April 8, 2010

Solidarity, Public Support Lead to Contract Win at NPR

After getting the public behind them and beating back the worst of management demands, NABET-CWA members at National Public Radio overwhelmingly approved a five-year contract that raises wages, preserves job security and restores the union's voice in a benefits task force.

Members of Local 52031 rallied, leafleted and created a Facebook page encouraging listeners to e-mail NPR's CEO. The campaign stressed that workers agreed to take a big financial hit in 2009 to help the non-profit radio network overcome lost donations and corporate sponsorships at the economy's lowest point.

"Today, NPR is doing much, much better thanks to the sacrifices our members made, and yet NPR still wanted more," NABET-CWA President Jim Joyce said. "But Local 52031's solidarity and the very effective Facebook campaign, which NPR knew could grow much larger, made all the difference."

Listeners' e-mails cautioned CEO Vivian Schiller that they would reconsider their annual pledges if she didn't treat workers fairly. Bargaining team members said they were certain Schiller was reading the e-mails and believed that she even responded to some.

The contract provides an annual 2.5 percent wage increase, improves overtime pay, requires buyouts to be offered before layoffs, and maintains seniority rights. The union regained a seat at the table when an NPR task force meets to discuss health care, retirement or other benefits.

Local 52031 represents 65 workers, including audio technicians who are responsible for the radio network's award-winning sound and audio editing.

Tune in Early for TU News Conference

Wake up early on Friday and log on to the live news conference in Bonn, Germany, where CWA and ver.di are taking their global campaign for fair treatment at T-Mobile USA to the next stage.

The news conference begins at 5 am EDT. Click here to log on then or later in the day to see the news conference.

CWA President Larry Cohen is joining Lothar Schroeder, an executive board member of ver.di, the union representing German workers at Deutsche Telekom and T-Mobile, in calling on DT to end its double standard in how it treats workers in the U.S. compared to other countries. Also on hand: Professor John Logan and Marcus Courtney, head of UNI Telecom.

Ver.di and CWA formed TU last year to help win bargaining rights for workers at T-Mobile USA.

Windstream Sues Retirees for Objecting to Health Care Cuts

In an outrageous tactic, Windstream is suing dozens of retirees who objected to the company's plans to cut back or eliminate their promised health care benefits. CWA represents more than 1,300 employees and 3,000 retirees at the company.

It was a set up. Windstream solicited retirees for comments about the cutbacks in a survey it mailed or distributed to them. Retirees were asked specifically whether they believed Windstream had the right to change, reduce, or eliminate promised benefits. Retirees who said "No" later were stunned to learn that they were named as defendants in a class action lawsuit that Windstream filed in U.S. District Court.

"This is one of the most ruthless actions I can ever recall a company taking against retirees or employees," said Telecommunications Vice President Jimmy Gurganus. "Imagine the shock each retiree experienced after receiving a summons with a warning that a lawsuit has been filed against them," he said.

CWA Local 6171, which represents more than 500 Windstream workers in New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, plus hundreds of retirees, did not receive advance notification about the cuts from Windstream. The local's contract with Windstream requires prior notification of and negotiation over any proposed changes to retiree health care.

"We first heard about it from retirees and they were devastated," said Local 6171 President Allen Whitaker. "It was adding insult to injury when they discovered they had been sued for stating that they didn't think the company had the right to back out of providing long-promised benefits," he said.

CWA District 6 received a notice about the cuts after the company informed retirees represented by Local 6171. CWA also represents Windstream employees who worked for the company in Kentucky, North and South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Florida, and New York, but it is not known yet how many of these retirees were contacted by the company.

Windstream has asked the court to uphold its right to change retiree benefits. Incredibly, the company's class action also asks the court to require retirees to pay for the cost of its lawsuit.

Local 4401 Grievance More than Triples Severance Pay for Laid-Off Workers

A grievance filed by CWA Local 4401 has led to a big win for four laid-off workers whose employer told them they were eligible for just over $5,000 in severance. Instead, they're being issued checks now for $19,000 to $20,000 each.

Convergys, a billing company spun off from Cincinnati Bell, claimed that changes it unilaterally made to its severance policy applied to union members as well as other workers.

Not so fast, said Local 4401 President Altha Hunter, who insisted that the company honor contract language that provides up to $20,000 per laid-off worker, based on years of service.

The two women and two men laid off in February had worked for the company between 21 and 32 years. The company said it based the layoffs on "skill sets," a matter of dispute for the long-term workers. However, as part of the larger severance package, they agreed not to fight their termination.

Hunter was confident the local would prevail, but she feared it would go to arbitration and be a year or more before her members got the badly needed funds. Instead, the company backed down after a few weeks.

"I got to call each member and tell them, and they were really, really happy," Hunter said. "One woman, she'd already signed for the $5,000 and thought that meant she couldn't get any more. I told her, 'I have some good news.' She said, 'I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. I can not express how grateful I am."

CWA District 4 Vice President Seth Rosen said, "this story is a great example of how, even at a huge, mostly non-union customer service company, CWA really makes a difference for our members. Imagine what we could do if all of Convergys was organized!"

In a Global Protest, AFA-CWA Members Say No More Concessions

In an April 6 demonstration at airports across the United States, Europe and Asia, thousands of AFA-CWA flight attendants at United called for a fair contract without concessions and protested the airline's failure to negotiate a contract on time.

At Chicago's O'Hare airport, some 400 flight attendants marched for three hours, chanting "Hell No! No More Concessions!" Thousands more demonstrated at 14 other airports in the U.S., and in Frankfurt, Germany, London, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.

April 6 marks one year since AFA-CWA began negotiations at the airline. Over the past year, United has refused to address the deep cuts flight attendants agreed to accept in 2003 to help their airline stay afloat as it entered bankruptcy. While in bankruptcy, United sought and made even more cuts to pay, healthcare and work rules; pensions were terminated.

The 16,000 United flight attendants are now working at 1994 pay levels but are working nearly 50 percent more compared to their 2002 schedules.

United released a phony bargaining proposal to the media the day before the demonstrations to try and sidetrack public attention from AFA-CWA members' call for a fair contract.

United claimed it had offered flight attendants a new compensation offer, but the union rejected that claim.

"The proposals are purely concessionary," said Greg Davidowitch, president of AFA-CWA at United Airlines.  "They have refused to present us with a compensation proposal and flight attendants are sick and tired of waiting for the compensation and working conditions we are due.  We will not agree to the wholesale destruction of portions of our contract to pay for any perceived improvements," he said.

Solidarity Strong as NABET-CWA Marks One Year with No NBC Contract

Marking one year since their contract expired, 2,500 NABET-CWA members at NBC are getting support from viewers and pro-worker elected officials as they continue to fight the company's scheme to shift their work to non-union jobs.

In Burbank, Calif., members of Local 59053 are getting a great response to buttons and a mobile billboard with the "No Longer Proud as a Peacock" message. The local also ran a newspaper ad welcoming Jay Leno back to late-night TV and asking him to stand with union members.

"People tell us they don't like what NBC did to Jay and Conan," Local 59053 Secretary Louis Gabriele said. "They know the same management responsible for that fiasco is trying to hurt us, and they don't like it."

In Washington, D.C., members of Local 52031 are gathering every Sunday outside NBC studios while "Meet the Press" guests come and go. Recent guests DNC Chairman Tim Kaine and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) showed their support.

"Congressman Hoyer had security stop his car and he jumped out to greet us," said Local Vice President Rich McDermott, a member of the bargaining team. "He told us we have his support and that he was very pleased with our support for the health care bill. The Republican minority leader, Mr. Boehner, hid behind his tinted limo windows."

Members from Local 51011 in New York continue to mobilize, too, and many mornings have picketed outside the street-front Today Show windows.

In addition to NBC's assault on union jobs, talks are centered on seniority, wage and benefit issues. The latest round of bargaining took place in mid-March; the previous contract expired March 31, 2009.

TNG-CWA Forces Bankrupt Tribune to Abandon Bonus Scheme

TNG-CWA won a victory against corporate greed and mismanagement with its successful court challenge blocking $20 million in executive bonuses that bankrupt Tribune Company wanted to pay to some 23 executives.

Intervention by TNG-CWA Local 32035 before the bankruptcy court forced Tribune to withdraw the bonus plan. The local represents about 230 workers at the Baltimore Sun and was the only union on the nine-member creditors committee. 

Before it filed for bankruptcy, Tribune cut hundreds of jobs at the union-represented Sun as well as at the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and other operations. When the company sought to pay the executive bonuses, the union intervened.

Tribune withdrew its bonus plans, though the judge said the company could try again when it emerges from bankruptcy. TNG-CWA President Bernie Lunzer said the Guild will be watching.

Reminder: CWA's First Annual Photography Contest

CWA's First Annual CWA Photography Contest is looking for quality photos and photographers, so turn your creative eye to CWA members on the job, on the picket line and in action, and submit what could be a winning photo.  

Winning photographs will be displayed at the CWA convention and may be published in the CWA News as well as in local newsletters.

Be creative, be dramatic, be funny. Look for good candid pictures and interesting ways to take group or other posed shots. Digital or film photos will be accepted, but digital photos must be high resolution.

Read more for categories, rules and requirements, including how to make sure your photos will be high rez. 

The deadline for submitting pictures is June 18, 2010. Questions? Please contact Janelle Hartman in the CWA Communications Department at Jhartman@cwa-union.org. Please put "CWA Photo Contest" in the subject line.

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CWA  Local 1022