Last week, federal call center worker Lakeisha Preston and Mississippi Alliance of State Employees/CWA Local 3570 member Johnny Byrd joined other labor activists in Jackson, Miss., to discuss working conditions in the state with Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su.

Preston and her co-workers at federal call center contractor Maximus are organizing to join CWA. She described how she and other workers struggle to afford healthcare and essentials like food and utilities. “Maximus wants us to feel like we are on our own,” she told Acting Secretary Su. “Last year, a supervisor suggested that layoffs were because of the union and implied that if we kept supporting the union, our call center could close.”

Su made it a point to address Preston’s concerns directly, saying, “In President Biden’s America, ‘union’ is not a bad word; it is the reason America is strong.” She went on to say, “It is the reason why we have a middle class in this country, and it is a key lever for how we achieve racial justice.”

Byrd highlighted his local’s efforts to ensure that Mississippi state workers have “a seat at the table and a voice to be heard.”

Su told workers that she is glad she visited and that she is going to ensure that, under her leadership, labor laws will be strictly enforced to sustain the lives of working families and secure workers’ rights.

CWAers Lakeisha Preston and Johnny Byrd attended a roundtable discussion with Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su where they shared stories of adverse working conditions.

Last week, NABET-CWA Local 54412 President Mike Horace briefed policy makers and movement leaders on predatory AI practices in the news industry, like personal services contracts that allow an employer to digitize the voice and likeness of on-air personnel.

“The employer has the right to your voice, your likeness, your writing style. All of those things that make us each human and make us unique,” Horace explained. “Essentially, this would allow employers to digitize an on-air personality, fire that person, and yet keep them on air for years, presenting the news live via AI every single night.”

The forum was hosted by the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center in partnership with the Economic Policy Institute. Horace was joined by CWA research economist Dan Reynolds, who shared a CWA study of the increased stress that AI tools place on call center workers who contend with increased surveillance on the job. Reynolds drew upon the experience of CWA members from diverse industries to show that when AI systems are used to replace or control the work, the mistakes made by these systems have negative impacts on their jobs and their ability to serve customers.

CWA has been a leading voice on regulating AI in the workplace, establishing a national CWA Advisory Committee on Artificial Intelligence to empower members to guide the bargaining and policy priorities of our union. CWA has also negotiated historic agreements with Microsoft and news organizations, providing the first limitations on artificial intelligence in the workplace through union contracts.

CWA Georgia Political Council Chair and CWA Local 3218 member Mike Tharp testified before the Georgia House of Representatives on February 6 in support of legislation that will increase penalties for assault against utility workers. Tharp shared his personal story of being robbed of his splicing equipment on the job and being dragged down the road by his assailants’ vehicle. In a rare show of support for a labor issue, the House voted 161-0 to increase the minimum penalty for assault on a utility worker from one year to three years. The maximum sentence remains twenty years.

The bill, GA HB1033, will now go to the Senate Judiciary Committee for further consideration.

Bargaining Opens at AT&T West

Negotiations for a new contract with AT&T West opened yesterday. The current contract, which expires on April 6, covers approximately 5,500 workers in California and Nevada.

In a letter to members, CWA District 9 Vice President Frank Arce laid out the goals for bargaining which include ensuring that members are protected from arbitrary downsizing and outsourcing, enhancing pension plans, improving medical coverage benefits, and strengthening language around contracting to protect our members from the negative impacts of outsourcing and subcontracting.

Vice President Arce warned members that “bargaining may be contentious this time.” He continued, writing, “I urge each of you to stay informed, stay engaged, and be prepared to support your union in any action that may be required to achieve our goals at the bargaining table.”

For updates on AT&T West bargaining, sign up for emails here or follow the CWA District 9 Facebook page.

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CWA District 6 Members Ask AT&T, “Where is the Love?”

CWA members in District 6 are mobilizing to win a good contract at AT&T Mobility. On Valentine’s Day they wore stickers at work and shared photos on social media asking AT&T, “Where is the Love?”

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Altice Bargaining Opens in West Virginia

Bargaining opened last week between CWA and Altice USA in West Virginia. CWA members of both Local 2002 and Local 2007 set clear priorities for negotiations, including job security, securing bargaining unit work, safety, quality affordable healthcare, and compensation that recognizes the value our members bring.

The West Virginia technicians formed their union with CWA in 2019 and ratified a first contract in 2020 that guaranteed pay raises, provided job security, and established grievance and arbitration rights for the workers. CWA members seek to build on the 2020 contract and negotiate a fair contract that provides the pay and benefits they have earned and deserve.