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CWA Spotlights Organizing Victories: Union's strategy has made it labor's most effective program in
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Jeff Miller or Candice Johnson, CWA Communications
At the Navy Pier, 312-595-5702 through 5706
Chicago – CWA's organizing successes – especially in right-to-work states – were the focus of Tuesday's convention session, as delegates recognized local unions and officers for their success in building the union.
CWA has the labor movement's most active and successful organizing program in the South, bringing representation to more than 2,100 new wireless members at Cingular over the past two months, primarily in Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri, Texas and Oklahoma, with several hundred in New York and New England.
And in the next two weeks, an additional 2,000 workers will be gaining a CWA voice and union representation at new Cingular locations.
CWA President Larry Cohen pointed out that Cingular Wireless, owned by SBC Communications and BellSouth, agreed to honor its workers' rights to form a union by agreeing and living up to neutrality and card check recognition provisions.
Some 22,000 Cingular Wireless workers, just about 100 percent of those eligible to be represented by CWA, have joined the union since that agreement. Another 20,000 work at AT&T Wireless operations.
In contrast to Cingular, AT&T Wireless had been strongly anti-union and had systematically intimidated workers who tried to organize, he said. Then, Cingular bought AT&T Wireless and the neutrality and card check provisions went into effect two months ago.
The results are absolute proof that workers want a union voice and will choose union representation when the fear imposed by management is removed from the workplace, Cohen said.
Cohen presented the members and officers of CWA Locals 3511 and 3570, in Jackson, Mississippi, with the 2005 President's organizing award for their outstanding achievements.
He noted that Local 3570, the Mississippi Alliance of State Employees, represents more than 3,000 state workers, despite the state's conservative government and with no collective bargaining law. Local 3511, is a private sector local, and both are operating in tough territory, he said.
The two locals joined forces, helping more than 300 former AT&T Wireless workers gain CWA representation, the first of the AT&T facilities to do so following the merger with Cingular Wireless. Then, they acted together, first, to help elect a new mayor and members of the city council in Jackson who were committed to recognizing the rights of city employees to have a union voice, and second, to reach out to the 1,500 Jackson city employees. More than 350 have already signed up with CWA.
These two union leaders, Brenda Scott and Kim Sadler, are building a vibrant labor movement in their state through hard work, solidarity and the CWA triangle of organizing, bargaining and political and community action, Cohen said.
President Cohen also recognized Nate Crouse and Mary Mikan, two Cingular Wireless customer service representatives from Austin, Tex., who, a few years ago, were among the first workers to join with CWA Local 6132 organizers in trying to win a union at the then AT&T Wireless facility.
Nate and Mary "refused to back down when interrogated by managers who tried to stop them from talking union. But many of their co-workers were intimidated," Cohen told delegates. "Things changed when Cingular bought AT&T Wireless. Soon, 19 other workers joined Nate and Mary in passing out leaflets and signing up 75 percent of the service reps at this facility, supported all the way by Local 6132 and its president Luz Riley," Cohen said.
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CWA represents 700,000 workers in Internet technology and telecommunications, print and broadcast media, publishing, public service, health care and education, the airline industry and manufacturing.
Jeff Miller or Candice Johnson, CWA Communications
At the Navy Pier, 312-595-5702 through 5706
Chicago – CWA's organizing successes – especially in right-to-work states – were the focus of Tuesday's convention session, as delegates recognized local unions and officers for their success in building the union.
CWA has the labor movement's most active and successful organizing program in the South, bringing representation to more than 2,100 new wireless members at Cingular over the past two months, primarily in Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri, Texas and Oklahoma, with several hundred in New York and New England.
And in the next two weeks, an additional 2,000 workers will be gaining a CWA voice and union representation at new Cingular locations.
CWA President Larry Cohen pointed out that Cingular Wireless, owned by SBC Communications and BellSouth, agreed to honor its workers' rights to form a union by agreeing and living up to neutrality and card check recognition provisions.
Some 22,000 Cingular Wireless workers, just about 100 percent of those eligible to be represented by CWA, have joined the union since that agreement. Another 20,000 work at AT&T Wireless operations.
In contrast to Cingular, AT&T Wireless had been strongly anti-union and had systematically intimidated workers who tried to organize, he said. Then, Cingular bought AT&T Wireless and the neutrality and card check provisions went into effect two months ago.
The results are absolute proof that workers want a union voice and will choose union representation when the fear imposed by management is removed from the workplace, Cohen said.
Cohen presented the members and officers of CWA Locals 3511 and 3570, in Jackson, Mississippi, with the 2005 President's organizing award for their outstanding achievements.
He noted that Local 3570, the Mississippi Alliance of State Employees, represents more than 3,000 state workers, despite the state's conservative government and with no collective bargaining law. Local 3511, is a private sector local, and both are operating in tough territory, he said.
The two locals joined forces, helping more than 300 former AT&T Wireless workers gain CWA representation, the first of the AT&T facilities to do so following the merger with Cingular Wireless. Then, they acted together, first, to help elect a new mayor and members of the city council in Jackson who were committed to recognizing the rights of city employees to have a union voice, and second, to reach out to the 1,500 Jackson city employees. More than 350 have already signed up with CWA.
These two union leaders, Brenda Scott and Kim Sadler, are building a vibrant labor movement in their state through hard work, solidarity and the CWA triangle of organizing, bargaining and political and community action, Cohen said.
President Cohen also recognized Nate Crouse and Mary Mikan, two Cingular Wireless customer service representatives from Austin, Tex., who, a few years ago, were among the first workers to join with CWA Local 6132 organizers in trying to win a union at the then AT&T Wireless facility.
Nate and Mary "refused to back down when interrogated by managers who tried to stop them from talking union. But many of their co-workers were intimidated," Cohen told delegates. "Things changed when Cingular bought AT&T Wireless. Soon, 19 other workers joined Nate and Mary in passing out leaflets and signing up 75 percent of the service reps at this facility, supported all the way by Local 6132 and its president Luz Riley," Cohen said.
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CWA represents 700,000 workers in Internet technology and telecommunications, print and broadcast media, publishing, public service, health care and education, the airline industry and manufacturing.