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Members Mobilize for Fairness at Cingular Wireless
By an 88 percent yes vote, CWAers sent a strong message to Cingular Wireless management that employment security concerns and members' key bargaining goals must be addressed.
In an overwhelming vote of support for the bargaining team, Cingular members voted to authorize legal work actions, including a possible strike, if a fair agreement cannot be reached.
Bargaining got underway in Atlanta in mid-January covering about 5,300 workers under the "Orange" contract, for workers in CWA Districts 1, 2, 4, 7, 9, and 13. The contract covering Cingular workers in District 3 expires March 2006, and the agreement covering District 6 workers expires February 2008.
On the key issue of employment security, which affects all Cingular workers in light of the merger with AT&T Wireless, CWAers from Districts 3 and 6 also are working with the Orange bargaining team.
It's critical that the merger with AT&T Wireless works for all of us, and that means workers at both companies, as well as customers and management, the bargaining team stressed. Other key bargaining goals include sales, call center, network and technical issues.
Since the start of bargaining, CWA members have been engaged in mobilization activities across the districts to press Cingular to bargain a fair contract. Among the highlights:
District 9 Vice President Tony Bixler and CWA members from Locals 9408, 9412, 9423, 9415 and 9416 joined Cingular members from Local 9407 at a rally outside the Atwater call center. At another rally at the same site, union members handed out mini-picket signs, candy bars and balloons with bags of peanuts and a clear message attached: "We won't settle for peanuts."
District 9 also held mobilization training for locals interested in joining the Cingular mobilization activities. Participating were Locals 9423, 9400, 9407, 9410, 9412, 9509, 9505 and 9000, reported Virginia Santos, Local 9407 vice president.
Members of Local 9423 sent post cards to Cingular Wireless CEO Stan Sigman, calling on the company to negotiate a fair contract and members rallied outside Cingular stores in Pasadena and San Jose.
In District 4, mobilizers are passing out red ribbons, with members asked to wear them everyday. District 13 activists are wearing red shirts and organizing mobilization actions.
In District 1, members of Local 1118 displayed signs and stickers at the Albany, N.Y., call center while retail store workers in Lockport and Buffalo, N.Y., among others, showed their solidarity, and members of Local 1298 leafleted outside Cingular stores in Connecticut. Cingular workers are wearing black on Thursdays in District 1 while their fight for a fair contract goes on.
In an overwhelming vote of support for the bargaining team, Cingular members voted to authorize legal work actions, including a possible strike, if a fair agreement cannot be reached.
Bargaining got underway in Atlanta in mid-January covering about 5,300 workers under the "Orange" contract, for workers in CWA Districts 1, 2, 4, 7, 9, and 13. The contract covering Cingular workers in District 3 expires March 2006, and the agreement covering District 6 workers expires February 2008.
On the key issue of employment security, which affects all Cingular workers in light of the merger with AT&T Wireless, CWAers from Districts 3 and 6 also are working with the Orange bargaining team.
It's critical that the merger with AT&T Wireless works for all of us, and that means workers at both companies, as well as customers and management, the bargaining team stressed. Other key bargaining goals include sales, call center, network and technical issues.
Since the start of bargaining, CWA members have been engaged in mobilization activities across the districts to press Cingular to bargain a fair contract. Among the highlights:
District 9 Vice President Tony Bixler and CWA members from Locals 9408, 9412, 9423, 9415 and 9416 joined Cingular members from Local 9407 at a rally outside the Atwater call center. At another rally at the same site, union members handed out mini-picket signs, candy bars and balloons with bags of peanuts and a clear message attached: "We won't settle for peanuts."
District 9 also held mobilization training for locals interested in joining the Cingular mobilization activities. Participating were Locals 9423, 9400, 9407, 9410, 9412, 9509, 9505 and 9000, reported Virginia Santos, Local 9407 vice president.
Members of Local 9423 sent post cards to Cingular Wireless CEO Stan Sigman, calling on the company to negotiate a fair contract and members rallied outside Cingular stores in Pasadena and San Jose.
In District 4, mobilizers are passing out red ribbons, with members asked to wear them everyday. District 13 activists are wearing red shirts and organizing mobilization actions.
In District 1, members of Local 1118 displayed signs and stickers at the Albany, N.Y., call center while retail store workers in Lockport and Buffalo, N.Y., among others, showed their solidarity, and members of Local 1298 leafleted outside Cingular stores in Connecticut. Cingular workers are wearing black on Thursdays in District 1 while their fight for a fair contract goes on.