Cohen Joins Ohio CWAers in Fight to Repeal Anti-Bargaining Law

CWA members in Cleveland and other activists joined with UFCW members on strike at six Rite-Aid stores for a demonstration that began at a Rite-Aid and ended at a nearby Verizon Wireless store.

Ohio union activists campaigning tirelessly to repeal the state law stripping collective bargaining rights from public workers got a new volunteer last week when CWA President Larry Cohen turned out for an AFL-CIO precinct walk in Columbus.

Cohen headed out with three CWA members who work at AT&T, and said he was proud to see firsthand how hard they and other private-sector workers are fighting to stop the assault on public employees.

"We had 150 union activists go out, including 50 from CWA," Cohen said. "Among our members, it was a wonderful mix of public and telecom. They absolutely understood the link to AT&T bargaining, and that if we don't stick together and stop the attacks now, that everyone's rights at work are at risk."

Or as CWA Local 4310 Steward Natalie Carson put it, it's about preventing the "domino effect." Carson knocked on doors with Cohen and said while many people she met understand what's at stake, she knows others don't — and that's why she and others are giving so much time and energy to the campaign. "You'll see someone interviewed on TV and it's clear they're willing to believe the Republican claim that it's all about taxes. We still have our work cut out for us," she said.

Going door to door in Columbus, Ohio, last week, CWA President Larry Cohen and Local 4310 Steward Natalie Carson urge residents to vote "No" on Issue 2 on Nov. 8 to save public workers' collective bargaining rights.

A broad coalition of Ohioans, from students to senior citizens to small business owners, have joined unions to campaign for a "No" vote on Issue 2 on Nov. 8. A majority "No" vote would repeal the anti-collective bargaining law that Gov. John Kasich and Republican leaders in the state legislature pushed through earlier this year. In order to get the referendum on the ballot, unions and their community allies gathered a record-breaking 1.3 million signatures.

Now they are working just as hard to get out the vote. "With less then four weeks remaining, getting volunteers to knock on doors and make phone calls is the most critical task," CWA District 4 Vice President Seth Rosen said. "When we have the chance to talk with voters, they understand how voting 'no' on Issue 2 helps us in the fight for good jobs and strong communities. The more people we talk to, the better we will do."

Ohio's CWA members are also furthering the fight as they continue to stand with Verizon and Verizon Wireless workers. In Cleveland on Tuesday, Local 4340 joined with UFCW members who are striking at six Rite-Aid drugstores in a fight over health care costs. About 80 activists rallied outside a Rite-Aid that happened to be a block from a VZW store, their next stop.