Today's Fight a 'Moral Obligation and a Mission'

Civil Rights Pioneer John Lewis Joins CWA for Third Virtual Town Hall Meeting

Georgia Congressman John Lewis, who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1960s, joined CWA's third virtual town hall meeting Tuesday night, building excitement for the nationwide events on Monday, April 4, and the ongoing battle for workers' rights.

Speaking to thousands of CWA members by phone and Internet, Lewis called the fight "a moral obligation and a mission" and made this pledge: "You want me to walk a picket line, to march, to make a speech? I will do whatever it takes to protect collective bargaining."

Members of the German union ver.di show support for American workers fighting for their rights. A CWA delegation is visiting with ver.di this week.

CWA President Larry Cohen hosted the call from Berlin, where he is meeting with ver.di, the German union representing workers at T-Mobile's parent company. Cohen recalled how King was murdered on April 4, 1968, while he was in Memphis to march with striking sanitation workers. The events honoring King's legacy on Monday "will be another spark in the movement we are building across our country," he said.

NAACP President Ben Jealous also joined the call, saying that in addition to planning more than 40 events, his organization has reached out to major black church congregations. "They'll be asking pastors across the country to preach the good word on April 3 about April 4," he said.

"We're proud to stand in solidarity with labor at a time of unprecedented attacks, and proud that labor is standing with us as we come together to push for the vision that this is one nation, that we are one," Jealous said.

Three CWA members talked about their locals' plans for April 4 and the fights in their states. "Let me tell you: working people across New Mexico are mad," said Michelle Lewis, president of the New Mexico State Employee Alliance-CWA Local 7076.

Members are encouraged to wear "chili pepper" red on Monday and attend lunchtime meetings, among other activities. "We'll be preparing report cards to give to state legislators for outstanding achievement," Lewis said. "It was a rough legislative session that just ended, with a down-and-out assault on public workers, so we want to commend those elected who stood with us."

Local 6450 President Colleen Downing said her members in Missouri will be hand-billing at worksites while wearing red shirts and black wrist bands that say 4/4/11 on one side and "Stand Up for Workers' Rights" on the other. "At noon, approximately 600 members will stand up, some holding placards that say 'Stand Up for Workers' Rights.'" We will declare that workers' rights are civil rights," she said.

Dennis Csillag, president of NABET-CWA Local 59504 in San Diego, said his members are especially fired up, having just beaten back a decertification attempt.

"We're a tough group that has been working for a long time without a contract, but we didn't back down in our contract fight and we won't back down on the national fight for workers' rights," Csillag said.

Click here or go to www.cwa-union.org to listen to Tuesday's call.