National Day of Action

To:      All Telecommunications and Technologies Local Presidents

We know you have been watching the events occurring in Wisconsin concerning the attack on public workers.  These attacks are also occurring in Ohio, Indiana, New Jersey, Florida and other states. They are designed to destroy unions in the United States of America, a country that when the National Labor Relations Act was passed did so to promote the principles of collective bargaining.

The level of unionization in private employment currently stands at 6.9% - the lowest level since 1900 - and this was before the passage of the NLRA.  What has happened in the private sector is now planned for the public sector, where unionization is approximately 35%, with the goal of destroying the right to organize and bargain collectively.

The overwhelming majority of the people in our country support workers’ rights.  They know if basic workers’ rights are eliminated it will lead to the destruction of the middle class.

We must fight back with every means available to us to defeat this attack.  We are joined in this fight by forty six other non-labor organizations.  They also see the danger to our country’s democracy and middle class these attacks on workers’ rights will bring.

In conjunction with all of these organizations we have planned a national day of action for April 4, 2011.  This day has very special significance because it is the anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was supporting sanitation workers in their efforts to organize a union to gain basic worker dignity.

It has been said many times and many ways the fundamental truth is that for evil to triumph, all it takes is for good people to do nothing.  This evil attack on basic human and worker rights must not go unchallenged.  We ask you and your fellow officers and stewards to rally our members to oppose this unwarranted attack on workers rights.  We ask you to support the protest activities that are being planned by your CWA District.  If there are no activities planned for your area then work with your CWA Staff and other like-minded organizations in your area to set up protest events.  We must not let this opportunity to stand up for workers and the middle class pass by without taking action.

Please send us an e-mail report on the activities involving your local, including pictures covering the event(s).

The following link will allow your locals/staff/members to register your April 4^th actions:  www.cwaaction.org

In Unity,

Ralph Maly, Vice President               Jimmy Gurganus, Vice President 

CWA Telecommunications and Technologies