cwa newsletter, thursday, september 26, 2013

7/29/2019 CWA Newsletter, Thursday, September 26, 2013

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for fairness."

Joyce noted that CWA's work to have a fully-functioning Board confirmed bythe U.S. Senate means that "the NLRB is now back to issuing importantdecisions and giving workers a path to justice."

Two years ago, the NLRB's Region 2 ordered NBC to restore the bargainingrights of the workers it tried to reclassify into non-union jobs.

Testimony at the Region 2 Board hearing made clear that while the job title of"content producer" was new, the work performed by these employees wasn't;employees were continuing their regular work. The decision affects NABET-CWA members who lost their bargaining rights as well as new employeeshired as "content producers."

The decision cannot be appealed beyond the full NLRB.

New York City MetroPCS Workers Vote to Join CWA

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From left, Julian Gonzalez, Dany Cardenas and Stephen Arnaud celebratetheir union election win at the MetroPCS store in Harlem.

Below: Yesenia Cabrera shows her support for a union voice.
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3/12

New York City retail store employees at a MetroPCS store in Harlem votedWednesday for a union voice and representation by CWA. The vote was 7-1.

The number may seem small, but it's a huge victory for these workers and forthousands more across T-Mobile US who want representation to addresstheir issues on the job. MetroPCS merged with T-Mobile US earlier this year.

Jose Ortiz, one of the Metro PCS workers, said: "This has been a Davidversus Goliath struggle and I'm beyond thrilled to say that David won. Welook forward to bargaining a fair contract that gives MetroPCS workers a realvoice at work. When we stick together we win!"

At a store with nine employees, T-Mobile US executives kept up an intensecampaign on workers who are looking for representation on their issues and

fairness. T-Mobile US CEO John Legere and other top executives trekkedfrom Bellevue, Wash., headquarters to the Harlem store.

Today's vote ensures representation on issues and fairness on the job.

Before the election, MetroPCS workers were excited when the CWA 1039union bus rolled up outside the store.


4/12

Thousands of union members at T-Mobile and Deutsche Telekom inGermany who have a significant voice on the job, collective bargaining andmany seats on the company supervisory board have taken on U.S. workers'cause and are protesting their company's treatment of T-Mobile USemployees. Recently, their union, ver.di, sent a letter to Deutsche Telekom,

the parent company of T-Mobile US, telling the company it should cease thecaptive audience meetings that workers were forced to attend as the workershad requested.

The Metro PCS workers tell their story in this video.

More information available at www.weworkbettertogether.org andwww.tmobileworkersunited.org .

UNI Global Union Stands in Solidarity with T-Mobile Workers

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UNI brothers and sisters in Colombia support Josh Coleman and the T-Mobile campaign.

The Colombia affiliate of UNI ICTS the global union for the information,

communication, technology and services industry is standing in solidaritywith CWA's struggle to defend workers' rights at T-Mobile US.

In a letter, President Yuli Higuera and Secretary Ronald Hincapie Deviawrote:

Some weeks ago, we received the visit of UNI Americas ICTS RegionalDirector, Javier Carls, and he told us about your situation, the T-Mobile
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campaign, and the difficulties faced by American workers to establishunions. In particular, we were impressed by the arbitrary dismissal ofJoshua Coleman and the campaign for reinstatement to his job.

We are sure that you think and feel the same way we do. We suffer the

same injustices. Our union is small and there is not much we can do tosupport you, but we want to express that you have our full solidarity.

Your struggle is inspiring for us.

Continue. Do not stop.

After the MetroPCS win in Harlem, Alan Tate, head of UNI ICTS at UNIGlobal Union, said, "In spite of continued pressure from T-Mobile-PCSmanagement, including a number of captive audience meetings withemployees, this small group of workers has won an important victory against

a company which seems determined to deny workers' rights to unionrepresentation. We applaud these workers and their union, theCommunication Workers of America."

Building Our Movement

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The Fight for Fairness at Patriot Continues

The rallies and arrests continue.

On Tuesday, workers once again demonstrated outside Peabody Energy'sheadquarters against the company's prolonged refusal to pay health carebenefits promised to retired UMWA miners, their widows and dependents.Police arrested 15 activists after a spirited march that blocked traffic indowntown St. Louis.

"We understand clearly that it's your fight today, it could be our fighttomorrow," said District 6 Vice President Claude Cummings. "We're going tostand and fight back!"

Watch a video of Cummings firing up the 5,000-person crowd here.

Peabody, the world's largest private-sector coal company, reported $90million in net income in the second quarter of 2013. But when Peabody
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executives spun off Patriot Coal in 2007, they did not provide the new firmwith sufficient assets to meet its obligations to retired workers and theirdependents. Last year, Patriot Coal filed for bankruptcy, and throughbankruptcy court, has drastically reduced health benefits for retired workers,along with severe cuts in pay, benefits and working conditions for active

workers.

District 6 Vice President Claude Cummings marches through downtown St.Louis.

Below: Missouri CWAers rally outside of Peabody Energy.


7/12

Iowa State Council Training

The Iowa State Council sponsored a training on movement building, LPATinfrastructure and developing political goals. Participants included membersof CWA Locals 7176, 7181, 7172, 7101, 7102 and 7171. CWA LegislativeDirector Shane Larson and Political Director Rafael Navar presented and leda discussion on critical political issues and races.

To show activists what a partnership with other progressive organizations canlook like, Minnesota State Council President Mona Meyer and Terin Mayer,the lead economy organizer of TakeAction Minnesota, gave a presentation onhow they've come together to build a movement for social and economic

justice.

Already there's been a lot of good work being done in Iowa. Activists aresupporting union-friendly candidates for hospital boards to help our nurses'organizing and bargaining campaigns. And CWA is growing its partnershipwith Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, a grassroots organizationdedicated to community organizing.


8/12

CWA local activists from across the state attend the Iowa State Council'straining on movement building.

New Local Officers Seminar for TNG, NABET

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In one jam-packed weekend, 33 members from CWA's Newspaper Guild andNABET sectors learned about everything from organizing, mobilizing andcollective bargaining to movement building to the nitty-gritty of finance andcontract enforcement.

Guild and NABET members at the seminar.

Members came from across the United States, including Puerto Rico, toattend the New Local Officers Seminar (NLOS), held Sept. 20-23 at theMaritime Institute near BWI airport. Their instructors were Guild and NABET
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9/12

staff.

"Thanks to NLOS, I am returning to my local energetic and more informedabout what it means to be a leader in my union," said Beth Kramer of theChicago Guild. "I learned so much that I think my head will be full for

months."

Doug Moore, secretary for the St. Louis-based United Media Guild, said, "Theseminar exceeded my expectations. I've come back energized and confidentas we continue to move forward with growing our membership and preparefor what will be challenging contract negotiations."

NLOS began in 1982. TNG-CWA Rep. Jim Schaufenbil, who attended thefirst seminar as a member of the Manchester Guild, said the training today isas intense and rewarding as it was 31 years ago.

"That's what we continue to hear," he said. "Year after year, these folks goback home ready and eagerand fired up to apply what they learned here."

No TPP, No Fast Track

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10/12

CWA Research Economist Ken Peres (left) speaks at the rally.

When lead negotiators gathered in the Office of the U.S. TradeRepresentative last Friday to discuss the details of the Trans-Pacific

Partnership trade agreement, they were met by a loud crowd of activists. "NoTPP and no fast track!" they chanted.

CWA joined a number of organizations including Citizens Trade Campaign,Veterans for Peace, Code Pink, Earth First, Flush the TPP and more toprotest the massive trade deal that could undermine U.S. jobs, workers'rights, environmental regulations and consumer protections. Activists let thenegotiators know that they will be holding them accountable and pushingCongress to vote down "fast track," which would limit Congress'sconsideration of this dangerous trade agreement to an up-or-down votewithout amendments.

"Remember, they want to put our workers in competition with countries likeVietnam, who have a minimum wage of $2.23, that's not an hour...for a fullday's work," said CWA research economist Kenneth Peres, speaking at therally.

Read Roll Call's story about the rally here.

And check out AlterNet's photos and video of the activists unfurling bannersover the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative reading, "Corporate Coup

Against the People and Planet," "Democracy, Not Corporatocracy" and

"Transparency: Release the Text."

CWA President Larry Cohen also recently appeared on The Ed Show onMSNBC to talk about the TPP. He said:

We need to say to Congress no fast track. To date, no citizen groupshave been involved to any extent in this Trans-Pacific Partnership. It's arace to the bottom. We need a race to the top. And that's where westand.

Watch the full segment here.

Cablevision Unity Jam
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11/12

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CWA Local 1109 members and community supporters rallied at theCablevision Brooklyn garage last night to support Cablevision technicians'continue fight for justice on the job.

The "Tech22" also performed their protest rap song, "Dear Mr. Dolan."

CWA activists Lawrence Hendrickson talks about the union.

Going into its second week, Cablevision continues to face several unfair laborpractices charges at a National Labor Relations Board hearing in New YorkCity. The charges include:

The company has engaged in "bad-faith bargaining" with zero intenton ever reaching an agreement with Brooklyn technicians. Despitevoting to join CWA more than a year ago, these workers still do nothave a first contract.

CEO James Dolan personally threatened to deny Bronx workers jobopportunities and training if they voted for the union.

To discourage additional CWA organizing campaigns, Cablevisionillegally gave raises of $2 to $9 an hour to every Cablevision employee

except those in Brooklyn.

CWA
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12/12

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cwa newsletter, thursday, september 26, 2013

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