Membership Grows in Diverse Units

Creative outreach by CWA organizers has resulted in 275 new members in a variety of bargaining units.

• By a vote of 83 to 4, the 140 member Professional Staff Association at the Boston Public Library decided on June 7 to affiliate with CWA, after a year-long selection process that originally involved four other AFL-CIO or Change to Win unions. PSA President John Devine, former presidents Rich Campagna and Serena Enger and the PSA executive board led the affiliation drive. They were assisted by District 1 Organizing Coordinator Erin Bowie, Steve Early, administrative assistant to district Vice President Chris Shelton, and Joe Montagna, business agent for Local 1300. Jennifer Doe from Massachusetts Jobs with Justice, and Susan Muntz, a librarian and Local 1031 steward, also worked on the campaign.
  
  
• IUE-CWA Region 8 gained 71 new members on June 13, with verification that a majority of the unit at Meridian Automotive in Fowlerville, Mich., signed representation cards. Local 84768 Organizing Coordinator Cheryl Baker coordinated the campaign, with assistance from Local 84400 President Chris Grogan and WAGE Organizer Julie Riger. IUE-CWA Staff Representative Dennis Allen used the good working relationship developed with the company to assist the campaign. IUE-CWA represents 1,500 workers at other Meridian plants in Region 8. Its goal is to add 1,000 workers at the Fowlerville location by 2008.
  
  
• Workers in the Paducah, Ky., offices of DirecTECH SW voted 35-19 for CWA representation in a National Labor Relations Board election on June 1. The company provides satellite TV installation and repair for DirectTV. Local 6320 organizers Sonja Gholsten-Byrd and Dave Hoyt and local President Kevin Kujawa met with the workers and helped them overcome a campaign of lies and misinformation orchestrated by the union-busting law firm Jackson/Lewis. CWA supporters from throughout the area served by DirecTECH — southern Missouri, southern Illinois and western Kentucky — kept their own groups informed and made house calls to the six customer service representatives and 58 installers in the unit. Local 6310 organizer Shawn Bland and District 3 Organizing Coordinator Tom Newport also assisted.