• Independent Gallup Poll Confirms Majority Support for Employee Free Choice 
• Biden Task Force Hears from IUE-CWA Members in Minnesota
• CWA Members Mobilize for Quality Contracts at AT&T
• AFA-CWA Praises Obama's NMB Choice as Long-Needed Change
• 100 West Virginia AT&T Mobility Workers Join CWA
• NABET-CWA Resumes Talks with NBC Universal

Independent Gallup Poll Confirms Majority Support for

Employee Free Choice

An independent poll by the Gallup Surveys organization shows that a majority of Americans support the Employee Free Choice Act.

Results of the nationwide poll of 1,024 adults were released on March 17. When asked if they favored a law to "make it easier for labor unions to organize workers," 53 percent of respondents said "yes." Only 39 percent were opposed.

Asked how important it is for Congress to pass such a law, 55 percent said it's important, with more than half of those saying "very important."

"This independent poll again confirms what we know from previous surveys and what we hear time and again from working people," said CWA President Larry Cohen. "Working Americans want a union voice and real bargaining rights but they don't want to face a grueling campaign of employer harassment and intimidation to get those rights," he said.

Biden Task Force Hears from IUE-CWA Members in Minnesota

CWA members and leaders, community residents and business leaders welcomed Vice President Joe Biden to the floor of the New Flyer bus manufacturing plant in St. Cloud, Minn., for the second meeting of the White House Task Force on Middle Class Families. New Flyer, whose employees are members of IUE-CWA Local 7304, is a leader in the production of hybrid, low-emission and alternative-fuel buses and other vehicles.  

Vice President Biden, with other members of the Administration's economic team, held a town hall meeting at the plant to spotlight what can be achieved by President Obama's economic stimulus program – the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act -- and by companies focusing on creating quality green jobs.  

Dan Rock, president of IUE-CWA Local 7304, and other leaders of the local were on hand as Vice President Biden took questions and listened as residents offered their ideas on how to strengthen the middle class.

CWA President Larry Cohen has pointed out that "New Flyer shows how investment in green technology can create thriving businesses and quality jobs." He also noted that "New Flyer is a leader in another way, by respecting workers' rights to majority signup for choosing union representation." This same choice would be restored to all workers by the Employee Free Choice Act, Cohen noted.  

Tim Lovaasen, president of the CWA Minnesota State Council, said New Flyer "hits all the points President Obama has been talking about," combining green technology, investment in our communities, business growth and respect for workers' rights.

Since 2002, the year when New Flyer recognized the workers' decision for union representation, employment at the company has grown steadily.

CWA Members Mobilize for Quality Contracts at AT&T

Hundreds of CWA members from District 9 locals rallied for a quality contract at the state capitol in Sacramento. Speaking is CWA Local 9423 President Dan Rodriguez.

Leafleting, rallies, "Tap on Tuesdays" and lots of other actions are underway at AT&T nationwide, as CWA members show their support for CWA bargaining teams and their determination to win contracts that maintain quality jobs and quality benefits. The six contracts cover 125,000 workers in every district and, with the exception of AT&T Southeast (former BellSouth), expire Apr. 4. The AT&T Southeast contract expires Aug. 6, but early bargaining is underway there. 

Here's a roundup of some actions:

More than 100 members rallied outside the AT&T building in Cleveland while hundreds of California CWAers joined rallies in front of the Federal Building in San Francisco, the Stockton Courthouse, and at AT&T operations in Fresno, with more planned for next week. A big crowd of CWAers took the quality contract message to the steps of the state Capitol in Sacramento.

Local 9400 has a full schedule of mobilization actions, including rallies outside garages, practice picketing and walking into work in unison. At inside operations, members are wearing black and black band-aids on Thursdays.

In Amarillo, Tex., members of Local 6128 stand up together at their work places at 10 am, 2 pm and 4 pm. Local 6150 members do the same and use their clickers to really get management's attention. "Tap on Tuesday" is a big mobilization hit among Local 6151 members, who tap "every hour on the hour for at least 30 seconds." Throughout District 6 members are wearing black on Fridays and red on Thursdays.

For a full roundup of events, go to www.cwa-att.com.

AFA-CWA Praises Obama's NMB Choice as Long-Needed Change

AFA-CWA applauded President Obama's nomination of Linda Puchala, a former flight attendant and union member, to head the National Mediation Board.

AFA-CWA International President Patricia Friend said Puchala's experience and "commitment to workers' rights and to the collective bargaining process will help to restore the integrity of this vital federal agency." AFA-CWA urged the Senate to quickly confirm Puchala's nomination.

"We look forward to working with Ms. Puchala to ensure that the National Mediation Board adheres to its mission of protecting employees' right to organize without interference or influence from the employers and their multi-million dollar anti-worker campaigns," Friend added.

Last week, more than 100 flight attendants from United, Northwest and Delta met with members of Congress on Capitol Hill and urged them to confirm an NMB chair who will protect workers' rights under labor laws covering flight attendants and other workers in the transportation sector.  

Currently, Puchala serves as senior mediator with the NMB and has more than 30 years of experience in labor relations. She served as AFA president from 1979-1986.

100 WVa AT&T Mobility Workers Join CWA

A majority of the more than 100 AT&T Mobility workers at the company's new customer care center in Wheeling, West Virginia, have chosen to join CWA through majority sign up, reports District 2 Vice President Ron Collins.

In the campaign for CWA representation, health care costs and lack of a voice were key issues. Workers were assisted by Local 2006 President Debra Shepherd, in Wheeling; Local 2204 organizer Lea Kennedy, Norton, Va.; District 2 CWA Representative Elaine Harris, and District 2 Organizing Coordinator Richard Verlander.

"The workers' inside organizing committee did an amazing job of leading the campaign during a period of uncertainly, contract negotiations and the current economic crisis," said Verlander. The company plans to hire an additional 300 employees at the center.

NABET-CWA Resumes Talks with NBC Universal

Negotiations between NABET-CWA and NBC Universal resumed this week.

NABET-CWA President John S. Clark said it wasn't clear that NBC Universal was serious about reaching a new agreement, citing several examples of the company's attempt to cut quality jobs and benefits.  Clark pointed out that NBC is attempting to create a new non-union represented position at its owned stations that incorporates the work that NABET-CWA members have been doing for decades, but without overtime pay or job security.

NBC also announced plans to close some operations in New York and Burbank, Calif., and to transfer some work to a non-union facility in New Jersey, Clark said. 

NABET-CWA Locals have filed unfair labor charges and unit clarification petitions with the National Labor Relations Board and have put NBC Universal on notice that workers will mobilize and fight for a fair and equitable contract. The contract between NABET-CWA and NBC Universal is set to expire at midnight on March 31.