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Convention 2003: We're Taking Back America: CWA 2003 We Stand Together
Standing together in bargaining, organizing and in their resolve to take back America for working families, more than 2,800 registered delegates and guests cheered CWA national leaders, 2004 presidential candidates and outspoken local leaders at the union's 2003 convention, Aug. 25-26, in Chicago.
In his keynote speech, CWA President Morton Bahr took President Bush to task for exploiting the fears of the American people following Sept. 11 and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, to distract from the real issues that will shape the 2004 presidential campaign:
Noting that the hall was packed with veterans of every American military conflict since World War II, he said, "We don't have to wear our patriotism on our sleeves. We don't have to prove our love of country to anyone. But sometimes the bravest form of patriotism is standing up to our elected leaders when we believe they are making a mistake."
Five presidential hopefuls courted CWA's support for nomination as the 2004 Democratic candidate. Former House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.), Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.), and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean differed in their approaches on health care, jobs and the economy.
But all of the candidates showed strong support for labor law reform, organizing and bargaining rights and workers' rights. Noting CWA's prolonged contract talks with Verizon, they called on the company to bargain in good faith and treat its workers fairly.
State of the Union
CWA Secretary-Treasurer Barbara Easterling pointed out that although "economically, these are the toughest times our nation has endured since the Great Depression," CWA remains strong, fulfilling its "historic commitment to member services."
But, she said, "The state of the larger union, the United States of America, is downright awful."
She pointed to numerous, ongoing legislative battles to combat George W. Bush's agenda to kill overtime pay, to allow media monopolies through FCC regulation, to export defense jobs, to undermine seniors' prescription benefits while channeling money to huge drug companies, to sabotage the Family and Medical Leave Act and to privatize government services.
To prepare for the 2004 elections, "We have got to get out there and train the largest, most dynamic army of political activists CWA has ever built," she said. "They're waging war against working families, our members, our union and our movement, and we have got to deploy the biggest and best political attack machine the world has ever seen."
Verizon Contract Campaign
Four CWA vice presidents were absent from the convention: IUE-CWA President Ed Fire was recovering from heart surgery, while CWA District 1, 2 and 13 Vice Presidents Larry Mancino, Pete Catucci and Vince Maisano were unable to attend due to their roles in Verizon bargaining.
Bahr explained the difficulty of achieving a settlement with the company and laid out a strategy, supported by the AFL-CIO, to achieve Fairness at Verizon. He thanked AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka, who also addressed the convention, for helping devise a plan to get union members to submit authorization cards pledging to switch to AT&T if a fair settlement wasn't reached.
The plan became unnecessary when, in early September, members won a new five-year agreement with Verizon.
Strength Through Organizing
CWA Executive Vice President Larry Cohen honored locals that organized at least 100 members in the past year: 1034 and 1040, Trenton, and 1037, Newark, N.J.; 1101, New York, N.Y.; 80400, Kitchener, Ontario; 2000, Silver Spring, Md.; 32035, Washington, D.C.; 3010, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 3204, Atlanta, Ga., 4340; Brooklyn Heights, Ohio; 6171, Krum, Texas; 7011, Albuquerque, N.M.; 7026, Tucson, Ariz.; and 39521, Los Angeles, California.
"Together, these 14 locals have organized 2,726 members in new units in a single year," Cohen said.
He presented each of the locals a $1,000 organizing subsidy.
To Carolyn Wade and Ed Phillips, presidents of Locals 1040, Trenton, and 4340, Cleveland, he presented pins honoring their success in organizing 100 members per year for 10 years and organizing subsidies of $5,000.
Bahr presented the union's highest award for organizing to Local 1301, Boston, Mass., and President George Alcott, for assistance and dedication in organizing Verizon Information Systems workers across the nation.
"Local 1301 continues to display the kind of solidarity that helps build and strengthen the union, and they continue to be involved in VIS organizing campaigns around the country," Bahr said. "They represent a classic example of member-to-member organizing that I feel is deserving of the President's Annual Award."
Local 1301 has represented sales representatives for 40 years, at New England Telephone, which became NYNEX, then Bell Atlantic, and when Bell Atlantic and GTE merged, VIS.
Members of the local traveled to New York, Virginia and West Virginia to provide expertise and support for 21 organizing campaigns at VIS. They also helped with bargaining for the 1,700 VIS workers who ratified a first contract earlier this year.
Prospective Merger
Association of Flight Attendants President Pat Friend related the proud history of her union and asked the delegates' support as they reviewed a draft agreement for the merger of the 35,000-member AFA with CWA. The AFA's governing board is in the process of considering the agreement.
"We see CWA as a union that values what we value, whose goals for the future match our goals for the future, whose integrity is unimpeachable, whose leadership and membership are progressive, whose political agenda is in sync with ours," Friend said, noting the common concerns of CWA and the AFA for health and safety, politics and social justice, and for building a stronger union together.
The delegates showed their approval with a prolonged standing ovation.
In his keynote speech, CWA President Morton Bahr took President Bush to task for exploiting the fears of the American people following Sept. 11 and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, to distract from the real issues that will shape the 2004 presidential campaign:
- 15 million workers unemployed or under-employed.
- Devastating job loss in manufacturing and a trade policy that encourages the exportation of jobs in all sectors.
- Loss of heath insurance and crushing prescription costs for millions of workers and retirees.
- A federal deficit of more than $450 billion.
- Tax cuts that benefit only the wealthy.
- Economic crises in many state governments.
Noting that the hall was packed with veterans of every American military conflict since World War II, he said, "We don't have to wear our patriotism on our sleeves. We don't have to prove our love of country to anyone. But sometimes the bravest form of patriotism is standing up to our elected leaders when we believe they are making a mistake."
Five presidential hopefuls courted CWA's support for nomination as the 2004 Democratic candidate. Former House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.), Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.), and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean differed in their approaches on health care, jobs and the economy.
But all of the candidates showed strong support for labor law reform, organizing and bargaining rights and workers' rights. Noting CWA's prolonged contract talks with Verizon, they called on the company to bargain in good faith and treat its workers fairly.
State of the Union
CWA Secretary-Treasurer Barbara Easterling pointed out that although "economically, these are the toughest times our nation has endured since the Great Depression," CWA remains strong, fulfilling its "historic commitment to member services."
But, she said, "The state of the larger union, the United States of America, is downright awful."
She pointed to numerous, ongoing legislative battles to combat George W. Bush's agenda to kill overtime pay, to allow media monopolies through FCC regulation, to export defense jobs, to undermine seniors' prescription benefits while channeling money to huge drug companies, to sabotage the Family and Medical Leave Act and to privatize government services.
To prepare for the 2004 elections, "We have got to get out there and train the largest, most dynamic army of political activists CWA has ever built," she said. "They're waging war against working families, our members, our union and our movement, and we have got to deploy the biggest and best political attack machine the world has ever seen."
Verizon Contract Campaign
Four CWA vice presidents were absent from the convention: IUE-CWA President Ed Fire was recovering from heart surgery, while CWA District 1, 2 and 13 Vice Presidents Larry Mancino, Pete Catucci and Vince Maisano were unable to attend due to their roles in Verizon bargaining.
Bahr explained the difficulty of achieving a settlement with the company and laid out a strategy, supported by the AFL-CIO, to achieve Fairness at Verizon. He thanked AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka, who also addressed the convention, for helping devise a plan to get union members to submit authorization cards pledging to switch to AT&T if a fair settlement wasn't reached.
The plan became unnecessary when, in early September, members won a new five-year agreement with Verizon.
Strength Through Organizing
CWA Executive Vice President Larry Cohen honored locals that organized at least 100 members in the past year: 1034 and 1040, Trenton, and 1037, Newark, N.J.; 1101, New York, N.Y.; 80400, Kitchener, Ontario; 2000, Silver Spring, Md.; 32035, Washington, D.C.; 3010, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 3204, Atlanta, Ga., 4340; Brooklyn Heights, Ohio; 6171, Krum, Texas; 7011, Albuquerque, N.M.; 7026, Tucson, Ariz.; and 39521, Los Angeles, California.
"Together, these 14 locals have organized 2,726 members in new units in a single year," Cohen said.
He presented each of the locals a $1,000 organizing subsidy.
To Carolyn Wade and Ed Phillips, presidents of Locals 1040, Trenton, and 4340, Cleveland, he presented pins honoring their success in organizing 100 members per year for 10 years and organizing subsidies of $5,000.
Bahr presented the union's highest award for organizing to Local 1301, Boston, Mass., and President George Alcott, for assistance and dedication in organizing Verizon Information Systems workers across the nation.
"Local 1301 continues to display the kind of solidarity that helps build and strengthen the union, and they continue to be involved in VIS organizing campaigns around the country," Bahr said. "They represent a classic example of member-to-member organizing that I feel is deserving of the President's Annual Award."
Local 1301 has represented sales representatives for 40 years, at New England Telephone, which became NYNEX, then Bell Atlantic, and when Bell Atlantic and GTE merged, VIS.
Members of the local traveled to New York, Virginia and West Virginia to provide expertise and support for 21 organizing campaigns at VIS. They also helped with bargaining for the 1,700 VIS workers who ratified a first contract earlier this year.
Prospective Merger
Association of Flight Attendants President Pat Friend related the proud history of her union and asked the delegates' support as they reviewed a draft agreement for the merger of the 35,000-member AFA with CWA. The AFA's governing board is in the process of considering the agreement.
"We see CWA as a union that values what we value, whose goals for the future match our goals for the future, whose integrity is unimpeachable, whose leadership and membership are progressive, whose political agenda is in sync with ours," Friend said, noting the common concerns of CWA and the AFA for health and safety, politics and social justice, and for building a stronger union together.
The delegates showed their approval with a prolonged standing ovation.