Mobilization Report

As the bargaining team breaks today to attend CWA National Convention, Locals continue to turn up the heat on mobilization.

The AT&T iPhone launch gave us another great opportunity to get our message out to customers all around the country.

The last few weeks have been a call for EVERY member to get involved in the attempt to get AT&T to stop attacking our families and our standard of living.

Our collective action inside and outside the company is the only way to maintain affordable healthcare and get the fair and equitable contract we all need and deserve.

CWA members pride themselves on performing quality work safely.  If you experience unsafe working conditions, please be sure to report them to your Local Steward or Officer.  You can also contact OSHA directly; then notify your Local Union.  Make sure your safety and protective gear is functioning properly.

If you experience changes in working conditions (i.e. change in office policies; instituting new rules or guidelines) or any other Unfair Labor Practice, make sure to get specifics to bbates@cwa-union.org.  He is working with CWA Legal to keep track of the ULPs committed during bargaining.  Locals should be filing charges with the National Labor Relations Board

The following reportable actions have happened in the past week:

1062 hand billed the Best Buy on Saturday June 13th.  Best Buy management became concerned as more people stopped to inquire about the contract negotiations.  Mobilizers were soon escorted off the property.  Prior to leaving, CWA'ers affixed leaflets to windshields of all the cars in the parking lot.

3106 rallied at the best buy in Orange Park, Florida; got information on all the phone equipment; talked up a storm; and after an hour gave the sales people leaflets, leaving them with bewildered looks.  Their operators are continuing their workplace efforts to keep up the pressure.

3250 had mobilization activities inside last week because of the weather – clicking every hour and having parades throughout the offices.  Their mobilization coordinators have met to review their opportunities and will meet again Thursday before their membership meeting.  They will make every effort to disrupt things FRIDAY.

4320 had their homemade billboards on the streets of Columbus, Ohio once again.  They had four trucks out last Friday & Tuesday throughout the city, and they ended up at the AT&T downtown complex during the lunch hours.  They held an informational picket with 4310 members, plus retirees.  The trucks visited the AT&T Legacy T Call Center in Reynoldsburg, Ohio to welcome some management folks.  The trucks also visited several at&t Mobility stores, and the phone calls started coming into the Local office questioning why they were at those locations.  They suggested the callers contact Randall Stephenson instead of bothering the Union, and tell him to have the Company bargaining committees get serious about negotiating a fair contract with CWA.  They had family picketing scheduled once again this past Wednesday at four of their designated garage locations.  They passed out a thousand magnetic bumper stickers telling at&t to stop their attack on middle class jobs.  They also ask people to go to the Stand Up for Workers website, and sign the petition that over 90,000 people have already signed.  For the at&t iPhone launch, they had active and retired members at the Apple store & some at&t Mobility Corporate Stores.

6203 passed out flyers:  "AT&T's Sweat Shop", "Equality For All Technicians", "Premise Technicians Deserve a Life Too", "ALL AT&T Technicians Deserve a Life", "Exhaustion Can Be Dangerous", "Send Randy To General Motors & Give Us Ed Back", "Want Ad" to their outside people & COs on Tuesday; the same flyers were passed out at the business office on Wednesday.  They continued to wear red on Thursday and black on Friday.  Retiree Linda DeLeon has a 1-hour segment on FOX TALK 950AM CLEARVIEW RADIO from 8:00-9:00a.m. on Saturdays.  This Saturday, the 20th, Local 6203 has been invited to join her.  For public awareness, we will be discussing contract negotiations & bargaining in our efforts to get a fair contract.  There is a listener line for callers to comment and discussions.  Joy Fabry, Local Core VP, will be the spokesperson.  Listener Line: (806) 770-5950.  Also, they are preparing to have a float for the 4th on Broadway Parade in Lubbock, TX, on July 4th, so that Local 6203 will continue to have a public presence.  They have invited all Locals in the surrounding areas to join them.

6450 wore purple Walk the Line shirts on Monday; Tuesday they handbilled the worksite with "What Are You Thinking?" flyers on one side and EFCA rally info on the other side.  On Wednesday the Local participated in a huge rally with Missouri AFL-CIO and Jobs with Justice for EFCA.  The passed out AT&T flyers to the brothers and sisters in other unions, asking "AT&T to keep jobs in KC".  There were over 100 people in attendance and CWA had the majority!  Thursday they wore red; Friday they wore black and handbilled worksites with "Get Ed Back from GM" flyers.  They continue shaking pill bottles daily at 10 & 2, wearing CWA pins, and keeping all cubicles decorated with CWA flyers.  They continued active communications with the website and e-mail tree.  They sent letters to three more State Senators and the Mayor of Lee's Summit, requesting letters to Stephenson.  They sent thank-you letters to 7 out of 9 Jackson County legislators who had sent letters to Stephenson.  Kansas City Jobs with Justice and the AFL-CIO held a rally in support of the Employee Free Choice Act at a local Home Depot store.  CWA Locals 6450, 6360 and 6327, as well as District 6 staff reps, turned out in full force.  Over 100 people were in attendance from the labor community.  There was a heat index of 104!!  "Home Depot, the new Wal-Mart."

7050 members sent letters asking President Obama to support CWA bargaining at AT&T.  Technicians continue to work safely.

7250 began silent stand-ups during their hourly actions, replacing the clicking a few times each day.  Their Ergonomic stretch breaks around the office have been going well in the call centers, and participation increases each time.  See video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2YlIIwnhto.  They continued their Thursday lunchtime informational picketing with 7200, and Friday they handbilled several at&t mobility stores during the iPhone launch.  Congresswoman Betty McCollum sent a letter to Randall Stephenson in support of CWA bargaining at AT&T.

7750 distributed over 500 flyers during a Rockies baseball game, with a request on the back for help from the public to contact their State Senators and President Obama, and including their email addresses.  Friday, active and retired members were at Apple stores & at&t corporate retail stores for the iPhone launch.  More details to follow.  They continue their daily solidarity walks at work and the informational picket with the retirees on Wednesdays.

13550 passed out "squawkers" Monday to everyone with a flyer, telling members to "squawk" at 10:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, and 2:00 p.m., along with continued clicking and standing.  Wednesday they distributed the "Get Ed Back" flyers; Thursday their members rallied outside AT&T handing out "Keep Jobs in Our Community" flyers; and Friday's focus was on Apple stores for the iPhone launch.  They wear red on Thursdays & black on Fridays.

Bargaining will resume Wednesday, but mobilization cannot stop.  Remember, our actions will help our bargaining team get the fair contract we all need and deserve.

Stay Strong.  Stay Mobilized.