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CWA National News
Here you will find Press Releases, National News, Campaign News, Labor Movement News, Sector News and Economic/Political News.
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AFL-CIO News
Blog related to the National Union Movement.
CWA at AT&T
All seven (7) CWA contracts covering over 160,000 workers at AT&T Core (wireline) and AT&T Mobility (wireless) expired in 2009. Here is a summary:
WIRELESS
AT&T Mobility (formerly Cingular; this contract covers 31 states)
[contract ratified as of April 2, 2009]
WIRELINE
AT&T West (formerly Pacific Bell/Nevada Bell; this contract covers California, Nevada and Hawaii) [contract ratified as of September 1, 2009]
AT&T Southwest (formerly Southwestern Bell; this contract covers Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas and Arkansas) [contract ratified as of November 11, 2009]
AT&T Midwest (formerly Ameritech; this contract covers Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin) [contract ratified as of July 15, 2009]
AT&T East (formerly Southern New England Telecom/SNET; this contract covers Connecticut) [TENTATIVE AGREEMENT AS OF AUGUST 18, 2010; SUBJECT TO MEMBER RATIFICATION]
AT&T Southeast (formerly Bellsouth; this contract covers Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana and Kentucky) [contract ratified as of March 5, 2010]
AT&T Legacy "T" (the 'old' AT&T; this contract covers all 50 states) [contract ratified as of October 2, 2009].
More information: Check here for bargaining updates and other information.
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Save Our Jobs News
CWA News regarding our fight to save jobs in Sacramento and California
SAVE JOBS AT AT&T CAMPAIGN
CWA Local 9421 is aggressively fighting AT&T's plans to move or eliminate 326 CWA-represented jobs out of Sacramento and 1,200 jobs out of California, in just the first half of 2010. This is in addition to 249 jobs that were already moved out of Sacramento at the end of 2009; a total of 565 jobs may be lost in Sacramento alone!
CWA Local 9421 established a Save Jobs at AT&T Campaign in November 2009, and we are still actively looking for your HELP NOW! (To view past [2009] campaign updates, please see 2009 UPDATES; for current [2010] campaign updates, please see 2010 UPDATES)
Anyone can participate: Members of ANY Union, labor allies, friends, family members, AT&T employees, CWA members—ANYONE. See the video below of news coverage that showcased our fight at the end of 2009; in 2010, the job cuts at AT&T continue, so we are still fighting!
HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:
There are two (2) ways you can quickly help: either e-mail us or send a letter by filling out a few items on a letter that we have already prepared. Either way, we will forward a letter to AT&T executives to tell them to Save Jobs in Sacramento and California. We will also send letters to Local, State and Federal elected officials, labor allies, non-profits and businesses and other groups.
1) Send an E-MAIL : Follow the steps below.
Simply send us an E-MAIL by clicking HERE. Please remember to include your NAME and ADDRESS in your e-mail. We will then add your name and address to letters that we will send to AT&T executives.
2) Send a LETTER : Follow the steps below.
Here is the letter to fill out - click on it to print and/or save a copy (this is the letter going to AT&T):
Please first put the DATE in the “Date” section, then PRINT your name and address in the “From” section. Finally, SIGN your name at the bottom after the word "Sincerely".
Please ONLY fill out the above items, then promptly return the letter(s) to us via MAIL or FAX.
Either Mail the letter(s) to us at:
CWA Local 9421, 2725 El Camino Ave, Sacramento, CA 95821
Or FAX the letter(s) to us at: 916-484-1052
We will then address the letter(s) to AT&T executives and send the letter(s) to them on your behalf. Feel free to fill out as many letters as you want, as we will be sending letters to multiple executives. You can also get your family and friends to fill out letters too!
Remember to e-mail your information or return the letter(s) to us A.S.A.P. so that we can send letters to AT&T executives immediately. If you work for AT&T, you can also give the letter(s) to your Steward or Chief Steward and they can return them to the CWA Local 9421 Hall on your behalf.
Thank you for taking action on this critical matter!
See below for updates on our campaign...
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UPDATES ON OUR CAMPAIGN
To view updates, click below:
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Thank you.
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TO SEE UPDATES FROM THE 2009 SAVE JOBS AT AT&T CAMPAIGN, CLICK HERE:
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Health Care Reform News
CWA News regarding our fight for health care reform
HISTORIC HEALTH REFORM PASSES!
OBAMA SIGNS INTO LAW
On March 30, 2010, President Barack Obama signed into law the improvements to the comprehensive health care reform bill from Congress that were approved by both houses on March 25, 2010. Taken together, the comprehensive health care reform bill and improvements package will benefit all Americans, including working families. The improvements come on the heels of Obama's historic signature one week ago, on March 23, 2010, which made — for the first time in American history — comprehensive health care reform the law.
In an historic vote in the United States House of Representatives on March 21, 2010, then again in both the United States Senate and then the House on March 25, 2010, we have come closer than ever before: we have now enacted legislation that lays the foundation for a health care system that works for all Americans. To see highlights of the new laws, click here: HIGHLIGHTS. For more information: INFO.
After two decades of lobbying and work by CWA — especially the last three years — our hard work has finally paid dividends. What's more, passing reform was the right thing to do. Congratulations!
Why did CWA support this bill?
Please see this FACT SHEET explaining what President Obama’s legislation will do for CWA members and your family, and what we did not achieve. While this is not the legislation that CWA would have written — because it falls short of our four priorities for reform — we still believe it is a giant step toward achieving some of the goals CWA has worked and fought for over more than two decades.
While Obama’s plan does not do enough, the status quo is unacceptable and these bills will significantly change the health care system to our benefit. They also will put in place a framework that we can build on in the future. Similarly, Social Security and Medicare started out slowly and have evolved over the years into programs that are indispensable.
The alternative — not passing anything — would have been disastrous. We would not have had a chance like this perhaps for another generation. Health care costs would have continued to skyrocket and undermine our wages and standard of living. And working family candidates would suffer terribly at the polls...all of this if we didn't get health care reform in place.
At the end of the day, reforming our broken health care system was the right thing to do for America. Again, congratulations!
For more information, please visit CWA's health care site by clicking here:
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Past CWA News
Past news from CWA Local 9421
May 31, 2010
This Memorial Day, CWA honors all of our members, their family members and/or friends who are veterans and have served our country. Memorial Day is more than just a day off and a BBQ: it represents a sacrifice on the part of many men and women around the world; their service has ensured that we may all benefit from the freedom that we deserve and enjoy. So while you have fun this long weekend with your family and friends, please remember and thank all of the men and women of the US Armed Forces of past and present.
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April 22, 2010
HAPPY EARTH DAY!
Today marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, and it's time for a paradigm change both culturally and fundamentally. When will we learn that there are consequences for our actions and inactions? Doing nothing to alter our current trajectory now will only lead our world into more dire straits. But don't worry about the Earth, per se, since our planet will still be here for another 5 billion years until the Sun goes supernova. Instead, worry about what legacy we will leave for future generations.
Will the human species occupy a world devoid of flora and fauna? Will the planet resemble a desert? Will a Mad Max style new world order exist? What kind of a world will be left if our over-consumption of natural resources leaves the world bereft of diversity and dramatically affects our climate, our rivers, our oceans, our forests? We must ask ourselves these questions honestly and wake up and smell the CO2! The time for change is NOW!!
To take action, visit www.earthday.org now.
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December 30, 2009
2009 AT&T CORE CONTRACT AND WAGE SCHEDULES
To see the FULL VERSION of the 2009 Contract, click here:
To see the wage schedules for the 2009 Contract, click here:
2009 AT&T CORE WAGE SCHEDULES
December 21, 2009
CWA Local 9421 Officers wish all of our members, retirees, labor friends and supporters, family and friends a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Wonderful Kwanzaa and a Prosperous New Year!
The CWA Local 9421 Union Hall will be closed: from 12-5pm on Christmas Eve (Thursday, December 24th), all day on Christmas Day (Friday, December 25th), from 12-5pm on New Years Eve (Thursday, December 31st), and all day on New Years Day (Friday, January 1st).
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December 7, 2009
FOOD DRIVE - DECEMBER 2009
CWA Local 9421 is once again proud to partner with the Pioneers, Share Our Strength—a national non-profit—and the Sacramento Food Bank to collect food for those in need during this holiday season.
There will be two ways to donate: at one of several collection locations or by making a cash donation via text message. Here are the details:
WHAT: FOOD DRIVE
WHEN: December 7-18, 2009
WHERE: CWA Local 9421 Union Hall, 2725 El Camino Avenue (between the hours of 8am-5pm, Monday-Friday)
CWA members may also donate items at these other locations (all are AT&T work sites):
2700 Watt Ave, by Pioneer Store
3600 Marconi Ave, in main lobby
3601 Kings Way (NOC), by guard's desk
3464 El Camino Ave, Rm 130
3675 T St, in cafeteria
HOW:
FOOD - CWA encourages all of our members to donate non-perishable food items at one of the drop-off locations listed above. Our local food bank is currently running very low on food this holiday season, so any donation will make a huge difference.
CASH - CWA members can also make a cash donation, in lieu of or along with a food donation, by doing the following:
Text the word “SHARE” to 20222 on your mobile device*
A donation of $5 will be made to Share Our Strength.
The food drive is an annual event that CWA takes very seriously, and is an effort of CWA Local 9421's Community Services Committee. Please see the "Committees" tab above, then click on "Community Services Committee" for more information.
Thank you for caring!
* A one-time donation of $5 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. Standard messaging rates and additional fees may apply. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Service is available on most carriers. Donations are collected for the benefit of Share Our Strength by the Mobile Giving Foundation and subject to the terms found at www.hmgf.org/t. You can unsubscribe at any time by texting STOP to 20222 or text ‘HELP’ for more info.
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November 25, 2009
CWA wishes all of our members, retirees, labor friends and supporters, family and friends a Happy Thanksgiving!
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November 25, 2009
TAKE ACTION: SAVE JOBS AT AT&T!
SAVE JOBS AT AT&T CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED
Dear Members and Friends,
On November 24, 2009—two days before Thanksgiving—AT&T, a fortune 10 company, announced their proposal to move almost 250 jobs out of Sacramento.
AT&T—the 3rd largest employer in the United States—is a leader in the high-tech industry. In fact, AT&T made $12.9 billion in net profits in 2008—after all expenses were paid—including $3.2 billion just last quarter. However, with all of their profits, AT&T is claiming that they can no longer afford to provide good jobs for many workers in Sacramento.
The Communications Workers of America (CWA) represents the workers whose jobs are proposed to leave. In fact, CWA represents over 160,000 workers at AT&T Core (home phone, internet, DSL, U-Verse TV) and Mobility (cell phone) nationally; this makes AT&T the largest unionized company in the U.S., and one of the largest employers, period. Locally, CWA Local 9421 represents some 2,500 workers at AT&T.
CWA believes the loss of any job is harmful to the local Sacramento economy; the loss of almost 250 jobs is even more devastating, and is both tragic and unwarranted.
AT&T is a successful and profitable company, even in these troubled economic times. It should be a leader in helping turn the economy around by providing good, middle class jobs in our local economy, not cutting jobs and contributing to an even worse financial situation for our city & region.
The loss to the Sacramento region would be huge if AT&T follows through with their proposal: the local economy would lose at least $15 million in direct wages a year. If CWA members and their families are forced to move away from Sacramento, the combined wages of their family members could easily add another $15-25 million dollars in additional wages that are taken out of the Sacramento region. As can be seen, this is a huge dent in our local economy; the ripple-effect is even worse, as the many businesses and services that our members and their families patronize would be affected as well.
That’s why CWA is asking AT&T to play fair and put people first. There is no business need to move jobs out of Sacramento. In fact, CWA Local 9421 has proposed a fair, logical counter-proposal to AT&T that will afford the opportunity for our members to stay in Sacramento.
CWA members are highly-skilled and trained, and perform quality jobs that benefit AT&T customers. There’s no reason for AT&T to hurt its employees. In fact, employees are a key element in AT&T’s success, and AT&T should keep its commitments to them; doing so will not only help workers, but will also help our economy.
HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:
See the top of the home page to take action. This is the section entitled:
2010 Save Jobs at AT&T Campaign
Detailed instructions and options are available.
Thank you for taking action on this critical matter!
If you're on FACEBOOK, you can also keep posted on our campaign by visiting our CWA Local 9421 Facebook Group. If you are not yet a member, click here to join: FACEBOOK.
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November 24, 2009
AT&T 'PROPOSES' TO MOVE OVER 200 JOBS OUT OF SACRAMENTO
Below is a letter from President Lupe Mercado:
Today the company (AT&T Core) held an Article 2 conference call to inform CWA of their "proposed" plan to consolidate offices within Consumer Markets (and Diverse Markets).
The offices selected for closure are Sacramento and Riverside (which specifically impacts 249 members: 229 Residence Service Representatives, English and Spanish; 11 Order Writers and 9 Staff Associates). There was no rhyme or reason how these offices were selected.
The company listed offices per work group where people can follow the work. The offices (with titles) identified for Sacramento are (all are Service Representatives unless otherwise noted):
Diverse Markets Group [DMG] - a.k.a. "Hispanic Center" (3540 Kings Way): 20 slots to Alhambra, 15 to Oakland, 40 to San Diego and 1 to Reno; there is also 1 slot in San Diego for a Staff Associate.
Customer Retention Center [CRC] (2700 Watt Avenue and 3675 T Street): 78 slots to Rohnert Park, 75 to San Diego; there are also 4 slots to Rohnert Park and 4 to San Diego for Staff Associates.
Service Order Center [SOC] (3464 El Camino Avenue): 11 slots to Oakland; all slots are for Order Writers.
At this time, the company claims they have no dates and a follow-up call will be scheduled.
CWA is not in agreement with the company's proposal and has presented a counter proposal that is logical and will afford the opportunity for members to stay within their consolidated headquarters.
There are lots of rumors floating around; therefore, if you have any questions please talk to your Chief Steward or Vice President.
In Unity,
Lupe Mercado
President, CWA Local 9421, Sacramento
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November 21, 2009
SENATE VOTES TO MOVE HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL FORWARD
Since the historic passage of the House version of a health care reform bill on November 7th, (H.R. 3962, The Affordable Health Care for America Act), the Senate has been focused on getting their version together.
On Saturday, November 21, 2009, the United States Senate voted on whether or not to proceed with debate on their version of a health care reform bill (The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act). Senator Harry Reid, the Majority Leader, worked to move this bill forward, and was successful in securing 60 votes for cloture (stopping a filibuster) during the procedural vote; this effectively clears the path for debate to begin on the Senate bill, in earnest, after Thanksgiving.
Once debate starts, we can look at the bill and lobby for changes. As an organization, CWA is happy that the Senate version—like the House—includes a public option. However, there is still a financing mechanism in the Senate bill which would tax health plans (a 40% excise tax), and it does not include an adequate employer mandate or pay-or-play provision.
Therefore, we must continue to call our Senators to tell them we do NOT want to be taxed and that we want all employers to pay or play!
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November 20, 2009
SENATE HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL - VOTE TOMORROW; CALL TODAY!
Dear Members and Friends,
The United States Senate has introduced their version of a health care reform bill, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
The Senate is voting TOMORROW, Saturday, November 20th on whether or not to move this bill to the Senate floor for a later vote on its merits, etc. However, in order to move this bill forward and pass real health care reform, we need everyone to call our Senators TODAY to tell them to vote "YES" tomorrow (what's referred to as a 'procedural vote').
Can you please take 1 minute of your time and call TODAY?
Here are our Senators Washington, D.C. offices:
Sen. Dianne Feinstein's DC office, (202) 224-3841 Sen. Barbara Boxer's DC office, (202) 224-3553
Here are their local offices too:
Sen. Dianne Feinstein's S.F. office, (415) 393-0707 Sen. Barbara Boxer's Sac. office, (916) 448-2787
To give you an idea of just what the Senate bill looks like, here is a quick summary. The Senate bill is almost like the House bill, which is good, in that it: 1) includes a public option and, 2) provides for pre-Medicare retirees.
However, the bad parts of the current Senate bill are: 1) it does NOT mandate that employers provide coverage like the House bill and, 2) it assesses a 40% TAX on health care plan values exceeding $23,000/family and $8,500/single; pre-Medicare retirees and high-risk worker threshold levels are $26,000 and $9,850, respectively.
Basically, without a 'pay or play' mandate in the Senate bill, employers have wiggle room in which to not pay that much money to subsidize health care, leaving the government (read: taxpayers) to pick up the bill. On top of that, the 40% excise tax in the Senate bill is added on to health plans; this tax will be passed on to you and I if our plans cost more than $23,000/family and $8,500/single, and our plans do.
In other words, the middle class--like us--bear the brunt of financing health care in America, while the rich feel little to no impact; in the House bill, the bulk of the financing comes from a small tax increase on the rich, who can bear the burden easily.
So tomorrow--Saturday the 20th--the Senate will vote on whether or not to send the bill to the floor for a later vote on the bill. For right now, we need to call our Senators (Boxer and Feinstein) and tell them to vote YES on the vote tomorrow. This vote will only MOVE the bill to the floor for a vote later; what's more, the bill CAN then be amended to--hopefully--take the tax away and make sure that all employers pay or play. But before we can get there, we need them to first vote tomorrow.
So, CALL TODAY!
Again, here are our Senators Washington offices:
Sen. Dianne Feinstein's DC office, (202) 224-3841 Sen. Barbara Boxer's DC office, (202) 224-3553
And here are their local offices again too:
Sen. Dianne Feinstein's S.F. office, (415) 393-0707 Sen. Barbara Boxer's Sac. office, (916) 448-2787
Thank you for calling TODAY! Together, we will pass real health care reform in America!!
Robert Longer, Vice President, CWA Local 9421
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November 20, 2009
CWA: SENATE HEALTH CARE BILL FALLS SHORT - PRESS RELEASE
The Communications Workers of America
The Union for the Information Age
For Release November 20, 2009
Contact: Candice Johnson, CWA Communications, 202-434-1168, cjohnson@cwa-union.org
Washington, D.C. – The Senate bill’s proposal to tax health care benefits would make our health care system worse, not better. This new tax, which is opposed by the majority of Americans, would affect millions of families. Average families who clearly don’t have “Cadillac” health care plans would owe thousands of dollars in new taxes.
Taxing health care benefits is a bad public policy that would hit millions of families hard as employers cut back health care benefits to avoid the tax. The idea that this tax will curtail rising premiums is just wrong.
CWA supports health care reform that is fairly financed, and the House bill has a better approach. It fully funds health care reform by making large employers pay toward their workers’ coverage, adding a modest surtax on the wealthiest Americans and including a public option.
CWA will work with Senate Majority Leader Reid and other Senators to produce a bill that will provide the real health care reform that working and middle income families deserve.
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November 11, 2009
CWA HONORS OUR VETERANS ON VETERANS DAY
On Veterans Day, the Communications Workers of America honors the courageous and selfless service of our nation’s military, the men and women serving today in Iraq, Afghanistan and throughout the world, and the veterans who have fought for our freedom over the years.
Thousands of CWA active and retired members are among these brave veterans and military personnel, with service spanning from World War II, Korea and Vietnam to today’s conflicts. Hundreds of CWA members also are among those who continue to serve through the military reserves and the National Guard.
We owe these brave men and women so much. They put their lives on hold and literally on the line to defend our freedom.
Our nation must meet its commitment to our fighting forces and veterans by providing them with the best equipment and training, top quality medical benefits, educational opportunities and the care they and their families deserve. That’s the way a nation thanks and honors its soldiers.
CWA is so proud of our members who have served this nation. Please accept our thanks and gratitude on this Veterans Day, and always.
In Solidarity,
Larry Cohen, International President
Annie Hill, International Executive Vice President
Jeff Rechenbach, International Secretary-Treasurer
The Officers of CWA Local 9421
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November 9, 2009
HOUSE PASSES HEALTH CARE BILL
In a historic move on Saturday, November 7, 2009, the United States House of Representatives passed H.R. 3962, The Affordable Health Care for America Act. To see how your member of Congress voted, click HERE.
This landmark piece of legislation will reform health care in America by creating a health care exchange, including a public option, making sure that no one will be excluded due to a pre-existing condition and it will be paid for by cost-savings and a new tax on the rich (those making over $500,000/individual and $1,000,000/couple).
Now, it is up to the United States Senate to move their bill to a vote. The current, proposed legislation in the Senate includes a public option, but does not have a progressive financing scheme (a.k.a. it will NOT tax the rich, it will tax YOU). The bill has a 40% excise tax on health care plans, and this tax would be passed on to YOU by employers like AT&T. CWA wholly opposes any tax on our benefits, period.
Please keep posted on the latest health care news by visiting CWA's national health care website: Health Care Voices.
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November 3, 2009
JOHN GARAMENDI ELECTED TO CONGRESS IN THE 10TH DISTRICT
John Garamendi, Lieutenant Governor of California, has just been elected as the next congressman to the 10th Congressional district. This district covers the east bay and spans up to part of Sacramento county, including a part of CWA Local 9421's jurisdiction.
You may remember that John has been a long-time labor champion and supporter of CWA. In fact, John spoke at our rally at the State Capitol in July during AT&T bargaining, showing again that he is a true supporter of working people and our issues.
On behalf of CWA Local 9421 and the volunteers who helped to work to get John elected, including phone-banking, precint walking and GOTV, we congratulate John on a well-deserved victory!
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October 30, 2009
CWA, SACRAMENTO SPLICING TECHS WIN AT&T ARBITRATION
In a big victory for CWA in California and Local 9421 Splicing Technicians who lost hundreds of hours of overtime to contractors hired by AT&T, an arbitrator has ruled that the company violated its bargaining agreement with CWA.
"This is a magnificent win for us," CWA District 9 Vice President Jim Weitkamp said in a letter to CWA Locals. "It is your win, due in large part to the district-wide mobilization on the contracting issue that we started after the 2006 convention."
A monetary award is yet to be determined but Weitkamp said it could exceed $1 million. Arbitrator Barry Winograd directed the Union and company to meet and negotiate over the amount owed.
"Monetary relief is justified to compensate for the company's failure, well into 2006 and 2007, to utilize employment options under the labor agreement as alternatives to its excessive reliance on contractors," Winograd wrote in his 72-page decision.
The subcontracting mainly involved work on AT&T's Project Light Speed, the company's fiber-optic network. The company tried to claim that past practices made its contracting legal.
Winograd placed a conditional order on AT&T requiring it to "cease and desist" subcontracting on the splicers' work for Project Light Speed. If the company decides to resume contracting out, it must give CWA at least 60 days notice and promptly "negotiate over the effects of that decision, including the prospect of hiring regular, term, temporary and occasional employees, undertaking internal upgrades and transfer, and increasing overtime opportunities for company employees."
Special thanks goes to CWA Local 9421 Secretary- Treasurer Darrin Simmons for his countless hours of work on this arbitration over the past 4 ½ years. Great job Darrin! More to come...
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October 26, 2009
PUBLIC OPTION WILL BE INCLUDED IN SENATE HEALTH CARE REFORM
In case you haven’t yet heard, at Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s press conference on Tuesday, October 26th, he informed the nation that the Senate’s final, merged health care reform bill WILL include a public option. This is AWESOME news! The only caveat is that there will be a clause allowing for states to opt-out of participation, if they so choose.
All in all though, this is GREAT news, and shows that CWA and other groups have put tremendous pressure on Senator Reid and our Senators (Feinstein and Boxer) to do the right thing.
Now, we just need to make sure that Senator Reid, Feinstein and Boxer continue to hear that we do NOT want our benefits taxed and that we want to make sure all employers pay or play…
Here’s what you can do:
Call 888-580-0792 (toll free) to say that you oppose any health care reform that taxes our benefits or does not make all employers pay or play. Just mention your name, your CWA Local number (9421), input your zip code and then just deliver the above message when your call is routed to a staffer. Let them know that you thank the Senator for supporting the public option, but want to make sure they know that you do NOT want to be taxed and that you want all employers to pay or play.
If we can continue to keep the pressure on the Senate, we will get a final health care reform bill that delivers what CWA members deserve: a fair piece of legislation that works for all.
Thank you for continuing the fight!
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October 19-20, 2009
OVER NIGHT VIGIL & FAST FOR HEALTH CARE REFORM - RECAP
On Monday, October 19th and Tuesday, October 20th we called on the Senate and Congress to pass health care reform to raise awareness about the current health care reform debate in the U.S. Senate. Our message: any final health care reform bill must have a public option, require every employer to participate and not tax our benefits!
CWA partnered with the Sacramento Central Labor Council (a coalition of 160,000 Union members in the greater Sacramento area), Health Care for America Now (HCAN), and Organizing For America (OFA) to have a big event for health care reform: an overnight vigil, fast and phone bank.
Click HERE to see some pictures from the event and click HERE to see news coverage from the event (YouTube video); the same is also contained under the "Quick Links" section at the top left of this page under "Pictures/YouTube."
We started out on Monday, October the 19th by having a rally and kickoff event at 5pm with guest speakers; about 70 people showed up. Elected officials CA Assemblymember Alberto Torrico, Majority Leader and CA Assemblymember Alyson Huber both spoke, along with Sacramento City Councilmember Kevin McCarty. We also heard from Sandy Adams with OFA, as well as Bill Camp, Executive Secretary, of the Sacramento Central Labor Council. The media was there to cover this too.
OFA had a huge ‘health care stories’ quilt on display and we at CWA had our huge “insurance company” puppet; both caught the attention of the media and commute traffic.
At 9pm on the 19th we had a candlelight vigil with faith/religious leaders; about 40 people formed a circle, and each and every person in the circle held a candle and shared their personal health care story, many of which were very moving. The media was again present to cover this.
After the vigil, a group of a dozen committed to fasting stayed and camped out in front of the Federal building, sleeping on the sidewalk in chairs and sleeping bags throughout the cold and windy night. The media covered this too, along with conducting several interviews. Vice President Robert Longer was interviewed (click HERE to read the article; it is not the most accurate or in-depth write-up, but at least it is coverage); Steward Jeanie McKoy was also interviewed; both Robert and Jeanie stayed the night and fasted.
On the morning of Tuesday, October the 20th, the fasters/campers woke up to TV cameras at 4:30am. There were live broadcasts by several news stations. Then, at 6:00am, the 24-hour fast was broken and the dozen fasters were joined by a group of a dozen or so others, including CA Assemblymember Mariko Yamada and Dr. Ami Bera, candidate for Congress in the 3rd district, who both spoke to the fasters. Then Bill Camp, Executive Secretary passed bread around and everyone broke bread to end the fast, as Reverend Dexter McNamara of the Interfaith Services Bureau, spoke.
After the fast was broken, the two-dozen took out their cell phones and called Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) to tell her that we were glad she now supports the public option, but we would also like her to ensure that every employer participates (pays or plays) and that our benefits should not be taxed.
All in all, this event was a huge success!
Check out the article on the CWA national website (Health Care Voices), or just click HERE.
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October 13, 2009
SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE PASSES BAD HEALTH CARE REFORM LEGISLATION ("THE BAUCUS BILL")
You may have heard about the Senate’s latest version of health care ‘reform’ legislation: the finance committee’s bill, commonly referred to as the “Baucus Bill.” This bill proposes to TAX our health care benefits, and CWA is wholly opposed to this draconian proposal, which will penalize CWA members and the good health care plans we have negotiated. On top of that, this bill does NOT have a public plan option.
The Senate Finance Committee voted on this bill on October 13th and it was passed out of committee on a vote of 14-9.
While this is a bad bill, we still have a chance in the Senate to pass a good, final, merged version of a health care reform bill.
What happens next is the Finance Committe Bill and the Health, Education, Labor and Pension (HELP) Committee bill must now be merged together into one (1) single, final version of a Senate bill. It is up to the Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, to do this.
Our task now is to keep pressure on Harry Reid these next few weeks to get him to support a final bill that:
1) HAS a public plan option (UPDATE: the public option will now be included as of October 26th - great news!)
2) Does NOT
tax our benefits
3) Makes ALL employers pay
How do we do this?
We must continue to call our Senators and ask them to tell Senator Reid that we want the above! We need everyone to take 1 minute to call Senator Feinstein or Boxer’s office NOW and let them know that CWA members want real health care reform.
Here’s what you can do:
Call 888-580-0792 (toll free) to say that you oppose any health care reform that taxes our benefits. Just mention your name, your CWA Local number (9421), input your zip code and then just deliver your message when your call is routed to a staffer. Here’s the message script:
Hello, my name is _______ and I live in [name of city/town and state]. I'm calling to first thank Senator Feinstein/Boxer for supporting the public option in a health care reform bill. I'm also calling to urge the Senator to tell Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that I OPPOSE any final version of a health care reform bill that taxes my benefits and does not make all employers pay or play. I DO NOT want my health care benefits taxed. A final bill will allow me to keep my health care plan, require other employers to cover their workers and protect retirees, but will not tax my benefits. Remind the Senator that all employers should provide health care and that the wealthy should pay their fair share too. Thank you and have a good day.
That’s it. It’s that simple and takes just 1 minute of your time! Isn’t health care reform worth 1 minute of your time? Please call NOW!
Read more about this and other great information in the *NEW* Fall 2009 issue of the Positive View, CWA Local 9421's newsletter, which was mailed to all CWA members. Click on the graphic below to view or download a copy now:
Also, please check out these other websites for more great information on health care reform:
1) www.healthcarefactcheck.com
2)
www.whitehouse.gov
3) www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck
4) www.healthreform.gov
5) http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/settingtherecord
6) www.barackobama.com
7) http://healthcare.barackobama.com
Finally, please take a moment to see where CWA stands on health care; please visit our national health care website: www.healthcarevoices.org. This website has a ton of great information, including articles, case studies, fact sheets and more. You can visit the website simply by clicking on this graphic whenever you see it:
Again…
NOW is the time to make health care reform a reality!
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October 12, 2009
HEALTH CARE BENEFITS OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR AT&T CORE:
NOVEMBER 19 - DECEMBER 3, 2009
Please make sure to be ready to enroll for your health care, dental, vision, life insurance and other benefits during open enrollement, which takes place from November 19 - December 3, 2009. See the flyer below for more information (click on it to enlarge):
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September 23, 2009
NEW AT&T CORE ATTENDANCE POLICY - EFFECTIVE 11/01/09
To all CWA members:
On September 17th, CWA District 9 received notification from the company (AT&T Core) that they are changing their attendance policy beginning November 1, 2009. This same communiqué was forwarded to all Locals.
I must clarify that we do not bargain the attendance policy—nor any other company policy—and we have informed the company that we do not agree with this new policy, in whole or in part.
That being said, I would like to remind everyone that you have the right to have a Steward present during your individual coverage, and urge you to request that one be present any time you meet with management regarding attendance. You can state the following:
"If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated, or affect my personal working conditions, I respectfully request that my Union representative, Steward or Officer be present at this meeting. Without representation present, I choose not to participate in this discussion."
Management does NOT have to offer, but they MUST comply with your request for representation. Failure on their part to adhere to the Weingarten rules is a violation of our contract and would be grounds for a grievance and possibly an Unfair Labor Practice Charge.
We recognize that this change in the company's policy has the potential to have a negative impact on a good-sized portion of our membership, and we will do whatever we can to assist those impacted.
In Unity,
Lupe Mercado
President, CWA Local 9421
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September 1, 2009
CWA DISTRICT 9 AND AT&T WEST CONTRACT RATIFIED!
After all ballots were counted, CWA District 9 members overwhelmingly voted to approve the new CWA District 9 and AT&T West contract, by a margin of 3 to 1, on September 1, 2009.
On behalf of the Officers of CWA Local 9421, we would like to thank all of the members, Stewards, Chief Stewards, Executive Board members, retirees and labor friends who mobilized and fought AT&T during these past six (6) months. It has been a long road, but all of our hard work has paid off!
A special thanks goes to our very own President Lupe Mercado, and the CWA District 9 bargaining committee, who bargained for six (6) full months with AT&T on behalf of CWA District 9 members in California, Nevada and Hawaii. They did an awesome job and we owe them our respect for their very hard work.
Thank you all!!
P.S. [Updated December 14, 2009] With the ratification of the CWA District 9 contract, that makes three (3) districts that now have contracts (District 4, Midwest, and District 6, Southwest, have ratified their contracts too - scroll down for more information). Also, CWA C&T has a contract with Legacy T (scroll down for more information) and CWA District 3 (Southeast) has a Tentative Agreement as of December 14, 2009. That means that there is only 1 remaining district without a contract: Districts 1 (East). We hope that our brothers and sisters in District 1 will soon reach an agreement that meets their members needs.
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(See below for the full details of the CWA District 9 and AT&T West ratified contract, as well as a comprehensive Q & A and new wage schedules.)
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CWA DISTRICT 9 AND AT&T WEST RATIFIED CONTRACT DETAILS
RATIFIED SEPTEMBER 1, 2009 / RETROACTIVE TO APRIL 5, 2009
See the PDF file below for the full details of the 2009 CWA and AT&T Core West Agreement (click on it to open the file for downloading, viewing or to print or save a copy for yourself):
See the PDF file below for a comprehensive list of questions and answers regarding the 2009 CWA and AT&T Core West Agreement (click on it to open the file for downloading, viewing or to print or save a copy for yourself):
To see the FULL VERSION of the *NEW* 2009 Contract, click here:
Finally, to see the *NEW* wage schedules for the 2009 Contract, click here:
2009 AT&T CORE WAGE SCHEDULES
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CWA DISTRICT 3 (AT&T SOUTHEAST) CONTRACT RATIFIED
A tentative agreement (TA) was reached in CWA District 3 (AT&T Southwest) on December 14, 2009; THIS CONTRACT WAS NOT RATIFIED by CWA District 3 members as of January 29, 2010. A second TA was reached on February 9, 2010 and was subsequently overwhelmingly ratified by CWA District 6 members on March 5, 2010.
For further information regarding the District 3 contract, please visit the National Bargaining Website: www.cwa-att.com.
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CWA DISTRICT 6 (AT&T SOUTHWEST) CONTRACT RATIFIED
A tentative agreement (TA) was reached in CWA District 6 (AT&T Southwest) on October 13, 2009. This TA was subsequently overwhelmingly ratified by CWA District 6 members on November 11, 2009.
For further information regarding the District 6 contract, please visit the National Bargaining Website: www.cwa-att.com.
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LEGACY T CONTRACT RATIFIED
As you know, CWA represents Legacy T (AT&T) members too. Their contract expired on April 4, 2009. On August 27, 2009, CWA Communications and Technologies (C&T) reached a tentative agreement (TA) with AT&T. Legacy T members voted on the TA and subsequently ratified that agreement by a 2 to 1 margin on October 2, 2009.
For further information regarding the Legacy T contract, please visit the National C&T Website: Legacy T Information.
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CWA DISTRICT 4 (AT&T MIDWEST) CONTRACT RATIFIED
A tentative agreement (TA) was reached in CWA District 4 (AT&T Midwest) on July 15, 2009. This TA was the first such TA for Legacy S and the contract was subsequently overwhelmingly ratified by CWA District 4 members on August 7, 2009.
For further information regarding the District 4 contract, please visit the National Bargaining Website: www.cwa-att.com.
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AVAYA CONTRACT RATIFIED
CWA National, CWA District 9 and CWA Local 9421 represents Avaya members too. Their contract expired on May 23, 2009. On June 3, 2009, CWA reached a tentative agreement (TA) with Avaya. Avaya members voted on the TA and subsequently overwhelmingly ratified that agreement on July 22, 2009. We are happy that our members at Avaya have a contract that meets their unique needs.
For further information regarding the Avaya contract, please visit the National C&T Website: Avaya Information.
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IBEW INFORMATION - CONTRACT RATIFIED
You may or may not know that the contract covering some 8,900 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) members who work at AT&T in Illinois, Indiana, New England, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California and the Northwest, expired on June 27, 2009. On August 16, 2009, IBEW Local 21 reached a tenative agreement (TA) with AT&T. IBEW members voted on the TA and subsequently ratified that agreement on September 29, 2009.
For more information about IBEW, go to: IBEW Information.
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TIU INFORMATION - CONTRACT RATIFIED
You may or may not know that the contract covering 105 members of the Telecommunications International Union (TIU) who work at AT&T in California, expired on July 18, 2009. On July 22, 2009, California TIU Local 103 had reached a tentative agreement (TA) with AT&T. TIU members then voted NO as of August 8, 2009 and therefore did NOT ratify their TA. Subsequently, bargaining resumed and as of August 21, 2009, TIU again reached a TA with AT&T. TIU members subsequently overwhelmingly ratified that agreement.
For more information about TIU, go to: TIU Information.
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