savant announced. Then, on Sept. 12, District 4 Vice President Seth Rosen reported that the union gained recognition for an additional 14 Cingular network employees in the state of Wisconsin. This latest growth surge puts the union at the 5,000 mark for Cingular workers organized since the Cingular-AT&T Wireless merger.
"This is by far the largest organizing drive the labor movement has going in the South," said CWA President Larry Cohen. "Since July 1, we've organized 5,000 new members who used to work for AT&T Wireless, and that number is likely to double before the end of the year. All that's changed is now we have neutrality. Our locals have done a tremendous job of reaching out to these workers and helping them achieve the representation they deserve."
The Greensboro workers - 222 customer service representatives at one center and 583 business representatives at the other - started to organize themselves in early 2004, months before the Cingular-AT&T Wireless merger was announced.
Spurred on by the organizing successes of other unrepresented workers at Cingular, said District 3 Organizing Coordinator Hugh Wolfe, the workers persisted. They were assisted by Local 3607 organizers Tracy Rooks and Kia Brown and other members of the local's organizing committee, as they explained the benefits of having a union and collected signed representation cards from a majority of the workers.
Local President Mike King and Vice President Gary Hunter also supported their campaign for respect, fairness in discipline and a grievance procedure - all to be gained with a union contract. Local 3607 will represent the new units.
District 4 Organizing Coordinator Susan Baxter-Flemming said on Sept. 12 that the American Arbitration Association verified that a large majority of the 14 Wisconsin workers signed cards.
"Local Organizer Joy Roberts worked closely with wireless technicians John Buda, Omar Barasneh and Mike Flarity, who were instrumental in talking to their co-coworkers," she said.
Local 4603 President George Walls, and organizing committee members Al Stein and Lori Wawrzonek also worked on the campaign.
"This is by far the largest organizing drive the labor movement has going in the South," said CWA President Larry Cohen. "Since July 1, we've organized 5,000 new members who used to work for AT&T Wireless, and that number is likely to double before the end of the year. All that's changed is now we have neutrality. Our locals have done a tremendous job of reaching out to these workers and helping them achieve the representation they deserve."
The Greensboro workers - 222 customer service representatives at one center and 583 business representatives at the other - started to organize themselves in early 2004, months before the Cingular-AT&T Wireless merger was announced.
Spurred on by the organizing successes of other unrepresented workers at Cingular, said District 3 Organizing Coordinator Hugh Wolfe, the workers persisted. They were assisted by Local 3607 organizers Tracy Rooks and Kia Brown and other members of the local's organizing committee, as they explained the benefits of having a union and collected signed representation cards from a majority of the workers.
Local President Mike King and Vice President Gary Hunter also supported their campaign for respect, fairness in discipline and a grievance procedure - all to be gained with a union contract. Local 3607 will represent the new units.
District 4 Organizing Coordinator Susan Baxter-Flemming said on Sept. 12 that the American Arbitration Association verified that a large majority of the 14 Wisconsin workers signed cards.
"Local Organizer Joy Roberts worked closely with wireless technicians John Buda, Omar Barasneh and Mike Flarity, who were instrumental in talking to their co-coworkers," she said.
Local 4603 President George Walls, and organizing committee members Al Stein and Lori Wawrzonek also worked on the campaign.