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Organizing Roundup
Security Guards Seek Lock on Jobs
“Just say ‘no’” didn’t cut it with 34 security guards at the Trenton Housing Authority, their salaries paid from federal funding to keep city institutions drug free.
Feeling threatened by proposed Bush budget cuts, the guards took a good look at the job security enjoyed by close to 100 of their co-workers, already members of CWA Local 1040, said local Organizer Connie English. They also sought to end disparate treatment by management: Some, but not all, had health insurance through their employer, English said.
“They came and talked to us, got cards requesting an election, and within two weeks got the cards signed and got them back to us,” English said.
In a Public Employee Relations Commission election May 8 they voted 26-0 for representation, reported Ed Sabol, administrative assistant to CWA District 1 Vice President Larry Mancino.
English credited, among others, security guards Frank Livingston and Edward Whorley for showing leadership in the campaign.
Local 1040 President Carolyn Wade helped organize the guards and will head up bargaining on their behalf in coming months, English said. The guards will be seeking an agreement in line with three contract renewals being negotiated for supervisors, clerical and maintenance workers at the agency.
Local Puts Satellite in Orbit
With competition heating up for satellite TV service, CWA Local 1108 has gotten a foothold in a growing company. Ed Sabol, administrative assistant to District 1 Vice President Larry Mancino, reported the local won a representation election for 52 installers at Dish Network in Farmingdale, N.Y., on a vote of 28-12. Local Organizer Frank Mancini said the company, a subsidiary of EchoStar, employs about 2,600 installers among 6,000 employees nationwide.
“It was a tough campaign,” said Mancini, who was assisted by local organizers Bob Morrow, John Howe and Mark Kutowski.
Mancini said the installers contacted the local around early March, frustrated by low pay and practically no benefits.
`Technicians Brian Feldman, David Gerace and Brendon Lattanzi took the lead on the inside committee, talking up the union, handbilling and getting cards signed.
“My guys would go in there two or three times a week and talk to the workers,” Mancini said.
The company held captive audience meetings and sent mailings to the workers, threatening to move out of the state, Mancini said. Twice local President George Welker wrote letters of rebuttal.
Mancini said the company would ask, “’Will the union guarantee you a grievance procedure, pay and benefits?’ Our reply was always, ‘Right now you have no guarantee. We’ll at least guarantee you a contract you can live by.’”
As the CWA News went to press, Mancini said the local was in the process of setting dates for bargaining.
Union Wins Direct Appeal
If you’ve got the only unionized direct mail outfit in Ohio, or maybe the entire Midwest, then you’ve got a good thing going. And so has CWA Local 4340, which recently won a voluntary recognition for 22 full-time and part-time workers at the Alice Paul Direct Mail Service in Cleveland.
Seth Rosen, administrative assistant to District 4 Vice President Jeff Rechenbach, reported the win on May 16.
Rosen and former Local 4340 Organizer Jim Cosgrove met with owner Martha Pontoni in February.
“We told her there were plenty of unions in Cleveland that would love to use a union mailer, but there weren’t any,” Cosgrove said.
It made good business sense to Pontoni, and the framework of a union contract made sense to the workers, who wanted consistent working conditions spelled out, and a grievance procedure. Many prefer to work part-time, said Cosgrove, who is currently working as an organizer for Washington (D.C.) Typographical Union 101-12 (CWA Local 14200) and Mailers Local 26 (CWA Local 14201).
Cosgrove said new local Organizer John Kosek and President Ed Phillips were putting the final touches on an agreeable pact.
“Just say ‘no’” didn’t cut it with 34 security guards at the Trenton Housing Authority, their salaries paid from federal funding to keep city institutions drug free.
Feeling threatened by proposed Bush budget cuts, the guards took a good look at the job security enjoyed by close to 100 of their co-workers, already members of CWA Local 1040, said local Organizer Connie English. They also sought to end disparate treatment by management: Some, but not all, had health insurance through their employer, English said.
“They came and talked to us, got cards requesting an election, and within two weeks got the cards signed and got them back to us,” English said.
In a Public Employee Relations Commission election May 8 they voted 26-0 for representation, reported Ed Sabol, administrative assistant to CWA District 1 Vice President Larry Mancino.
English credited, among others, security guards Frank Livingston and Edward Whorley for showing leadership in the campaign.
Local 1040 President Carolyn Wade helped organize the guards and will head up bargaining on their behalf in coming months, English said. The guards will be seeking an agreement in line with three contract renewals being negotiated for supervisors, clerical and maintenance workers at the agency.
Local Puts Satellite in Orbit
With competition heating up for satellite TV service, CWA Local 1108 has gotten a foothold in a growing company. Ed Sabol, administrative assistant to District 1 Vice President Larry Mancino, reported the local won a representation election for 52 installers at Dish Network in Farmingdale, N.Y., on a vote of 28-12. Local Organizer Frank Mancini said the company, a subsidiary of EchoStar, employs about 2,600 installers among 6,000 employees nationwide.
“It was a tough campaign,” said Mancini, who was assisted by local organizers Bob Morrow, John Howe and Mark Kutowski.
Mancini said the installers contacted the local around early March, frustrated by low pay and practically no benefits.
`Technicians Brian Feldman, David Gerace and Brendon Lattanzi took the lead on the inside committee, talking up the union, handbilling and getting cards signed.
“My guys would go in there two or three times a week and talk to the workers,” Mancini said.
The company held captive audience meetings and sent mailings to the workers, threatening to move out of the state, Mancini said. Twice local President George Welker wrote letters of rebuttal.
Mancini said the company would ask, “’Will the union guarantee you a grievance procedure, pay and benefits?’ Our reply was always, ‘Right now you have no guarantee. We’ll at least guarantee you a contract you can live by.’”
As the CWA News went to press, Mancini said the local was in the process of setting dates for bargaining.
Union Wins Direct Appeal
If you’ve got the only unionized direct mail outfit in Ohio, or maybe the entire Midwest, then you’ve got a good thing going. And so has CWA Local 4340, which recently won a voluntary recognition for 22 full-time and part-time workers at the Alice Paul Direct Mail Service in Cleveland.
Seth Rosen, administrative assistant to District 4 Vice President Jeff Rechenbach, reported the win on May 16.
Rosen and former Local 4340 Organizer Jim Cosgrove met with owner Martha Pontoni in February.
“We told her there were plenty of unions in Cleveland that would love to use a union mailer, but there weren’t any,” Cosgrove said.
It made good business sense to Pontoni, and the framework of a union contract made sense to the workers, who wanted consistent working conditions spelled out, and a grievance procedure. Many prefer to work part-time, said Cosgrove, who is currently working as an organizer for Washington (D.C.) Typographical Union 101-12 (CWA Local 14200) and Mailers Local 26 (CWA Local 14201).
Cosgrove said new local Organizer John Kosek and President Ed Phillips were putting the final touches on an agreeable pact.