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July 8, 2010
GOP House
Members Press
Deutsche Telekom
on Workers'
Rights in U.S.
Seven Republican
members of
Congress have
signed a letter
to Deutsche
Telekom chief
executive
officer Rene
Olbermann
calling on the
company to
"follow the
same, fair
policies at your
U.S. subsidiary
as at Deutsche
Telekom" with
regard to
workers' rights
to decide for
themselves, free
from management
interference,
whether they
want to organize
and bargain
collectively.
The letter
expressed
concern that
DT's approach to
employees at its
American
subsidiary does
not place an
equal value on
respect for
workers' rights.
"We believe that
respecting those
rights is one
important step
in ensuring that
economic
recovery is fair
and
sustainable,"
they wrote.
The signers are
Steven
LaTourette,
R-14th, Ohio;
Candice S.
Miller, R-10th,
Mich.; Frank Lo
Biondo, R-2nd,
N.J.; Patrick
Tiberi, R-12th,
Ohio; Thadeus
McCotter,
R-11th, Mich.;
Christopher
Smith, R-4th,
N.J.; and Tim
Murphy, R-18th,
Pa.
The letter is
similar to one
sent to
Olbermann in May
by 24 Democratic
members of the
House Education
and Labor
Committee.
NABET-CWA
Members Stand
Firm as Contract
Fight Heads to
Mediation
Kenny
Distance, a
member of
the
NABET-CWA
bargaining
team at PBS,
grills hot
dogs for his
colleagues
outside the
network's
facilities
in
Springfield,
Va.
NABET-CWA has
been in tough
bargaining with
PBS, the
nation's public
broadcasting
network, for a
new contract
covering some 50
technicians,
editors and
satellite
workers, members
of Local 52031.
The previous
contract expired
at the end of
June.
NABET-CWA
members have
been mobilizing
and that show of
solidarity,
including red
shirt days and
"hot dog
Wednesdays"
caused the
network's chief
negotiator to
walk away from
bargaining.
Negotiations
will resume July
13 with a
federal
mediator.
Management demands
include changes
in shift
selection, job
titles and cuts
in pay
differentials.
The network says
it won't raise
wages this year
and is offering
just 1 percent
next year and 2
percent in 2012.
Sign Up Now for
CWA's Civil
Rights and
Equity
Conference
CWA's National
Committee on
Equity has put
together a
special program
for this year's
civil rights and
equity
conference in
New Orleans.
The three day
meeting will
include hands-on
sessions on how
to build local
civil rights and
equity
committees, a
status report on
coalition
building with
national groups
like the
Congressional
Black Caucus,
the
Congressional
Hispanic Caucus
and the NAACP,
and discussion
around key civil
rights issues
for CWAers.
It also will
focus on the
hardships still
facing victims
of Hurricane
Katrina and how
CWAers have been
working to help
restore this
community.
The conference
will be held at
the Loews New
Orleans Hotel,
beginning Friday
evening, Sept.
24 through
Sunday Sept. 26.
For registration
and hotel
information, go here.
Biggest Ever
COPE Contest
Underway
CWA's COPE
contest is
really taking
off. Just since
May, when the
contest began,
there's been an
increase of
$30,244 for
COPE, from new
contributors or
increased
contributions.
So far, District
6 is leading the
contest with the
most cards.
Every District
and Sector that
meets the
minimum quota
for a 5 percent
increase in
giving will hold
a drawing among
those CWA
members who have
signed up or
increased their
COPE
contributions.
Districts or
sectors that
don't reach the
5 percent mark
will hold a
combined
drawing. CWA
will award up to
eight top prizes
of a trip for
two to Las
Vegas, including
airfare and two
nights' hotel
accommodation.
Any CWAer who
becomes a new
contributor or
increases her or
his weekly
contributions by
$1 will get a
COPE t-shirt.
The contest runs
until October
and the winners
will be
announced on
Election Day,
Nov. 2.
West Virginia
CWA Members
Honor Byrd in
Memorial
Procession
CWA members
in
Charleston,
W.Va., join
a memorial
tribute to
Senator
Robert Byrd.
Scores of
red-shirted CWA
members honored
the life of West
Virginia Senator
Robert Byrd on
July 2, joining
a somber march
behind a
horse-drawn
caisson that
ended at a
memorial service
at Charleston's
statehouse.
Byrd, who cared
deeply about
workers and the
struggles of
working
families, died
at age 92, after
serving a record
51 years in the
U.S. Senate. In
addition to CWA
members and
other trade
unionists,
President Obama,
Vice President
Biden, President
Bill Clinton and
elected
officials from
both parties
attended the
memorial service
to remember
Byrd.
Senator Edward
Kennedy's widow,
Victoria, spoke,
recalling the
moment last
Christmas Eve
when Byrd made
his way to the
Senate floor to
vote for health
care reform. "I
was in the
gallery, and
tears flowed
down my cheeks
when he said,
'Mr. President,
this is for my
friend, Ted
Kennedy,'" she
said. |
