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CWA Blocks Ameritech Shutdown
Locals Mobilize Community, Media, Political Backlash
A business plan put forth by Ameritech Corp. on March 3 had turned into a corporate public relations disaster by March 28, thanks to an energetic, district-wide mobilization that stretched from local offices to governor’s offices.
The initial Ameritech plan was to close, within 90 days, consumer offices in Lansing, Mich. (employing 395 workers) and Milwaukee, Wis. (employing 399 workers), as well as “enhanced business” offices in Madison, Wisc., Indianapolis, Ind., and Columbus, Ohio, which employed several hundred more workers.
Finally, yielding to protests from union leaders, political insiders, editorial writers, city and county officials, educators, religious activists and others, Ameritech officials said “Let’s call the whole thing off” — at least temporarily.
Management also agreed to negotiate the issues — which CWA had demanded from the onset. The union went to the National Labor Relations Board Region 7 office in Detroit on March 19, accusing Ameritech of violating federal labor law by refusing to bargain with CWA over the closings, and seeking an injunction to prevent the closings.
By March 28, the company was in full retreat from its original plan, using the cover of a plea from Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, who also had told company and union officials that he too wanted to be involved in any discussions before the heavy-footed plan could be implemented.
High Praise for Locals
CWA Vice President Jeff Rechenbach of District 4 had nothing but high praise for the wide-ranging, enthusiastic response from officers, stewards and members throughout the district.
“Their efforts definitely helped keep the company’s feet to the fire,” he said.
He also accused the company of demonstrating a “blatant disregard” for customers and employees, despite record $2.3 billion in earnings in 1997.
Massive rallies were held protesting the Ameritech plan in key cities. On March 11, more than 500 CWA members and their supporters, including IBEW local officers from Illinois, answered the call to a protest demonstration issued by CWA Local 4603 in Milwaukee. “We even had a dozen members show up in their Ameritech trucks, circling the building in a show of support,” according to Local 4603 President George Walls. Among the rallying cries: a boycott of Ameritech services.
A week later, in Lansing, another 300 rallied at the request of Local 4040 officers. That rally, according to local president Arlene S. Griffin, drew supporters from all five states within District 4, many elected officials from the Lansing area — and the entire second-year leadership school class by chartered bus from Angola, Ind.
The next day, Local 4040-sponsored billboards began appearing in many locations in the area depicting Ameritech as a shark with this message: “Ameritech — Business as Usual — 400 Lansing Jobs Cut.”
In Saginaw, Mich., 90 percent of the service reps represented by Local 4108, turned down a free lunch by boycotting an upscale company-sponsored consumer recognition luncheon to show their solidarity with the threatened workers.
Editorial Writers Speak
Some of the strongest support came from sources that have too often been silent or turned a blind eye to downsizings and business closings over the last decade – newspaper editorial writers.
Within a few days of the Ameritech original announcement, The Lansing State Journal weighed in with a strong editorial on March 7, accusing the company of puncturing the confidence of leaders and businesses committed to downtown Lansing. In part, the editorial said:
By early in the week of March 23, beleaguered Ameritech officials had agreed to head to the bargaining table over the issue but elected officials — including Milwaukee School Board member Charlene Hardin and Gov. Thompson — weren’t quite ready to let them off the hook.
Hardin, whose center-city district would have been affected by the closing, called the planned shutdown “a knife in the heart of our community,” and said, “We must ensure that Ameritech knows the serious consequences that will occur if they carry out this action.”
The next day, the Milwaukee county board adopted a resolution calling on the company to “demonstrate a commitment” to the community and threatened to exclude the company from future business deals with the county if it didn’t back off.
By the time that Gov. Thompson appealed to the company, and Michigan Gov. John Engler was preparing to make a similar appeal, Ameritech officials were ready to listen.
An Ameritech spokeswoman, announcing the company had put its plan on hold while negotiations take place, said the decision was “due to the personal appeal of Gov. Tommy Thompson.”
A business plan put forth by Ameritech Corp. on March 3 had turned into a corporate public relations disaster by March 28, thanks to an energetic, district-wide mobilization that stretched from local offices to governor’s offices.
The initial Ameritech plan was to close, within 90 days, consumer offices in Lansing, Mich. (employing 395 workers) and Milwaukee, Wis. (employing 399 workers), as well as “enhanced business” offices in Madison, Wisc., Indianapolis, Ind., and Columbus, Ohio, which employed several hundred more workers.
Finally, yielding to protests from union leaders, political insiders, editorial writers, city and county officials, educators, religious activists and others, Ameritech officials said “Let’s call the whole thing off” — at least temporarily.
Management also agreed to negotiate the issues — which CWA had demanded from the onset. The union went to the National Labor Relations Board Region 7 office in Detroit on March 19, accusing Ameritech of violating federal labor law by refusing to bargain with CWA over the closings, and seeking an injunction to prevent the closings.
By March 28, the company was in full retreat from its original plan, using the cover of a plea from Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, who also had told company and union officials that he too wanted to be involved in any discussions before the heavy-footed plan could be implemented.
High Praise for Locals
CWA Vice President Jeff Rechenbach of District 4 had nothing but high praise for the wide-ranging, enthusiastic response from officers, stewards and members throughout the district.
“Their efforts definitely helped keep the company’s feet to the fire,” he said.
He also accused the company of demonstrating a “blatant disregard” for customers and employees, despite record $2.3 billion in earnings in 1997.
Massive rallies were held protesting the Ameritech plan in key cities. On March 11, more than 500 CWA members and their supporters, including IBEW local officers from Illinois, answered the call to a protest demonstration issued by CWA Local 4603 in Milwaukee. “We even had a dozen members show up in their Ameritech trucks, circling the building in a show of support,” according to Local 4603 President George Walls. Among the rallying cries: a boycott of Ameritech services.
A week later, in Lansing, another 300 rallied at the request of Local 4040 officers. That rally, according to local president Arlene S. Griffin, drew supporters from all five states within District 4, many elected officials from the Lansing area — and the entire second-year leadership school class by chartered bus from Angola, Ind.
The next day, Local 4040-sponsored billboards began appearing in many locations in the area depicting Ameritech as a shark with this message: “Ameritech — Business as Usual — 400 Lansing Jobs Cut.”
In Saginaw, Mich., 90 percent of the service reps represented by Local 4108, turned down a free lunch by boycotting an upscale company-sponsored consumer recognition luncheon to show their solidarity with the threatened workers.
Editorial Writers Speak
Some of the strongest support came from sources that have too often been silent or turned a blind eye to downsizings and business closings over the last decade – newspaper editorial writers.
Within a few days of the Ameritech original announcement, The Lansing State Journal weighed in with a strong editorial on March 7, accusing the company of puncturing the confidence of leaders and businesses committed to downtown Lansing. In part, the editorial said:
- “On Tuesday, Ameritech stunned its Lansing area work force with an announcement of plans to close its customer service center in June. Ironically, on Monday city workers had celebrated a different type of news — the center’s selection as No. 1 customer service provider of 1997.”
- “The loss of so many jobs in the central city — where unemployment is painfully high — understandably creates resentment and ill will, which Ameritech officials appear to have underestimated. A number of public officials have criticized the move, including Mayor John Norquist. He called the layoffs ‘disgusting,’ asked the company to reconsider and warned that he may seek an early termination of the city’s cellular telephone contract with Ameritech.”
By early in the week of March 23, beleaguered Ameritech officials had agreed to head to the bargaining table over the issue but elected officials — including Milwaukee School Board member Charlene Hardin and Gov. Thompson — weren’t quite ready to let them off the hook.
Hardin, whose center-city district would have been affected by the closing, called the planned shutdown “a knife in the heart of our community,” and said, “We must ensure that Ameritech knows the serious consequences that will occur if they carry out this action.”
The next day, the Milwaukee county board adopted a resolution calling on the company to “demonstrate a commitment” to the community and threatened to exclude the company from future business deals with the county if it didn’t back off.
By the time that Gov. Thompson appealed to the company, and Michigan Gov. John Engler was preparing to make a similar appeal, Ameritech officials were ready to listen.
An Ameritech spokeswoman, announcing the company had put its plan on hold while negotiations take place, said the decision was “due to the personal appeal of Gov. Tommy Thompson.”