Vice President Ron Collins' Remarks at the 2011 District 2 Conference

CWA DISTRICT 2 CONVENTION

WELCOMING REMARKS – VP COLLINS 

GOOD MORNING SISTERS AND BROTHERS.

IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME YOU TO THE 2011 CWA DISTRICT 2 CONFERENCE  HERE IN WEST VIRGINIA.  IT’S TRULY WONDERFUL TO BE WITH SO MANY FRIENDS FROM AROUND THE REGION. WE HAVE A GREAT CONFERENCE PLANNED FOR YOU OVER THE NEXT 2+ DAYS. 

BEFORE PROCEEDING, I FIRST WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND YOUR HARD WORK ON BEHALF OF OUR UNION AND OUR MEMBERS.  I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE, AND THANK, THE STAFF OF CWA DISTRICT 2 FOR THEIR DEDICATION AND TIRELESS EFFORTS.  IT’S A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH ALL OF YOU. 

OUR ANNUAL DISTRICT CONFERENCE GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO THINK CAREFULLY ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR UNION, AND HOW BEST TO CONFRONT THE CHALLENGES THAT LAY BEFORE US.  THE CONFERENCE IS EQUALLY VALUABLE BECAUSE IT ALLOWS US TO REFLECT UPON THE PAST YEAR IN OUR DISTRICT - AND IN THE LABOR MOVEMENT AS A WHOLE. 

I WANT TO START WITH SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT THE OVERALL STATE OF OUR UNION AND ABOUT ORGANIZED LABOR.  THE REALITY IS THAT MEMBERSHIP AT CWA CONTINUES TO DECLINE ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL.  IN FACT, CWA HAS LOST OVER 60,000 MEMBERS OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS.  MEMBERSHIP NUMBERS HAVE ALSO DECLINED WITHIN OUR DISTRICT, DESPITE SOME NOTABLE ORGANIZING SUCCESSES. 

WHAT CWA IS EXPERIENCING IS NOT UNIQUE.  UNIONS FACE MAJOR OPPOSITION IN THIS COUNTRY,  ESPECIALLY FROM THE RIGHT WING OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.  WE WILL CONTINUE TO COME UNDER ATTACK AS ONE OF THE FEW ENTITIES THAT FIGHTS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE FOR THE AMERICAN MIDDLE CLASS.  CORPORATIONS AND POLITICAL INTERESTS WILL CONTINUE TO PAINT UNIONS IN THE WORST POSSIBLE LIGHT. 

DESPITE THESE CHALLENGES, WE MUST STAY FOCUSED AND UNITED.  THE CWA EXECUTIVE BOARD IS RESPONDING TO THESE CHALLENGES BY PUTTING FORWARD PROPOSALS THAT WILL POSITION CWA TO SURVIVE AS A STRONG UNION IN THE YEARS TO COME.  SOME OF THESE PROPOSALS CALL FOR SIGNIFICANT CHANGES.  FOR EXAMPLE, ONE INCLUDES THE ELIMINATION OF THE EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT POSITION.  AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE’VE ALREADY ADOPTED A PROPOSAL TO MERGE OUR DISTRICT WITH DISTRICT 13.  THE MERGER WILL PUT THE COMBINED DISTRICTS ON A COURSE TO DEAL WITH THE CHALLENGES WE FACE.  VICE PRESIDENT ED MOONEY FROM DISTRICT 13 IS WITH US FOR THE CONFERENCE.

DESPITE THESE CHALLENGES THAT UNIONS FACE ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THERE ARE MANY SIGNS OF HOPE.  I KNOW THAT ALL OF US HAVE BEEN INSPIRED BY WHAT WE’VE SEEN IN WISCONSIN AND OTHER STATES INVOLVING PUBLIC  SECTOR WORKERS.  WE ARE NOW FINALLY GAINING SOME MOMENTUM IN PUBLIC  DEBATES AROUND WORKERS’ RIGHTS. WE MUST CARRY THIS DEBATE FORWARD.  WE MUST ENSURE THAT WISCONSIN IS THE SPARK THAT LIGHTS A FLAME AT EVERY CAPITAL THROUGHOUT THIS COUNTRY. 

THIS IS OUR TIME.  THIS IS NOT OVER UNTIL WE SAY IT’S OVER.

ONE QUESTION?  IS IT OVER? 

RIGHT HERE IN WEST VIRGINIA, THEY ARE TRYING TO SILENCE WORKERS THAT ARE REPRESENTED BY CWA – THE WV TROOPERS.  THE ADMINSTRATION OF THE WEST VIRGINIA STATE TROOPERS JUST PUT OUT A POLICY THAT WOULD PREVENT UNDERCOVER OFFICERS FROM SERVING IN A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN THE WEST VIRGINIA STATE TROOPERS ASSOCIATION.  

WE ARE CALLING ON ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THE STATE TO RECALL THIS UN-JUST POICY – INCLUDING THOSE ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT ARE WITH US TODAY! AND  WE WILL FIGHT JUST AS HARD IN OTHER STATES WHEN WORKERS’ RIGHTS ARE UNDER ATTACK. 

IN ADDITION TO PARTICIPATING IN NATIONAL COALITIONS, AND MONITORING DEVELOPMENTS AT THE STATE LEVEL, WE MUST REDOUBLE OUR ORGANIZING AND ADVOCACY EFFORTS WITHIN CWA.  WITHIN OUR UNION, ONE OF THE TOP PRIORITIES IS THE MERGER BETWEEN T-MOBILE AND AT&T. WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO ADD 22,000 NEW MEMBERS TO OUR UNION.  LIKEWISE, THE UNITED/CONTINENTAL MERGER PRESENTES NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR UNION – TO ADD ANOTHER 10,000 MEMBERS.  TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THESE ORGANIZING EFFORTS, WE NEED TO COMBINE SOME TRIED-AND-TRUE ORGANIZING STRATEGIES WITH THE POWERFUL MESSAGES THAT ARE COMING OUT OF WISCONSIN.  

I KNOW THAT MANY OF THE LOCALS REPRESENTED HERE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH THEIR ORGANIZING EFFORTS.  FOR EXAMPLE, DUE TO THE EFFORTS OF MANY LOCALS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, WE’VE ADDED 3,500 PIEDMONT EMPLOYEES AS CWA MEMBERS.  LIKEWISE, CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF VIRGINIA ARE NOW PART OF OUR RANKS, THANKS TO LOCALS 2201 & 2204.  

WE HAVE TO CONSTANTLY EVALUATE OUR ORGANIZING EFFORTS AND FOCUS OUR RESOURCES.  IN ADDITION TO ORGANIZING, WE MUST LOOK TO THE OTHER SIDES OF THE CWA TRIANGLE:  POLITICAL ACTION AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.

IN THE POLITICAL REALM –

WE MUST CONTINUE TO BE INVOLVED IN EVERY LEGISLATURE THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.  WE MUST ACTIVELY ENGAGE WITH EVERY REGULATORY BODY THAT AFFECTS OUR MEMBERS. 

YOU HAVE ALREADY DONE AMAZING POLITICAL WORK THROUGHOUT DISTRICT 2: THE WEST VIRGINIA STOP THE SALE CAMPAIGN; WORK BEFORE THE MARYLAND PSC, AND ALSO BEFORE THE VIRGINIA SCC AND VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE.  

WE WILL FACE SOME CHALLENGES IN THE FUTURE.  WITH THE DECLINE IN MEMBERSHIP, WE WILL HAVE TO WORK EVEN HARDER TO RAISE THOSE EVER SO IMPORTANT COPE DOLLARS.  I AM ASKING EACH OF YOU TO ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE OF INCREASING YOUR LOCAL’S COPE CONTRIBUTIONS BY 5% OVER THE NEXT YEAR. 

WE ALSO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DEVELOP STRONG, BUT SMART RELATIONSHIPS WITH POLITICIANS.  I’M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT DISTRICT 2 DID NOT DEVIATE FROM OUR POSITION OF NOT ENDORSING CANDIDATES WHO DID NOT SUPPORT OUR ISSUES. 

THE DISTRICT AND THE UNION MUST CONTINUE WITH THIS ENDORSEMENT PROCESS. IF THEY DON’T SHOW UP FOR US - WE DON’T SHOW UP FOR THEM.  IN ADDITION, AS WE APPROACH THE MID-POINT OF 2011, WE MUST NOW PREPARE OURSELVES FOR THE 2012 ELECTION. 

AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, THE PRESIDENCY, AS WELL AS THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE, ALL WILL BE ON THE BALLOT.  THERE ARE ALSO MANY IMPORTANT STATE RACES  - A GOVERNOR’S RACE HERE IN WV WITH JOE MANCHIN JOINING THE SENATE,  AND A SENATE RACE SHAPING UP IN VA. 

IN THE AREA OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING, WE ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH OUR VERIZON NEGOTIATIONS FOR 2011.  THE BARGAINING COMMITTEE IS IN PLACE. TRAINING HAS STARTED FOR THE COMMITTEE.  THE NEGOTIATIONS ARE SLOTTED TO START LATE JUNE IN PHILADELPHIA.  I WILL BE THERE UNTIL IT IS COMPLETE. THE VERIZON DELEGATION WILL HEAR MORE ABOUT THIS ON FRIDAY. 

LOCAL 2276 HAS A FRONTIER CONTRACT THAT EXPIRES ON APRIL 14TH.  WE HAVE YET TO GET DATES FROM THE EMPLOYER.  LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FRONTIER.  THEY OPERATE AS IF THERE IS NO UNION. 

APRIL 4 ACTIVITIES

WE MUST LINK CIVIL RIGHTS, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND WORKERS’ RIGHTS.  IT’S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE AND DO SOMETHING ON APRIL 4TH.  EVERY MEMBER HAS TO BE INOVLVED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AT EVERY WORKPLACE.  WE WILL HEAR REPORTS FROM LOCALS TOMORROW AFTERNOON.  AS YOU CAN TELL, THIS IS AN EXCITING AND CHALLENGING TIME FOR OUR DISTRICT AND FOR OUR UNION.  

AN EXCITING EVENT TAKING PLACE ON APRIL 4: 

NEXT MONDAY IS THE COMMEMORATION OF THE ASSASINATION OF THE REVEREND DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.  DR. KING WAS KILLED IN MEMPHIS ON APRIL 4, 1968.  YOU WILL REMEMBER THAT DR. KING WAS IN MEMPHIS TO SUPPORT THE STRIKE OF THE MEMPHIS SANITATION WORKERS. 

DR. KING’S DEATH WAS AN UNSPEAKABLE LOSS FOR OUR COUNTRY AND THE WORLD, BUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF HIS DEATH ALSO SHOW THE IMPORTANT CONNECTIONS BETWEEN CIVIL RIGHTS, WORKERS’ RIGHTS, AND HUMAN RIGHTS.  IT’S IMPORTANT TO HONOR DR. KING, AND DO SOMETHING ON APRIL 4TH.   AGAIN, WE ARE ASKING EVERY MEMBER TO BE INVOLVED AT EVERY WORKPLACE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.  WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. 

I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING REPORTS FROM LOCALS TOMORROW AFTERNOON ABOUT THEIR PLANS FOR APRIL 4. 

I KNOW THAT FOR MANY OF US, THIS CONFERENCE IS BITTERSWEET –WE ARE VERY EXCITED FOR THE FUTURE, BUT THIS IS THE LAST DISTRICT 2 CONFERENCE.  AS LEADERS OF DISTRICT 2, THERE IS SO MUCH FOR US TO BE PROUD OF.  DISTRICT 2 HAS SET THE STANDARD FOR OUR INTERNATIONAL UNION IN SO MANY DIFFERENT AREAS. 

ALTHOUGH THE DISTRICTS ARE MERGING, OUR COMBINED ENERGY, ENTHUSIASM, CREATIVITY, AND HARD WORK WILL CONTINUE ON, AND WILL STRENGTHEN THE NEW DISTRICT AND THE UNION AS A WHOLE.   WHETHER WE ARE DISTRICT 2, OR 13, OR 2-13– THAT’S NOT WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.  YOUR PASSION FOR PROMOTING THE RIGHTS OF WORKERS,  AND FOR BUILDING A BETTER AND STRONGER COUNTRY, IS WHY WE  ARE HERE.  THAT PASSION – THAT FIRE – WILL KEEP OUR UNION ALIVE FOR ANOTHER 100 YEARS. 

SOLIDARITY FOREVER.