Lobby Day

Local 4300: 'Our Actions Got the Legislation Passed'

"Politicians are all the same so it doesn't really matter" is a statement that just doesn't fly with CWA Local 4300 Vice President Ron Gay, Jr.

"That excuse just doesn't make sense considering all of the issues that affect workers today," he said. By lobbying state senators in Ohio for critical job creating legislation in 2007, Gay and other local activists gained new jobs for workers in Ohio communities.

Gay's involvement in lobbying began two years ago when he began an effort to persuade the Ohio Senate to allow a statewide franchise agreement for video services. More than half of the local's members worked at AT&T, which wanted to provide U-Verse video services to customers but faced restrictions over a state requirement that separate franchise agreements be negotiated in every community.

"We had to get involved, Gay said. "Passing the legislation meant more jobs for CWA members who would be working on U-Verse. But it just wouldn't have happened all on its own, and without our involvement.

It wasn't easy, Gay said. "It took 15 to 20 visits by dozens of local members to key senators to turn opponents into supporters and get the votes we needed. It was our actions that got the legislation passed."

Practice Makes Perfect for Once-Nervous Lobbyist

Mike Carmel, a member of Local 1118, knows what it's like to be a nervous first-time "lobbyist" — a fancy word for a face-to-face meeting on an issue.

Carmel remembers visiting then-Senator Hillary Clinton's office during the CWA Legislative-Political Conference in 2005, his first meeting with a national politician. "It was intimidating at first," he says. "But repetition makes it a lot easier."

In four years, Carmel has gone from being a novice to someone able to give a seminar on confident lobbying. "What I find most important is knowing the material you're lobbying for, really owning it," he says. "Research the person you're talking to. Know what their publicly stated position is, know what kind of questions to expect." The Internet makes this easy.

Some other advice from Carmel:

• Be sure to thank lawmakers for their support of other issues that matter to CWA. "You can always find something they've been supportive of — like politicians in upstate New York who have written letters about the sale of Verizon lines," he says. 
  
  
• Know the number of CWA members in your state and your congressional and legislative districts. "Politicians always like to know how many constituents you represent," Carmel says. 
  
  
• Remind them of their campaign promises. "If they ran on reinforcing the middle class, and you can say, 'This bill is supported by 80 percent of the middle class,' you've made it hard for them to argue against it," he says.

Carmel likes to start out by asking lawmakers how they feel about an issue, rather than starting with his own spiel or asking a "yes or no" question that can limit discussion. For instance, instead of asking, "Do you support the Employee Free Choice Act," ask whether the lawmaker has seen the latest research about employer harassment of workers who want a union voice.

As he listens to what a lawmaker says, he formulates a response in his head, specific to the issues being raised.   "If you've done your homework, you won't be surprised by what they say, and you'll be prepared for anything that comes up," he says.

Be polite and be punctual — even though lawmakers are often the ones running late. And dress well to make the best impression, he says.

Finally, he says, if you begin to feel intimidated, remember that politicians work for you. "That's something you have to hammer home," Carmel says. "Tell them, 'We have many members, voters, constituents in your district who feel this way.'"

"They are our representatives," he says. "They're there to work for us. It's not the other way around."