Mobilization Report Opening Bargaining Week

On the eve of opening bargaining, CWA Telecommunications and Technologies Vice President Ralph Maly, his staff, and our elected bargainers held a National conference call with Local officers, stewards, mobilizers, and activists across the country.

We discussed the Company's pre-negotiations propaganda and the anticipation that the Company would come to the table downplaying their profits while exaggerating the cost of our wages and benefits in the public at a time when so many people are unemployed.

Mobilization is the key to our success at the bargaining table.

Bargaining opened February 29, 2012, and the Company’s outrageous retrogressions made Locals across the country leap into action, including posting the “Impeach Stephenson” fliers, wearing red, and holding educational sessions and rallies.

Here are a few of the great things that were happening:

Local 1150
Beat back management's attempt to stop members from participating in mobilization actions.

Local 2204
The Virginia Relay Center started mobilization by all members wearing red shirts, placing red balloons in the office, and putting the CWA sun visors in the front windows of their cars parked on the row facing the street.

Local 2252
On Monday we handed out packets with bargaining information to members; and rallied in front of the Oakton building on Wednesday morning with the rat, and everyone wearing red. 

Locals 13000 & 13500
Began passing out flyers and balloons before the start of the day, with members wearing red and walking into the office together in groups and standing in support of bargaining.  

Local 13552
Handed out flyers and wore RED.

Locals 3204 & 3250
Officers & Members, Retirees, District 3, Teamsters, Jobs With Justice, and supporters rally at Morosgo Dr, Atlanta on the opening day of contract.

Local 3902
Members kicked off bargaining in a Sea of Red, standing to show solidarity with our bargaining team. On March 1st at 4pm we had an informational picket in front of the AT&T Building with members wearing RED and chanting. The community was in support of us by driving back and forth honking their horns; even the police drove by and chanted with us, and encouraged us to keep up the good work. Rex (our dog) was barking in support with his CWA sign on.

Local 4217
We greeted managers in training by lining the driveway with members' cars.  Inside we distributed Red balloons and cookies in the same area near the training, which made managers nervous.  The prem techs were visited in the morning.  

Local 4252
Members wore red shirts and wristbands and passed out fliers to the members.

Local 6150
Members held a rally yesterday at AT&T headquarters during lunch hour.

Local 6201
Our opening day actions included wearing black.  We had “Stand up for your rights” through the day.  We did break room chats, giving handouts to our members with info to educate re bargaining and the process.  We encouraged our members to sign up for email updates re bargaining info.  We “armed” our members with red arm bands to wear until we have a fair contract.  One location became 100% organized!  Thursday members wore red and tapped at 12, 2 & 4, some management requested we “keep it down” while others joined in our actions. ;

Locals 6300/6350
We handed out fliers and "United we Bargain, Divided we Beg" wristbands.  Additionally, we rallied before and after work.  We just gave out new "Fighting for the American Dream" t-shirts within the last couple of weeks.  Our members signed a card in support of the bargaining team.  We were 95% RED on Thursday and Black on Fridays.  We plan to mobilize around strike assignments this week, focusing on the 1 month till contract expiration.

Local 6450
We made mini picket signs and did stand ups, clapping, and shaking of pill bottles every hour at 11min past the hour.  Occupy KC marched downtown Kansas City today, making their way to the AT&T building on 8th St.  We had members that started off with Occupy KC at the state building on 13th street and followed and marched downtown to 8th Street, chanting and singing.  As a few members were getting off, they participated too. 

Local 7250
Members in the call center wore red, received leaflets, and signed posters that say “We Demand a Fair Contract”.  The posters were then delivered to the District Level manager on premise.

Local 7750
Members wore red and held a flag pole rally.

If you haven’t signed up for text message reports yet, you can get them by texting “ATT” to 49484.   Bargaining reports and pictures for all 4 contracts can be found at www.cwaatatt.com.

AT&T opened bargaining with the usual rhetoric at the table in an attempt to minimalize the work that we do as Legacy T AT&T members who continue to be the backbone of the very network that supports wireline and wireless customers.  They sent out a powerpoint presentation to all employees showing the “cost” of employees' wages & benefits in an attempt to make us look overpaid in the eyes of the public.  (None of our members are part of the greedy 1%.)  Away from the table, management has already started trying to intimidate our members out of participating in mobilization actions.

Report all violations of our right to concerted actions to bbates@cwa-union.org and your District or Sector Staff.  You will likely be directed to file charges against the Company for violating our right to participate in concerted activities.

Mobilization reports and pictures should be sent to your District Mobilization Coordinator.  If your Local President and Local Mobilization Coordinator have not been receiving flyers or information, please let us know.

If you have any problems or questions, call your District Staff person or the National T&T Office.

Stay Strong.  Stay Mobilized.