Workers at FairPoint, Translators, Day-Care Workers Join CWA

Solidarity by workers at Books & Rattles day-care centers in Queens, N.Y., overcame management's brutal anti-union tactics.

More than 300 workers gained CWA representation last week during separate organizing victories in New England, New York and California.

In the rural Maine communities of South China and Winthrop, 72 workers at two FairPoint call centers extended CWA representation to formerly nonunion workers at the small telecom that purchased Verizon's New England landline business. This is the first group of FairPoint workers to organize since the deal was approved, according to District 1 Vice President Chris Shelton.

They organized through the neutrality and card check provision CWA negotiated in its recently-approved contract extension for the 3,000 former Verizon employees at the company. CWA Local 1400 shop stewards Jonathan Putnam and Jeanne Picardi assisted the workers along with local President Cheryl Ahearn.

At five locations in Queens, New York, 90 workers at Books & Rattles day-care centers withstood a brutal, anti-union campaign to prevail and gain representation with CWA Local 1180. The vote was 60-27 in an NLRB election where management engaged in blatant violations of the law to frighten union supporters. The company conducted captive-audience meetings the day of the election, a clear violation of the law, disciplined three workers for their protected union activity, and posted supervisors outside the voting area to intimate workers.

Chief concerns are low pay, health care, pensions, and job security. The workers, assisted by Local 1180 organizer Erin Mahoney, refused to buckle under. More than 20 workers made up a vocal inside committee who publicly sported pro-union buttons.

In a 14-month long campaign, 162 workers at Metropolitan Translators, a firm contracted to translate wiretaps for the Drug Enforcement Administration, gained representation with CWA Local 9400, Los Angeles. The vote in the NLRB election was 67-41.  The workers overcame an anti-union campaign and geographical obstacles – they are scattered throughout Southern California.  They were assisted by Local organizers Jeff Finley and Marco Ramirez.