AT&T Legacy T Mobilization Report #22

T&T Locals continue to mobilize after the tentative agreement was reached nearly 3 weeks ago. Districts 1 and 9 (AT&T East and WEST) are still negotiating a fair contract for their members.

Across Legacy T, Local leaders and activists have been working diligently to ensure members are making an informed decision regarding their contract ratification and the tentative agreement that sits before them. Explanation meetings have been held in worksites and Union Halls across the country. Locals must turn in their results to the Telecommunications & Technologies office no later than 4:00 P.M. Eastern Time on Thursday August 16, 2012.

Additional Q&As have been posted on the website and more detailed information about the proposed Dental & Vision plans have been published to Locals.

Meanwhile, workers around the country remain focused on Safety and Quality. CWA members perform the highest quality of work in the safest manner possible. Keep it up!

Here are some reports from Locals around the country:

Local 2204 members are wearing RED Thursdays and preparing for contract ratification vote scheduled for later this week.

Local 2252 members are continuing to wear RED in support of D1 and D9 bargaining.

Local 3106 members wear RED Thursdays and take health breaks together every hour. President Gene Redd conducted contract explanation meetings. The majority union members in Augusta Relay Center voted this past Saturday. The members employed at Bell South hosted a BBQ. Activists are still wearing RED Thursdays.

Local 3108 continue insides and outside actions. Members are making a lot of noise every day, 3 times daily. They are doing ergonomic exercises as a group daily as well. The ratification vote is being conducted this week, as ballots have been mailed out. T&T members showed solidarity at the strike watch party for Legacy B members on Saturday, August 4th!

Local 3207 members are engaged in the “Fight for the American Dream” and mobilize every day, including wearing bandanas, RED Thursdays, BLACK Fridays, standing up for 5 Minutes twice daily, taking hourly health breaks. Members decorated their lockers and clothes with CWA slogans and comments. “WTF” is posted on the Union boards. The Local continues to hold rallies and informational pickets which receive support from our allies and the public.

Local 3250 members participated in contract explanation meetings in their buildings or via conference calls. Inside actions include wearing RED Thursdays, BLACK Fridays, random noise actions when the feeling hits a member, inside rallies, keeping members informed through flyers, and one-on-one communication. Contract Ratification meetings were held in several locations.

Local 3603 members have found the Q&A on the T&T Bargaining website very valuable and useful. Contract explanation meetings are planned and voting will be conducted at the work site.

Local 3902 leaders conducted a contract explanation meeting, and the contract ratification vote process has begun. Members are standing in solidarity every hour on the hour, wearing RED & BLACK throughout the week. Activists remain engaged in public action; members continue to BOYCOTT OVERTIME.

Local 6143 continues to show their support by wearing “Fighting for the American Dream” shirts, and holding break room Q and A sessions. Members are ecstatic to know of the new language in the contract for the bilingual reps. In solidarity, members continue to wear RED Thursdays & BLACK Fridays. Contract explanation meetings are being held & voting is under way.

Local 6150 continues to show support by wearing RED Thursdays & BLACK Fridays. President Larry Ihfe held a contract explanation meeting jointly with Local 6201. Members continue to show support for other Locals without an agreement.

Local 6201 last week continued to walk into work together, doing it in silence in honor of VP Seth Rosen’s passing. Support for Districts 1 & 9 can be seen throughout the office with signs & stickers affixed to the desks. Members continue wearing Arm Bands, Stickers, RED Thursdays & BLACK Fridays, all in solidarity with our Sisters & Brothers who are still in negotiations. Activists keep members updated on the progress of bargaining at the other tables. Leaders held a joint contract explanation meeting with Local 6150, where 6150 President Larry Ihfe shared information about the bargaining process & what happened at the table. Members showed appreciation for Brother Ihfe and the rest of the bargaining team’s hard work on the contract. Ratification ballots are being collected.

Local 6450 members remain engaged and informed. Local Actions went into the streets again on Tuesday July 24 as members of KC99, JWJ, CWA, UAW, and other local unions rallied in front of Senator Blunt’s office to help raise the Missouri minimum wage. The Mobilization remains engaged. Activists continue to show support for the other districts without a TA. Contract interpretation meetings are being held. Members are still ready to “Fight for the American Dream”. All members are wearing RED Thursdays and BLACK Fridays. Mobilization actions continue, including a solidarity walk and Health Care actions.

Local 7250 officers continued the Best Buy organizing drive. Activists continued to gather questions regarding the tentative agreement. Members are wearing RED Thursdays and BLACK Fridays, and are on standby to assist Districts 1 & 9 with whatever they can. All mobilization signs will remain posted in solidarity until all AT&T contracts are ratified. Five contract explanation meetings are being held & ratification ballots collected.

Local 9415 is doing dual duty. Many members are engaged in the ratification process, while still showing support for the others that are battling for a fair contract. The ratification process continues for Legacy T while mobilization continues across the Local.

Local 13000 members did public leaflets at the AT&T sponsored Soccer event held on Wednesday, July 25 at the PPL Park in Philadelphia. Jointly with Local 13552, they distributed over 300 flyers to the public with the “Keep Jobs in America” theme. They are currently conducting mail ballot voting for contract ratification.

Local 13500 members continue to wear RED Thursday and held their contract explanation on Wednesday 8/1/12.

Local 13550 members are wearing “Fighting for the American Dream” T-Shirts, RED on Thursdays and BLACK on Fridays. Two contract explanation meetings were held, and various Q&A information and Vision/Dental information has been distributed to members.

Local 13552 members did public leaflets at the AT&T sponsored Soccer event held on Wednesday, July 25 at the PPL Park in Philadelphia. Jointly with Local 13500, they distributed over 300 flyers to the public with the :Keep Jobs in America” theme. They are currently conducting voting for contract ratification.

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Leaders from around the country gathered in Cleveland, OH to honor the memory of our Brother, mentor & friend, CWA District 4 Vice President Seth Rosen.

Mobilization will continue until all CWA contracts with AT&T are settled. If you have any questions about upcoming mobilization, you can contact your Local leaders or the Mobilization teams.

If your Local is missing from this report, make sure to contact one of the following with the details of your activities:

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