News

  • CWAers Mobilize for Customer Service Week of Action
    CWA's Customer Service Week of Action is here. The theme is "End CEO Hocus Pocus: Stop Offshoring and Outsourcing Good Jobs." CWA D7 Vice President Brenda Roberts and the Customer Service Advocacy Committee put together an action program for CWAers that includes a petition drive to support AT&T Mobility workers in negotiations for a fair contract and a letters to the editor campaign to raise awareness about the offshoring and outsourcing of good jobs in our communities. For the Week of Action, Verizon customer service worker David Tolbert, a steward for Local 2106, wrote about how CWAers took on Verizon in 2016 and won: After 45 days of striking and even longer adversity, the strength of the union rose and we won. We came to an agreement with the company that preserved the centers and won back more than a thousand call center jobs. We have so many ways to let our voices be heard and taking action is one of the most effective ways to make change. Whether it's at the ballot box or marching in the street, it's important that we rise up, unite and take action. This year's CWA Customer Service Week of Action is the perfect opportunity to do so. This week, CWA local unions across the country are participating in the week of action to speak out against the offshoring and outsourcing of good jobs. Read the full piece here. — Oct 19
  • Bargaining Update
    Piedmont Airlines Contract negotiations continue for 4,000 customer service workers at Piedmont Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines Group. CWA's bargaining team met with the company's bargaining team October 10-12 to continue working towards a fair and equitable contract for all members. Although both sides remain far apart on compensation and benefits, the CWA bargaining team believes it's had good, productive conversations that will facilitate moving closer to an agreement, and the team is calling on every member to get involved in order to put pressure on the company through mobilization to show the company that Piedmont employees deserve fair wages and benefits. The bargaining team met in Pittsburgh this week to continue working on counter proposals for compensation, benefits, and other articles still left open, and will meet next with the company on November 6-9. Piedmont Airlines workers in Charlotte, NC stood together on the ramp in unity as they mobilize for fair wages and benefits.   — Oct 19
  • Help for CWA Families Affected by California Wildfires
    CWA President Chris Shelton is urging CWA locals and members to help CWA members and their families in Northern California dealing with devastation from wildfires: Over 100,000 have been evacuated and 40,000 still are not able to return home. Entire communities have been wiped out. Families have lost everything only to be left with ash where their homes used to be. To compound the problem, there is a severe shortage of available temporary housing. District 9 has set up a CWA Disaster Wildfire Relief 2017 fund to help CWA members impacted by the fires. Every dollar donated to the CWA District 9 Disaster Wildfire Relief 2017 fund will go directly to assist CWA members in need of shelter, clothing, and household basics. The national CWA Disaster Relief Fund also will help our members hurt by the fires. It will take years for CWA families to recover and rebuild their lives. Please help our brothers and sisters by making a contribution. You can donate to the wildfire fund here. Checks may be made out to the CWA District 9 Disaster Wildfire Relief 2017 and mailed to: CWA Local 9404Attn: Ginny Raines195 Glen Cove Marina Rd, Suite 101Vallejo, CA 94591 Please note, contributions to the CWA District 9 Disaster Wildfire Relief 2017 fund are not tax-deductible. Other resources for those affected can be found here. — Oct 19
  • CWA Activists Line Up Sponsors for Bill to Stop Offshoring of Call Center Jobs
    Members of CWA's Legislative Political Action Team in Alabama worked hard to convince Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) to co-sponsor H.R. 1300, the U.S. Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act of 2017, bipartisan legislation to stop the offshoring of call center jobs. Brooks joined 18 other co-sponsors; Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas) was an original cosponsor and Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.) was the initial sponsor. Ashley Loosier, Local 3905, Huntsville; Ken McKenzie, vice president, Local 3905, Huntsville; Rep. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-5th congressional district); Jason James,  Alabama LPAT Coordinator, Local 3907, Mobile; Tanner Teets, Local 3907, Huntsville, and Mustafa Hassan, Local 3905, Huntsville.   — Oct 19
  • How to Keep Call Center Jobs in the U.S.
    An opinion piece by Charles Daniel, president of CWA Local 4123, was published this week by the Detroit News: Working people are tired of politicians who talk and talk about creating good jobs, but don't do anything to make that happen. We know that the rules are rigged against working families. That’s why some of the biggest and richest U.S. corporations can get away with sending good call center and technology jobs offshore. That’s been happening here in Michigan, and that’s why my union, the Communications Workers of America, and union members are fighting back. CWA is urging Congress and Michigan elected officials to pass call center legislation to help keep good jobs in the U.S. and to stop rewarding companies for sending work overseas. Read the full piece here. — Oct 19