CWA Takes Lead in Million Member Mobilization

Momentum is growing around labor's Million Member Mobilization – the strategic campaign that will bring postcards, photos and the backing of more than a million union members to the U.S. Capitol early next year in support of the Employee Free Choice Act.

CWA, along with the United Steelworkers, United Auto Workers and International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, is taking the lead in this campaign and all four unions have committed to mobilizing at least 15 percent of members by November. Thirty-five unions representing 10 million members have signed on to the effort, with support from American Rights at Work and other allies.

In a letter to local presidents, CWA President Larry Cohen called on local leaders to pledge to join the MMM and sign up members at every CWA event. "This should be central to the agenda of every meeting," he said. Sign the pledge for your local at ga.cwa-union.org/efca/pledgeyourlocal/.

At AZCOPS-CWA Local 7077's board meeting, union leaders signed MMM cards. From right: President Larry Lopez, Vice President for Corrections Tixoc Munoz, Secretary Tracy Hubbart, and Vice President John Stair.

Representative George Miller, a key supporter of the Employee Free Choice Act and chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, asked union members to "Imagine in January 2009, that there are one million cards at the U.S. Capitol, as many with photos as possible. Against the Employee Free Choice Act and mobilized union members is the Chamber of Commerce, a bunch of lobbyists in suits. That's the kind of momentum we need to win."

The MMM got underway earlier this month and CWA took the lead with some 400 local leaders and activists signing cards at the CWA District 1 meeting.

Since then, hundreds more CWAers have signed on, at the Communications and Technologies/Telecommunications conference and the AZCOPS/CWA Local 7077 board of directors meeting. "Having a million cards signed will be something that members of Congress can't ignore," Cohen said.

For more information on the Employee Free Choice Act, go to ga.cwa-union.org/efca.