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Hundreds Join CWA in Groundswell at Cingular
It's been a week of good news, with almost daily reports of new Cingular Wireless employees achieving union recognition. With the help of local organizing committees and CWA staff in Districts 1, 2, 4, 7 and 13, 848 new members joined CWA. Since the merger of the two companies and the July 1 start of cardcheck recognition at former AT&T Wireless facilities, more than 5,900 workers have joined CWA.
CWA President Larry Cohen said the Cingular Wireless story clearly shows that given the opportunity and freedom from intimidation, workers today will choose union representation.
The latest and largest group to say union "yes" was in Harrisburg, Pa., as 452 call center workers chose CWA, said District 13 Vice President Jim Short. They will be represented by statewide Local 13500.
An inside committee of 20 workers signed a public mission statement, along with nearly half of their co-workers. They wore "CWA Yes!" buttons and "Ask us about our union" stickers, and distributed union literature on a weekly basis.
The workers' biggest issues were the high cost of health care, protecting their four-day week and ability to work part-time, recourse on evaluations and job security.
Volunteer organizers from Local 13500 set up headquarters in a PSSU-SEIU conference room across the street from Cingular. They included Cleo Owens, Tace Popp, Sue Price, Sue Young, Local President Sandy Kmetyk, Executive Secretary-Treasurer Terri Senich, Central Division EVP Anna Marie Byrne and Central Division Secretary-Treasurer Julie Daloisio, said District 13 Organizing Coordinator Pam Tronsor.
Also on Sept. 29, District 7 Vice President Annie Hill reported that the American Arbitration Association certified representation for 152 Cingular retail workers in Arizona.
District 7 Organizing Coordinator Jana Smith-Carr said the campaign was a joint effort of Locals 7019 in Phoenix and Local 7026 in Tucson. Local 7019 Organizer Scott Ramsey and volunteer Rosemary Aguayo worked on the campaign with the committee, along with Local 7026 Organizers Judy Brown and Susan Aceves.
A statewide unit of 185 Cingular Wireless retail sales associates in New Jersey gained CWA representation on Sept. 23 following cardcheck and AAA certification, District 1 Vice President Chris Shelton reported. They will be represented by CWA Locals 1101, 1022 and 1023.
CWA District 1 Organizing Coordinator Tim Dubnau credited the locals for doing a great job of coordinating their efforts in support of the sales associates' drive to get a union. Assisting the retail sales associates were Heather Trainor, Keith Purce, Jim Trainor, and Dan Levitan of 1101; Lois Eelen and Charlene Johnson of 1023, Skip Schuber of 1022, and Patti Tiernan with the District 1 office.
In the District of Columbia, 41 former AT&T Wireless retail sales associates gained representation with CWA Local 2336 on Sept. 28 with the help of Local Organizer Brenda Savoy.
In Ohio, a majority of the 18 former AT&T Wireless network technicians joined CWA Local 4320 through an effective one-on-one campaign.
Since the first group of former AT&T Wireless workers at Cingular - customer service representatives in Jackson, Miss. - joined CWA this March, some 5,900 others have followed suit from coast to coast, bringing the number of Cingular Wireless workers now represented by CWA to more than 27,000.
The organizing effort by the Cingular Wireless workers is currently the largest at a private sector employer in the U.S.
CWA President Larry Cohen said the Cingular Wireless story clearly shows that given the opportunity and freedom from intimidation, workers today will choose union representation.
The latest and largest group to say union "yes" was in Harrisburg, Pa., as 452 call center workers chose CWA, said District 13 Vice President Jim Short. They will be represented by statewide Local 13500.
An inside committee of 20 workers signed a public mission statement, along with nearly half of their co-workers. They wore "CWA Yes!" buttons and "Ask us about our union" stickers, and distributed union literature on a weekly basis.
The workers' biggest issues were the high cost of health care, protecting their four-day week and ability to work part-time, recourse on evaluations and job security.
Volunteer organizers from Local 13500 set up headquarters in a PSSU-SEIU conference room across the street from Cingular. They included Cleo Owens, Tace Popp, Sue Price, Sue Young, Local President Sandy Kmetyk, Executive Secretary-Treasurer Terri Senich, Central Division EVP Anna Marie Byrne and Central Division Secretary-Treasurer Julie Daloisio, said District 13 Organizing Coordinator Pam Tronsor.
Also on Sept. 29, District 7 Vice President Annie Hill reported that the American Arbitration Association certified representation for 152 Cingular retail workers in Arizona.
District 7 Organizing Coordinator Jana Smith-Carr said the campaign was a joint effort of Locals 7019 in Phoenix and Local 7026 in Tucson. Local 7019 Organizer Scott Ramsey and volunteer Rosemary Aguayo worked on the campaign with the committee, along with Local 7026 Organizers Judy Brown and Susan Aceves.
A statewide unit of 185 Cingular Wireless retail sales associates in New Jersey gained CWA representation on Sept. 23 following cardcheck and AAA certification, District 1 Vice President Chris Shelton reported. They will be represented by CWA Locals 1101, 1022 and 1023.
CWA District 1 Organizing Coordinator Tim Dubnau credited the locals for doing a great job of coordinating their efforts in support of the sales associates' drive to get a union. Assisting the retail sales associates were Heather Trainor, Keith Purce, Jim Trainor, and Dan Levitan of 1101; Lois Eelen and Charlene Johnson of 1023, Skip Schuber of 1022, and Patti Tiernan with the District 1 office.
In the District of Columbia, 41 former AT&T Wireless retail sales associates gained representation with CWA Local 2336 on Sept. 28 with the help of Local Organizer Brenda Savoy.
In Ohio, a majority of the 18 former AT&T Wireless network technicians joined CWA Local 4320 through an effective one-on-one campaign.
Since the first group of former AT&T Wireless workers at Cingular - customer service representatives in Jackson, Miss. - joined CWA this March, some 5,900 others have followed suit from coast to coast, bringing the number of Cingular Wireless workers now represented by CWA to more than 27,000.
The organizing effort by the Cingular Wireless workers is currently the largest at a private sector employer in the U.S.