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CWAers Around Nation Organize 600
Recent organizing victories have brought CWA representation to 600 new members. The largest group of about 160 joined Local 1032, which won two elections conducted by the New Jersey Public Employee Relations Commission at the Passaic Valley Water Commission for members of an independent union who were dissatisfied with the service they were receiving.
"We had been recommended to the workers by the Passaic County Central Labor Council," said Local Organizer Mario Rivera. Non-supervisory workers' contracts had expired last December. They complained the independent union had been ineffective in bargaining, left numerous grievances unattended and failed to enforce civil service decisions. Members of the supervisory unit, who bargain next year, also wanted stronger representation, Rivera said.
Rivera and local Organizer Migdalia Santiago met with workers in both groups, and Local President Jim Marketti invited them to a general membership meeting to see how the local operated.
The vote on Oct. 26 among the supervisors was 22 for CWA, 1 for no union and 3 for the independent. The non-supervisory workers chose CWA by a vote of 73-1-20.
Also in New Jersey, Local 1034 Organizers Tim Dubnau and Alysia Welch helped a committee of about 25 workers win three elections for a total of 105 employees of the Atlantic City Housing Authority.
Julia Kelly, an affirmative action officer for the city, contacted the local early in the summer. A former state employee and Local 1034 member, Kelly "knew the difference between working union and working nonunion," Dubnau said. She and organizing committee leader Louis Bishop brought together co-workers for meetings with the organizers both at their worksite and after work.
The employer held up the elections for months, Dubnau said, claiming that about 50 of the workers were management. They withdrew their objections soon after Local 1034 held a rally Sept. 25 right outside the Housing Authority's board meeting.
The vote count Oct. 30 for 17 higher-level supervisors was 9-2 for CWA, with two challenges; 22 first-level supervisors, 12-5; and 67 non-supervisory workers, 51-6.
In New York, Local 1180 won voluntary recognition for 35 employees of the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, reported Ed Sabol, administrative assistant to District 1 Vice President Larry Mancino. The local obtained 34 signatures on a petition they presented to management, said local Organizer Chris Aiken. The unit includes program assistants, researchers, attorneys and administrative staff in New York and Washington, D.C.
CWA Representative Linda Rasmussen reported an election victory for 65 workers at Century Telephone in Oregon, who previously belonged to an independent union. "Congratulations to Ken Saether, president of Local 7906, for his efforts," she said.
In Richmond, Va., 45 technicians at AFL-QCS who voted for CWA representation 18 months ago finally obtained recognition. The workers perform power-up of equipment in central offices, said District 2 Organizing Coordinator Ron Collins.
"Prior to the election in May 2002, there was a National Labor Relations Board hearing," Collins said. "The board ruled with CWA on the bargaining unit, and the company appealed the decision of the regional director. The board impounded the ballots at that time, pending the results of the appeal."
The vote count on Oct. 31 was 23-12 for CWA. Collins credited Local 2201 and local Organizer Laurie RaBorg for their work on the campaign.
"We had been recommended to the workers by the Passaic County Central Labor Council," said Local Organizer Mario Rivera. Non-supervisory workers' contracts had expired last December. They complained the independent union had been ineffective in bargaining, left numerous grievances unattended and failed to enforce civil service decisions. Members of the supervisory unit, who bargain next year, also wanted stronger representation, Rivera said.
Rivera and local Organizer Migdalia Santiago met with workers in both groups, and Local President Jim Marketti invited them to a general membership meeting to see how the local operated.
The vote on Oct. 26 among the supervisors was 22 for CWA, 1 for no union and 3 for the independent. The non-supervisory workers chose CWA by a vote of 73-1-20.
Also in New Jersey, Local 1034 Organizers Tim Dubnau and Alysia Welch helped a committee of about 25 workers win three elections for a total of 105 employees of the Atlantic City Housing Authority.
Julia Kelly, an affirmative action officer for the city, contacted the local early in the summer. A former state employee and Local 1034 member, Kelly "knew the difference between working union and working nonunion," Dubnau said. She and organizing committee leader Louis Bishop brought together co-workers for meetings with the organizers both at their worksite and after work.
The employer held up the elections for months, Dubnau said, claiming that about 50 of the workers were management. They withdrew their objections soon after Local 1034 held a rally Sept. 25 right outside the Housing Authority's board meeting.
The vote count Oct. 30 for 17 higher-level supervisors was 9-2 for CWA, with two challenges; 22 first-level supervisors, 12-5; and 67 non-supervisory workers, 51-6.
In New York, Local 1180 won voluntary recognition for 35 employees of the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, reported Ed Sabol, administrative assistant to District 1 Vice President Larry Mancino. The local obtained 34 signatures on a petition they presented to management, said local Organizer Chris Aiken. The unit includes program assistants, researchers, attorneys and administrative staff in New York and Washington, D.C.
CWA Representative Linda Rasmussen reported an election victory for 65 workers at Century Telephone in Oregon, who previously belonged to an independent union. "Congratulations to Ken Saether, president of Local 7906, for his efforts," she said.
In Richmond, Va., 45 technicians at AFL-QCS who voted for CWA representation 18 months ago finally obtained recognition. The workers perform power-up of equipment in central offices, said District 2 Organizing Coordinator Ron Collins.
"Prior to the election in May 2002, there was a National Labor Relations Board hearing," Collins said. "The board ruled with CWA on the bargaining unit, and the company appealed the decision of the regional director. The board impounded the ballots at that time, pending the results of the appeal."
The vote count on Oct. 31 was 23-12 for CWA. Collins credited Local 2201 and local Organizer Laurie RaBorg for their work on the campaign.