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Union Victories Broaden Membership at AT&T Broadband
Three recent organizing victories bring to 17 the number of units CWA represents at AT&T Broadband.
On May 1, District 13 won a neutrality and consent election for a unit of eight customer sales and service representatives in South Hills, Pa., capping off an earlier victory in March for 140 technicians won through an expedited card check campaign.
And on April 4, 106 outside technicians in Hialeah, Fla., became the first formerly MediaOne unit to win recognition since AT&T acquired the cable company in June 2000.
Earning Respect at Hialeah
Rather than waiting for the one-year anniversary of the acquisition to become eligible for an expedited neutrality and consent election, Local 3121 did it the hard way, conducting a traditional National Labor Relations Board campaign and winning it by a vote of 69-33.
Dusty Staley, the local’s president, said it was a third attempt for the Hialeah technicians, who first mounted a campaign in 1992 and came within three votes of winning an election in 1995.
The inside committee relied on experienced technicians for support and advice but turned to younger workers to show leadership in the campaign.
“Essentially, they told them, ‘if you want it you’re going to have to work for it,’” Staley said. “They worked very hard and held solid.”
Seniority, broken promises and a desire for respect drove the lightning-fast campaign. The technicians first contacted the local Jan. 31. With the help of Staley and District 3 CWA Representative Don LaRotonda, they talked to co-workers about the benefits of a union and how to resist the pressure of an anti-union campaign.
Since former MediaOne properties are not covered by the neutrality and consent agreement between CWA and AT&T until June 15, the company was free to resist unionization by any legal means.
Staley said management held captive audience meetings, threatened to give other units better raises and eliminated “home dispatch,” a policy that allowed workers to drive their trucks home and take first morning calls from there instead of coming to the office.
Committee members included Mandy Rodriguez, Obed Tasis, Rolando Lores, Ramiro Aburto, and Eric Olivaradiu. Rodriquez was active in all three campaigns.
Second Go at South Hills
Victory was also a long time coming for the South Hills, suburban Pittsburgh, technicians. Marge Krueger, administrative assistant to District 13 Vice President Vince Maisano, worked with the group for three years. Dave Hoskowitz, Local 13000 organizer, helped her build and assist the inside organizing committee.
The workers narrowly lost their first election under the neutrality and consent agreement last August, but an arbitrator ruled that management had violated the neutrality guidelines. The arbitrator granted the union card-check rights and reduced the waiting period for a new election from 12 to six months. Workers gain representation by card check when a majority turns in authorization cards.
An inside committee of about 10 technicians collected the cards within 12 days. They included Sam Rocca, cable department; Bill Gilchrist, telephony; Bob Yanteck, maintenance; and Reggie Frezzeli, at-home Internet department.
About two dozen volunteers from Local 13000 visited workers’ homes during the final days of the campaign, including more than half of the 26 members in Unit President Darrell Novotny’s group. Others who helped include Regional Vice President Dick Johns, Unit Presidents Mary Ellen Volker and Mickey O’Rourke, Representative (steward) Keith Grable and member Chuck Douglas.
The local subsequently followed up on service reps’ complaints of favoritism and being recorded by a supervisor, helping them win an election under the neutrality and consent agreement.
“We’re now wall-to-wall at that location,” Krueger said.
On May 1, District 13 won a neutrality and consent election for a unit of eight customer sales and service representatives in South Hills, Pa., capping off an earlier victory in March for 140 technicians won through an expedited card check campaign.
And on April 4, 106 outside technicians in Hialeah, Fla., became the first formerly MediaOne unit to win recognition since AT&T acquired the cable company in June 2000.
Earning Respect at Hialeah
Rather than waiting for the one-year anniversary of the acquisition to become eligible for an expedited neutrality and consent election, Local 3121 did it the hard way, conducting a traditional National Labor Relations Board campaign and winning it by a vote of 69-33.
Dusty Staley, the local’s president, said it was a third attempt for the Hialeah technicians, who first mounted a campaign in 1992 and came within three votes of winning an election in 1995.
The inside committee relied on experienced technicians for support and advice but turned to younger workers to show leadership in the campaign.
“Essentially, they told them, ‘if you want it you’re going to have to work for it,’” Staley said. “They worked very hard and held solid.”
Seniority, broken promises and a desire for respect drove the lightning-fast campaign. The technicians first contacted the local Jan. 31. With the help of Staley and District 3 CWA Representative Don LaRotonda, they talked to co-workers about the benefits of a union and how to resist the pressure of an anti-union campaign.
Since former MediaOne properties are not covered by the neutrality and consent agreement between CWA and AT&T until June 15, the company was free to resist unionization by any legal means.
Staley said management held captive audience meetings, threatened to give other units better raises and eliminated “home dispatch,” a policy that allowed workers to drive their trucks home and take first morning calls from there instead of coming to the office.
Committee members included Mandy Rodriguez, Obed Tasis, Rolando Lores, Ramiro Aburto, and Eric Olivaradiu. Rodriquez was active in all three campaigns.
Second Go at South Hills
Victory was also a long time coming for the South Hills, suburban Pittsburgh, technicians. Marge Krueger, administrative assistant to District 13 Vice President Vince Maisano, worked with the group for three years. Dave Hoskowitz, Local 13000 organizer, helped her build and assist the inside organizing committee.
The workers narrowly lost their first election under the neutrality and consent agreement last August, but an arbitrator ruled that management had violated the neutrality guidelines. The arbitrator granted the union card-check rights and reduced the waiting period for a new election from 12 to six months. Workers gain representation by card check when a majority turns in authorization cards.
An inside committee of about 10 technicians collected the cards within 12 days. They included Sam Rocca, cable department; Bill Gilchrist, telephony; Bob Yanteck, maintenance; and Reggie Frezzeli, at-home Internet department.
About two dozen volunteers from Local 13000 visited workers’ homes during the final days of the campaign, including more than half of the 26 members in Unit President Darrell Novotny’s group. Others who helped include Regional Vice President Dick Johns, Unit Presidents Mary Ellen Volker and Mickey O’Rourke, Representative (steward) Keith Grable and member Chuck Douglas.
The local subsequently followed up on service reps’ complaints of favoritism and being recorded by a supervisor, helping them win an election under the neutrality and consent agreement.
“We’re now wall-to-wall at that location,” Krueger said.