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Organizing Heat Wave Brings Union to 1,600
More than 1,600 workers have won CWA representation since mid-July. The largest gains came in District 3, where CWA Vice President Jimmy Smith reported that on Sept. 12 the American Arbitration Association verified cards requesting representation by a majority of 494 Cingular Wireless retail sales workers in Tennessee. Local 3808 President Rick Feinstein spearheaded the campaign as volunteers from several locals fanned out across the state.
Local 3808 Organizing Chair Buck Langley and Secretary-Treasurer Becky Morris dispatched committee members to work with other locals, and the campaign had support from CWA Representatives Thelma Dunlap and Doug Stearman, reported District 3 Organizing Coordinator Hugh Wolfe.
Also, on Aug. 16, Smith reported that the AAA certified clear majorities in card check campaigns for 194 representatives at Cingular’s customer service center in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and for 29 technicians working at locations across the island; these in addition to 325 Cingular retail workers who chose CWA earlier this summer.
An additional 38 Cingular workers gained representation through voluntary recognition at new retail stores in Lufkin, Tyler and Longview, Texas, and in Muskogee, Okla.
And Bill Davis, assistant to District 6 Vice President Andy Milburn, on Aug. 30 won recognition for eight retail sales workers in El Dorado, making Cingular 100 percent organized in the district. Local 6503 President Mike Koller and CWA Representative Bill Wildoner assisted the workers, reported Danny Fetonte, District 6 area director for organizing.
Academic Ambition
Another coup for District 3 was the affiliation of the United Campus Workers at the University of Tennessee. Now about 100 strong, state and contractor employees ranging from food service workers and custodians to clerical staff and graduate workers first organized a union about two years ago after participating in a teach-in on living wage campaigns conducted by CWA Local 3805.
Wolfe and Local 3805 President Debbie Helsley kept in touch with the group and worked with UCW President Sandy Hicks as they sought an affiliation that would provide more organizing training and that would have greater clout in pressing for collective bargaining rights for state employees.
The UCW leadership looked at UNITE and UE Local 150, the North Carolina Public Service Workers.
“We did a background check, and CWA had the best track record,” Hicks said.
Already successful in winning base pay raises of 4.75 percent in 2000 and 4 percent in 2001, with even higher percentages for the lowest paid workers, UCW continues to fight for dignity and respect, job security, and rights for temporary and part-time workers — and to build membership to its full potential of 1,600 workers.
More High Flyers
CWA Local 7011 has a new unit of 75 Sikorsky aerospace technicians at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, N.M. The technicians maintain and service Sikorsky’s famed Black Hawk helicopters, used by the Air Force for pilot training.
“This was a cooperative effort at every level of the union,” said District 7 Organizing Coordinator Kevin Mulligan, who pointed out that IUE-CWA Organizing Director Gary Wise and IUE-CWA District 8 Representative Howard Foshinbaur “were key to the victory.”
It was the fourth win in as many elections for Local 7011 and the second Sikorsky group to join CWA in the last few months. In April the local organized Sikorsky technicians in Yuma, Ariz. Two of them, John Nicewander and Brad Sanasec, attended meetings with the Albuquerque group to answer questions about CWA.
Mark Esrig, full-time organizer for Local 7011, credited a strong inside organizing committee including Sikorsky technicians Anthony Tapia and Jack Farrell. President Judy McMullan and other local 7011 officers also worked on the campaign.
Management was initially resistant and held captive audience meetings, Esrig said, then transferred out two top managers. Issues for the workers were disparity in treatment and lack of opportunity for raises.
Stronger than Cable
Members held their ground at AT&T Broadband in Hialeah, Fla., beating back a company-sponsored decertification effort by a vote of 55-29.
The former MediaOne unit voted for CWA in April 2001, trained stewards in May and began bargaining last June. Management dragged out the process for a year, all the while handing out raises and promotions to gain favor with the employees.
Workers ratified an agreement bringing them merit increases averaging 7.5 percent, a guaranteed raise of 3.5 percent next March and a grievance procedure, then management threw its support behind a disgruntled few who wanted the union out, said Tony Santos, a Broadband technician and member of Local 3121.
On July 18 four fewer workers voted against CWA than in the original NLRB election.
“Now we have our union, we have our contract and we have the respect of cable workers throughout South Florida,” Santos said.
Local 3808 Organizing Chair Buck Langley and Secretary-Treasurer Becky Morris dispatched committee members to work with other locals, and the campaign had support from CWA Representatives Thelma Dunlap and Doug Stearman, reported District 3 Organizing Coordinator Hugh Wolfe.
Also, on Aug. 16, Smith reported that the AAA certified clear majorities in card check campaigns for 194 representatives at Cingular’s customer service center in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and for 29 technicians working at locations across the island; these in addition to 325 Cingular retail workers who chose CWA earlier this summer.
An additional 38 Cingular workers gained representation through voluntary recognition at new retail stores in Lufkin, Tyler and Longview, Texas, and in Muskogee, Okla.
And Bill Davis, assistant to District 6 Vice President Andy Milburn, on Aug. 30 won recognition for eight retail sales workers in El Dorado, making Cingular 100 percent organized in the district. Local 6503 President Mike Koller and CWA Representative Bill Wildoner assisted the workers, reported Danny Fetonte, District 6 area director for organizing.
Academic Ambition
Another coup for District 3 was the affiliation of the United Campus Workers at the University of Tennessee. Now about 100 strong, state and contractor employees ranging from food service workers and custodians to clerical staff and graduate workers first organized a union about two years ago after participating in a teach-in on living wage campaigns conducted by CWA Local 3805.
Wolfe and Local 3805 President Debbie Helsley kept in touch with the group and worked with UCW President Sandy Hicks as they sought an affiliation that would provide more organizing training and that would have greater clout in pressing for collective bargaining rights for state employees.
The UCW leadership looked at UNITE and UE Local 150, the North Carolina Public Service Workers.
“We did a background check, and CWA had the best track record,” Hicks said.
Already successful in winning base pay raises of 4.75 percent in 2000 and 4 percent in 2001, with even higher percentages for the lowest paid workers, UCW continues to fight for dignity and respect, job security, and rights for temporary and part-time workers — and to build membership to its full potential of 1,600 workers.
More High Flyers
CWA Local 7011 has a new unit of 75 Sikorsky aerospace technicians at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, N.M. The technicians maintain and service Sikorsky’s famed Black Hawk helicopters, used by the Air Force for pilot training.
“This was a cooperative effort at every level of the union,” said District 7 Organizing Coordinator Kevin Mulligan, who pointed out that IUE-CWA Organizing Director Gary Wise and IUE-CWA District 8 Representative Howard Foshinbaur “were key to the victory.”
It was the fourth win in as many elections for Local 7011 and the second Sikorsky group to join CWA in the last few months. In April the local organized Sikorsky technicians in Yuma, Ariz. Two of them, John Nicewander and Brad Sanasec, attended meetings with the Albuquerque group to answer questions about CWA.
Mark Esrig, full-time organizer for Local 7011, credited a strong inside organizing committee including Sikorsky technicians Anthony Tapia and Jack Farrell. President Judy McMullan and other local 7011 officers also worked on the campaign.
Management was initially resistant and held captive audience meetings, Esrig said, then transferred out two top managers. Issues for the workers were disparity in treatment and lack of opportunity for raises.
Stronger than Cable
Members held their ground at AT&T Broadband in Hialeah, Fla., beating back a company-sponsored decertification effort by a vote of 55-29.
The former MediaOne unit voted for CWA in April 2001, trained stewards in May and began bargaining last June. Management dragged out the process for a year, all the while handing out raises and promotions to gain favor with the employees.
Workers ratified an agreement bringing them merit increases averaging 7.5 percent, a guaranteed raise of 3.5 percent next March and a grievance procedure, then management threw its support behind a disgruntled few who wanted the union out, said Tony Santos, a Broadband technician and member of Local 3121.
On July 18 four fewer workers voted against CWA than in the original NLRB election.
“Now we have our union, we have our contract and we have the respect of cable workers throughout South Florida,” Santos said.