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CWA Strikers Provide Emergency Phone Service Assistance to Families in Dire Need
DENVER, August 27 -- The Communications Workers of America today announced "Communications Workers Care," which sets as policy the union's common practice of providing emergency assistance to any family with an urgent telephone service need during the strike at US West Communications.
"The `Communications Workers Care' policy is a reflection of our members' deep commitment to the safety and well-being of our customers, " said CWA District 7 Vice President Sue Pisha. "US West engineered this dispute, but our members are as dedicated as ever to the community."
"If any family in the US West region is facing imminent danger to life, health or safety and needs phone service or repair, all the company has to do is contact the union, provide the equipment and CWA members will be there to help," Pisha said. "But once the emergency is resolved, we'll be right back on picket lines taking a stand for our families and our customers."
Striking US West workers have already provided life-saving emergency service in several instances during the strike. These situations are likely to become increasingly common as inexperienced and overworked managers make mistakes and exacerbate long-standing maintenance and service problems.
"We know that the managers who are trying to do our jobs simply don't have the knowledge or skills very often needed in a critical situation." Pisha said. "Ironically, managers are also now experiencing the same kind of excessive long hours, exhaustion and overwork that our members have been facing for years. In an emergency, that can be disastrous.
"`Communications Workers Care' will help ensure that customers facing a critical situation will get the help they need from the dedicated union workers they've always relied on," said Pisha.
Almost 35,000 US West workers are on strike because of forced, excessive long hours that rob them of time with their families, threats to health care benefits and the company's failure to invest in quality service for customers.
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"The `Communications Workers Care' policy is a reflection of our members' deep commitment to the safety and well-being of our customers, " said CWA District 7 Vice President Sue Pisha. "US West engineered this dispute, but our members are as dedicated as ever to the community."
"If any family in the US West region is facing imminent danger to life, health or safety and needs phone service or repair, all the company has to do is contact the union, provide the equipment and CWA members will be there to help," Pisha said. "But once the emergency is resolved, we'll be right back on picket lines taking a stand for our families and our customers."
Striking US West workers have already provided life-saving emergency service in several instances during the strike. These situations are likely to become increasingly common as inexperienced and overworked managers make mistakes and exacerbate long-standing maintenance and service problems.
"We know that the managers who are trying to do our jobs simply don't have the knowledge or skills very often needed in a critical situation." Pisha said. "Ironically, managers are also now experiencing the same kind of excessive long hours, exhaustion and overwork that our members have been facing for years. In an emergency, that can be disastrous.
"`Communications Workers Care' will help ensure that customers facing a critical situation will get the help they need from the dedicated union workers they've always relied on," said Pisha.
Almost 35,000 US West workers are on strike because of forced, excessive long hours that rob them of time with their families, threats to health care benefits and the company's failure to invest in quality service for customers.
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