AT&T Legacy T Mobilization Report #11

Week 6 without a contract finds workers stepping up actions across the country.

Even though there doesn’t seem to be much progress at the bargaining table, members have increased actions including making initial contacts in some of AT&T’s largest resellers: Best Buy and Radio Shack. The information was well received in many areas; other places our members were asked to leave the property and threatened with police action. Why are the 1% so afraid of workers’ rights?

This nationwide effort to organize workers that sell the same products and services as our Sisters and Brothers at AT&T mobility was very successful this weekend, and Locals should make plans to continue this important project.

Vice President Ralph Maly held a conference call with the T&T Locals Thursday evening. Local Presidents reaffirmed their commitment to move members into additional public actions. VP Maly discussed the lack of movement by the Company on our biggest issues. The types of Health Care cost shifting the Company is looking for are not acceptable for our members with the overall package the Company has passed across the table. It is going to take each of our members getting involved in actions in the public and in our communities to get the Company to move on our issues. Check with your Local Officers for information about actions in your area and help make those activities successful.

CWA maintains that AT&T is one of the most profitable companies in the United States and should help our economic recovery by keeping middle class jobs here, and bring work back that has been off-shored to other countries. We are still in an economic crisis and cannot continue to let successful companies like AT&T move our work overseas.

In addition to the “CWA Proud” Q status, members from almost every Local around the country have update voicemail, electronic signatures and out-of-office responses to include, “AT&T, a CWA represented company Fighting for the American Dream.” Join the campaign today!!

As we continue MOBILIZATION PHASE 3, we will continue to bring our message forward to the public. If you haven’t had a chance to read the report, check out www.cwa-union.org/lowroadreport which outlines many of the low road options AT&T has already taken

This week, at home Locals continued with their on-the-job actions including:

Local 1152 has increased the stands and noise level daily. They continue their mass walking in at the beginning of the day and held a rally on Thursday. A large group of members joined in the organizing at Best Buy and Apple.

Local 1153 is still holding rallies Wednesday each week along with daily stands. Members continue to wear RED Thursdays & Black Fridays. A group of Local activists visited several Best Buy and Apple Stores during phase 1 of their organizing drive this weekend.

Local 2204 members passed out CWA stickers and red balloons to each member to hang at their desk, and continue to wear red shirts.

Local 2252 members continued inside mobilization activities, clicking and sounding off in the office. Members and activists began their organizing drive.

Local 3207 in Augusta launched an aggressive organizing campaign at retailers this weekend.

Local 3250 began their organizing drive at several retail locations around Georgia. Members continue their inside actions and participated in I Forgot Friday.

Local 3902 members are standing every even hour for 10 minutes, wearing RED Thursdays & BLACK Fridays. Activists participated in the nationwide organizing campaign on Saturday at Radio Shack & Best Buy.

Local 4250 officers and mobilizers visited many retail locations this weekend in an effort to organize workers that sell AT&T products.

Local 4252 wears RED Thursday, BLACK Friday, and has a group of people that wear red every day. Members wear bracelets in support of bargaining. Best Buy was the focus of the organizing campaign on Saturday.

Local 4320 members made plans to visit over 50 retail locations in the Columbus area. The organizing drive began over the weekend and will continue.

Local 6143 continues to show support by holding lunchtime rallies. Members wear RED Thursdays and BLACK Fridays. Most members in the bilingual centers have "Impeach Stephenson” and “I Support My Bargaining Team" flyers in Spanish and English.

Local 6150 participated in the solidarity rally on May 12th at Addison Circle Park, which was supported by other AFL-CIO Locals & the community. Members continue to wear RED Thursdays and BLACK Fridays.

Local 6201 had a surprise visit from the GM Thursday. Members asked her to pass the message up to the Company bargainers that they are not happy with the retrogressive proposals that the Company keeps putting forth. The GM also got to experience the daily silent walk, which was followed by tapping and chants of “What do we want? A contract” & “We want a fair contract”. Members continue to wear WTF stickers that they have put on their badges, red armbands, and “Impeach Stephenson” shirts while performing work at the highest safety and quality level possible. Members use social media as a communications tool for mobilization, and stay updated on bargaining progress through emails & informal chats; they also remind each other that we are Fighting for the American Dream and back the bargaining team 100%.

Local 6300 members launched an organizing drive at Best Buy & Radio Shack in the St. Louis area on both the MO & IL sides of the river.

Local 6350 continues to make noise every hour, on the hour. They are shaking cans, blowing horns, clicking clickers and various other sounds. They are still wearing red on Thursdays and black on Fridays with good participation. On Thursday they held another rally/informational picket. On Friday, they were unable to get their IDs to lock up (had tried it earlier in the week), so everyone had "system trouble" at 8:30AM and had to reboot; many of them decided to take a walk while the systems were coming back up. It must have cost at least 20 minutes to get back working. Saturday they had around 20 activists going out to visit the retailers with flyers.

Local 6450 supports our bargaining team every day. Members are wearing WTF stickers, RED Thursdays and BLACK Fridays, making noise at random times throughout the day in the call centers. Members are working closely with Jobs With Justice and other outside organizations, as well as meeting with local politicians. A few members went to the Democratic Party event held this weekend known as “Truman Days” in hopes to gain support from union-friendly politicians, and have put together a time line to start going door-to-door in efforts to gain the public’s support in electing union-friendly politicians. This weekend several members participated in the Best Buy organizing drive. Many of the employees seem very interested in knowing they can form a union and get some of the same benefits we do. Members of Local 6450 continue to be committed to do whatever it takes to get a fair contract. We would like to say “Thank You!!” to our bargaining team for the hard work they have done thus far.

Local 7050 members continue to do the highest quality of work for our customers.

Local 7250 members continue stand-ups and office walks three times daily, accompanied by noise-making. A weekly lunchtime demonstration was held on Thursday, which was joined by IUE-CWA and received public support. Members participated in I Forgot Friday, and Saturday began their organizing campaign at several Best Buy and Radio Shack locations.

Local 7750 started their organizing drive at retailers throughout Denver. They will continue with their aggressive plans. Members remain focused on actions inside, including flag pole rallies, break walks, RED Thursdays and BLACK Fridays.

Local 13550 members passed out purple “WTF – Where’s the Fairness” flags to all members and everyone hung them in their POD. Members now are carrying their 24 X 24 signs around the office on breaks and lunches, etc. This week "Fighting for the American Dream" was added as a signature line on our emails. Members participated in health break action each day, continue to wear WTF buttons daily, wear “Fighting for the American Dream” T-Shirts, RED Thursday and BLACK Friday. Saturday May 12 activists participated in organizing events.

Local 13552 members are all wearing RED on Thursdays and BLACK on Fridays.

All members need to apply public pressure to help move the bargaining table. If your Local mobilization committee is unsure what type of actions you should be doing, please contact your District Mobilization Coordinator listed below.

Nationwide actions continue this weekend: If your Local Mobilization Committee hasn’t contacted you… why don’t you ask them how you can participate?

If you experience a change in working conditions, please report them to your Local Officers or Stewards and bbates@cwa-union.org. Also report all violations of our right to concerted actions to bbates@cwa-union.org and your District or Sector Staff. You will likely be directed to file charges against the Company for violating our right to participate in concerted activities.

Mobilization reports and pictures should be sent to your District Mobilization Coordinator. If your Local President and Local Mobilization Coordinator have not been receiving flyers or information, please let us know.

Send pictures and mobilization reports to your mobilization coordinators:

D1 Chris Wise christopherjwise1@gmail.com
D2/13 Mary Lou Schaffer marylouschaffer@msn.com
D3 Glenda Poindexter gotorganize@gmail.com
D4 Dave Skotarczyk davecwa@sbcglobal.net
D6 Sarah Harreus sharreus@sbcglobal.net
D7/D9 Shari Wojtowicz whatawitch@hotmail.com
Staff Rep Jim Cosgrove jcosgrove@cwa-union.org

Mobilization Coordinators: If you are unsure what to do during Mobilization Phase 3 please contact your District Coordinator above.

If you have any problems or questions, call your District Staff person or the National T&T Office.

Stand Strong. Stay Mobilized.