Greetings,

IS THE SENATOR AT HOME?

1200 Union Nurse's from the California Nurses Association along with a strong presence from the Communications Workers of America and others rallied at Senator Diane Feinstein's home and left messages in support of the Employee Free Choice Act with Roses at her doorstep. Everyone then met up at her downtown San Francisco offices for a second rally.

We are at a crucial crossroads for the fight to have the Employee Free Choice Act made into law. With the loss of Senator Ted Kennedy we now have only have 59 votes for the cloture vote out of the needed 60. There will be a special election to fill his seat but not until December.
However there is a strong push to change the current law that would allow for a replacement in the interim. Senator Kennedy wrote a powerful letter to the Governor before his death supporting the replacement.

So if the change is made in Massachusetts we will have our 60th vote for cloture and then have the votes to pass EFCA and likely have the vote in late November or early December, right after the Healthcare vote.

There has been lots of activity supporting the Employee Free Choice Act this week. In spite of what the Chamber of Commerce and their friends want you to think, the
Employee Free Choice Act is alive and well.

In Northern California the California Nurses (CNA) brought over 1200 Registered Nurse's to Senator Diane Feinstein's home and left messages in support of the Employee Free Choice Act with Roses at her doorstep. Over 50 CWA Northern California members from Locals 9400, 9410, 9412, 9415, 9417, 9421, 9423 joined them. Everyone then met up at her downtown SF offices for a second rally.

Elsewhere in the country CWA members from five Massachusetts locals jammed a hearing at the State House where a legislative committee was debating a bill to appoint a temporary interim Senator to fill the seat of the late Senator Edward Kennedy. Wearing CWA red, members filled an entire section and made it clear that Massachusetts working families need two senators to represent them, especially in these critical times.

The biggest contingent of any union, more than 50 CWA members from Locals 1300, 1301, 1302, 1400 and 81201 made sure that their voices were heard. "With the passing of Senator Kennedy, Massachusetts has only one U.S. senator and Massachusetts working families have only partial representation during critical fights in the Senate on health care reform and the Employee Free Choice Act," said Don Trementozzi, president of Local 1400.

We could be just one vote short of the 60 votes we'll need in the Senate to get legislation passed this year. We need full representation as soon as possible," said Lynda Nordyke, president of Local 1302.

The state legislature's Joint Committee on Election Laws is considering a bill that will allow the appointment of a temporary senator who would serve until the special election scheduled for next year.

Unions make a significant difference in fostering workplaces that promote a healthy and viable balance between work life and home life. Organized labor has led the way in setting workplace standards on wages, work hours, benefits and safety. Now is the time to strengthen the labor movement and put the next generation of basic workplace standards in place. It is more important than ever that workers have the freedom to join unions.

Remember to list your name, your CWA local, that you live in California and that you vote. Then leave a brief message to support Employee Free Choice. Make sure you push pound when prompted and don't rush, speak clearly so our district can get credit. Thanks.