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November 13, 2008
CWA Members Ratify Qwest ContractCWA members at Qwest Communications have ratified a new four-year contract by a 77% vote. The settlement meets CWA's key objectives of maintaining quality jobs, improving workplace and respect issues, increasing wages and pensions and safeguarding health care benefits. It covers 20,000 employees in 13 states. Workers will receive a 12 percent general wage increase over the contract term, with increases in base salary for sales employees who receive commissions and a 3 percent increase in pension bands. The agreement includes some important improvements in working conditions, including resolution of problems caused by "quality jobs per day" work quotas for technicians. It includes an acknowledgment by Qwest management that frontline workers are critical to the company's success and deserve respect. On health care, the parties negotiated a health care plan design to mitigate cost increases for active workers and retirees. CWA District 7 Vice President Louise Caddell also noted that Qwest management agreed to work with CWA and other organizations for real health care reform. Georgia Locals Fighting for Pro-Worker Candidate in Senate Run-Off
With an important U.S. Senate seat on the line, local CWA presidents in Georgia are asking their members to work as hard as they did during the general election in order to send pro-worker candidate Jim Martin to Washington in a Dec. 2 runoff. Martin, a Democrat and Vietnam veteran with more than 20 years experience in the Georgia legislature and state government, is trying to unseat first-term Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss. In the Nov. 4 election, Chambliss got more votes in a three-way race, but not the majority needed to avoid a run-off under Georgia law. "Working families need Jim Martin in the U.S. Senate to help turn around America," say CWA local presidents in Georgia in a letter to their members. "In the Senate, he will work to reverse the disastrous economic policies that George Bush and Saxby Chambliss have advocated over the course of their careers." CWA members will be making worksite contacts and members of the CWA Retired Members' Council will be making phone calls to union retirees. "We proved what we could do with the historic election of Sen. Barack Obama and the many new pro-worker House and Senate seats we won on Nov. 4," CWA Executive Vice President Annie Hill said. "Now we have to put all our energy into electing Jim Martin on Dec. 2. His presence in the Senate will bring us one critical step closer to passing the Employee Free Choice Act and the other key issues we're fighting for on behalf of America's working families." The letter from local presidents says that Martin opposes privatizing Social Security and "will stand up for our workers, ensuring we have the freedom to choose a union without fear of corporate intimidation." It also notes that Martin is a strong supporter of veterans. Chambliss, in an especially ugly 2002 campaign for his Senate seat, ran ads questioning the patriotism and national security commitment of then-incumbent Max Cleland – a Vietnam veteran who lost both arms and one leg in the war. The GOP rallying cry in their all-out effort for Chambliss, which includes campaigning by Senator John McCain, is that of preventing Senate Democrats from gaining a 60 seat "filibuster proof" majority. The Nov. 4 election left Democrats with control of 57 Senate seats, including independents Joe Lieberman (Conn.) and Bernie Sanders (VT.), who caucus with the party. Three seats, including Georgia's, are still in dispute. Vote counting continues in Alaska, where Democrat Mark Begich has pulled ahead of Republican incumbent and recently convicted felon Ted Stevens. A recount will soon be underway in Minnesota, where Democrat Al Franken trails Republican incumbent Norm Coleman by just 206 votes. Election 2008, New Opportunities on Executive Board AgendaCWA's Executive Board met Nov. 6-7 to review CWA's Election 2008 program, assess some of the union's internal issues and look ahead to new opportunities. CWA's very successful political program laid the groundwork to build and expand a movement for real change and a new direction for the nation, the Executive Board stressed. The Alliance of CWA, the Steelworkers, Auto Workers and Professional and Technical Engineers was an important partnership in these political efforts. Among the highlights of CWA's program: more than 10,000 CWA member volunteers talked to co-workers and leafleted worksites, joined phone banks and participated in labor walks and rallies. During the week of action in October, volunteers covered more than 1,500 worksites. CWA members in battleground states received at least 4 or more mailings on the candidates and the issues. The Board reaffirmed that CWA's top priority is passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. It noted that the opposition – the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and its front groups -- already had spent more than $20 million in television advertising and state campaigns to defeat this legislation, and that CWA and union partners had to be ready to beat back this challenge with aggressive worker tactics across the country, CWA activists in key states and massive worker mobilizations not seen in the United States since the 1930s and 1940s. The Board also reviewed CWA's efforts to push forward an economic recovery plan built on creating 21st century and "green" jobs, restoring bargaining rights through Employee Free Choice and reforming health care in a way that ensures coverage for all Americans but ends the current system's "tax" on jobs. CWA is working with congressional supporters who are signing on to this plan, and is building a coalition of other unions, civil rights and community groups, faith-based and student organizations and others who believe that job creation and support for working and middle income families must come before any other Wall Street bailout or support for companies that continue to outsource jobs overseas. The Executive Board reviewed a financial risk analysis of CWA employers in every sector and stressed that the union will safeguard members, especially when employers file for bankruptcy protection and threaten workers' retirement and health care security. The Board will continue to monitor and watch distressed employers AT&T Meetings in Dallas Will Set Stage for Winter BargainingGearing up for nationwide bargaining in 2009, local leaders representing members at AT&T will meet in Dallas with CWA officers and staff next week for several days of intense preparation. About 300 participants in all will attend the bargaining council meetings, being held for both the 125,000-member Core group at AT&T and the 20,000 members at AT&T Mobility "Orange." The theme of the council meetings and the subsequent mobilization campaign and bargaining is, "One Union, One Fight, One Future." On Tuesday, the first full day of the meetings, AT&T members across the country are being asked to wear red shirts to work as a sign of solidarity and support for their bargaining team. The agenda includes discussion of the future at AT&T as the company moves ever further into wireless and other new generation technology. Participants will also take a hard look at economics and what other CWA units have accomplished in bargaining at Verizon and Qwest, as well as in other industries. Both Core and Mobility meetings will include discussions about mobilizing members for local and national activities that support the critical talks. AT&T Mobility bargaining will begin first, on Jan. 21, 2009, in Richmond, Va., The current Mobility "Orange" contract expires Feb. 7. The Core talks will take place at six tables around the country beginning Feb. 24 to negotiate contracts for AT&T Legacy (formerly Legacy-T), AT&T East (formerly SNET), AT&T West (formerly PacBell), AT&T Midwest (formerly Ameritech) AT&T South (formerly Southwestern Bell) and AT&T Southeast (formerly BellSouth). Five of the current contracts expire April 4, 2009. The AT&T Southeast contract expires next August, but bargaining will be held in unison with the other companies. IN BRIEF:
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