Bargaining Update Around CWA - AT&T/DirecTV, IAPE, and more

CWA Members at AT&T and DirecTV Hold the Line 

Last week, CWA District 9 members and community supporters rallied in a show of solidarity with the AT&T and DirecTV bargaining teams. The simultaneous rallies took place in Sacramento and Los Angeles, Calif., with participants braving the rain in L.A. to make their voices heard.

These demonstrations came just days after a district-wide day of solidarity. Members wore red, entered their workplaces as a unified group, and even turned their backs on management during morning briefings to show their determination.

At the Sacramento rally, which drew a crowd of approximately 200 members and supporters, CWA Area Director Lynn Johnson and CWA Local 9412 President Keith Gibbs addressed the crowd gathered at Cesar Chavez Plaza. The group then marched to an AT&T central office to picket. In Los Angeles, CWA District 9 Vice President Frank Arce thanked the crowd of over 300 for braving the rain and encouraged those in attendance to remain steadfast in their resolve to secure a new contract. Other speakers at the Los Angeles rally included CWA Local 9400 President Maurice Washington, Local 9003 President Marisa Remski, Local 9505 President Omar Cervantes, Local 9416 President David Martinez, and AFA-CWA Secretary-Treasurer Dante Harris. All the speakers echoed Arce’s call for unity and that CWA would not back down from a fight.

Despite having put forth numerous proposals during negotiations, the AT&T bargaining team is seeing little progress from the company. Demonstrations of solidarity help energize the bargaining team and show the company that workers are paying attention.

Negotiations with DirecTV have been more productive, especially when compared to the glacial pace of bargaining with AT&T. The bargaining team has won some early concessions from DirecTV to include optional consecutive days off and is hopeful about other key points.

For both AT&T and DirecTV, negotiators urge workers to stay ready for escalation. Both contracts will expire on April 6.

For the latest updates on District 9 bargaining, please visit their website. You can also follow them on Facebook or Instagram @CWADistrict9.

 
CWA District 9 workers at AT&T and DirecTV braved inclement weather to show their support for their respective bargaining teams. Recent rallies took place in both Sacramento and Los Angeles, Calif.

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Above: Members invoked the character Norma Rae, based on the life of union activist Crystal Lee Sutton. 
Below: Members of CWA Local 9421 wore red to show their solidarity. Worksite actions took place across CWA District 9 two days before the large rallies in Sacramento and Los Angeles. 

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IAPE/TNG Workers Put Dow Jones on Notice 

For many of us, coffee is an essential part of our morning routines. Members of IAPE (TNG-CWA Local 1096) have found a better use for their cup of joe ... as a bargaining tool.

After multiple contract extensions and still no agreement, workers decided to demonstrate their collective strength by taking a coordinated 15-minute coffee break last week. Under their contract, work stoppages are prohibited. However, there are no rules against taking a coffee break. That contract expired on April 1, allowing for more direct actions going forward.

Over two hundred workers across the U.S. and Canada grabbed coffee, meeting either in person or virtually to share both coffee and information. IAPE representatives also delivered a new, comprehensive proposal to Dow Jones management, emphasizing the need for retroactive wage increases and pay hikes commensurate with company performance.

The union has filed formal complaints challenging an assortment of management activity, including retaliatory disciplinary actions and violation of the “Rehire” provision of the collective agreement.

Contract negotiations are set to resume on April 4.

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IUE-CWA Workers Picket for a Better Contract

Last month, workers at Current Lighting in Christiansburg, Va., who are members of IUE-CWA Local 82160, picketed outside their facility to pressure the company to return to the bargaining table. Local 82160, led by President Penny Franklin, has been in contract negotiations for over a year, but after multiple extensions, it became apparent to workers that the company had no intention of bargaining in good faith. Along with the picket, the union contacted the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and requested that a mediator get involved. This, along with the picket line, got the company’s attention, and dates have been scheduled to continue bargaining.

Workers expected to keep much of the existing contract, which had been in place for 47 years, intact and planned to bargain primarily on wage increases. The new owners of the facility, however, have indicated that they want to dismiss the current contract and negotiate an entirely new one.

The informational picket was staffed with both members and supporters who had educational conversations with workers and passed out written information. The rally and picket line were held before and after the shift change, allowing employees from both first and second shift to participate.

The bargaining team is set to return to negotiations to maintain the benefits established in their existing contract and win workers a fair wage.

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CWA Library Workers Make Some Noise for Fair Pay

Last week, library workers in East Brunswick, N.J., represented by CWA Local 1031, ramped up their mobilization efforts to help secure their first contract. Workers marched on a Library Board meeting to fight for higher wages and worker protections, especially for part-time workers who make up 75% of the East Brunswick Public Library (EBPL) staff. Part-time workers currently do not get paid during unexpected facility closures like weather or emergencies. Staff are also seeking workplace modernizations and measures for worker retention.

Led by CWA Local 1031 President Kathleen Hernandez, members stood during the Board Meeting to speak and delivered a petition signed by staff and supporters. CWA member and part-time worker for EBPL, Rebecca Levine, read from the staff petition, saying, “We are fighting for equitable salary increases that recognize the current economic climate. We are fighting to modernize our workplaces to recruit and retain a talented workforce to provide the services the East Brunswick residents deserve.”

To watch CWA Local 1031 members in action, click here.

 
CWA Local 1031 Library workers in East Brunswick, N.J., ramped up mobilization and took their fight directly to the Library Board to demand fair wages, respect, and better working conditions.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.