CWA District 9 Continues Bargaining with AT&T and DirecTV

The CWA District 9 Bargaining Teams have been hard at work, proposing contract changes that reflect the needs of the workers at both DirecTV and AT&T. In both instances, though the bargaining teams have put forth dozens of proposals, the companies have failed to agree to a single one. The bargaining teams remain resolute in their insistence that workers need better health and safety protocols, better scheduling options, and pay increases.

Meanwhile, workers across CWA District 9 have been mobilizing to show support for their bargaining teams.

As the April 6 contract expiration date nears, CWAers plan to rally with supporters on March 30 in Sacramento and Los Angeles to show that they support their bargaining committee and are ready to do whatever it takes for a fair contract.

For the latest updates on District 9 bargaining, please visit their website. You can also follow them on Facebook or Instagram @CWADistrict9.

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CWA Workers at eBay/TCG Player Win NLRB Settlement

In a victory for CWA members at TCGplayer, a subsidiary of eBay, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has approved a settlement of Unfair Labor Practice charges against the company. The settlement includes significant payments for two workers who were unlawfully fired, and other workers will be compensated for lost sick pay.

The decision comes as the workers mark the one-year anniversary of winning their union vote and forming TCGUnion-CWA, part of CWA Local 1123. Since workers banded together to negotiate a fair contract, eBay and TCGplayer have engaged in a series of delay tactics to avoid meeting workers at the bargaining table.

In addition to ruling that two workers had been unlawfully terminated for engaging in protected union activity, the NLRB determined that the company had refused to recognize and bargain with the union, denied workers their right to union representation in meetings, threatened to discipline union workers more harshly than others, and unlawfully changed the terms and conditions of employment without first bargaining with the union as required.

“eBay must learn to respect Communications Workers of America Local 1123 and its members that work at eBay,” said Chris Ryan, President of CWA Local 1123. “We are encouraged by this settlement and proudly stand in solidarity with these workers. We will continue to support TCGplayer workers as they bargain their first contract to get the wages and benefits they deserve.”

Members of TCGUnion-CWA (CWA Local 1123) won a ruling by the NLRB this week, forcing TCGPlayer and its parent company eBay to compensate workers unlawfully terminated and come to the bargaining table in good faith.

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CWA Members Continue Bargaining with Piedmont Airlines

The CWA bargaining committee met with Piedmont management last week to continue fighting for a fair contract for passenger service and ramp agents at Piedmont Airlines. This contract would impact workers across several CWA Locals.

The company passed proposals on a number of articles, including overtime and health and safety, and responded to union proposals on filling vacancies, hours of service, training, and sick leave.

While the union and management exchanged meaningful conversations and are close to agreement on many articles, no tentative agreements were reached this session. Piedmont did, however, provide the union with an update on a status of information request to be able to formulate an economic proposal.

The next bargaining session is scheduled for April 23-25.

Members of CWA Local 4201 are among those who would be covered by a new contract with Piedmont Airlines. The CWA bargaining team has had constructive conversations with Piedmont but has not yet reached an agreement.

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CWA Road Workers in Iowa Demand Their Cheeseburger, To Go!

A report from Corey Davis, President, CWA Local 7103

Road workers in Woodbury County, Iowa face many challenges. They go out in freezing temperatures, often long after the sun has set and long before the sun rises. As public workers and members of CWA Local 7103, their union has been under attack by corporate-backed politicians who want to weaken our power to stand up for ourselves.

But they have been fighting back – and winning! Click here to read CWA Local 7103 President Corey Davis’s inspiring story about how these workers won contract improvements and stayed CWA Strong (and what a cheeseburger has to do with it)!

Motivated by anti-union legislation passed by the Florida legislature and by their treatment on the job by management, CWA Local 3122 members at the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority (FKAA) are supporting their union in record numbers.

Last year, the Florida legislature passed a union-busting law that required public employees to demonstrate that 60 percent of employees are paying dues and have signed “membership authorization forms.” Hardworking public employees can lose their union representation or see their chosen union decertified if they do not meet the law’s onerous requirements.

“We recently passed 60 percent paying dues and signing the form, and our support is growing,” said Chris Walterson, President of CWA Local 3122. “A lot of the mobilizing work is being done on the ground by the FKAA workers themselves, which is a great sign for us going forward.”

Earlier this week, CWA Broadband Brigade members Nick Hoh and Pam Galpern joined Federal Communications Commission (FCC) officials, elected officials, and broadband equity advocate groups to call for an extension to the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). According to the FCC, the ACP has made high-speed internet affordable for approximately 23 million households. Without an extension, the ACP will run out of funding in May.

The press conference, which took place on the steps of City Hall in New York City, was convened by Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) who, with Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), proposed the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act of 2024 which, if passed, will provide an additional $7 billion in funding for the ACP.

Pam Galpern, a Field Technician at Verizon for 25 years and a shop steward for CWA Local 1101, shared her personal experience, saying, “We can only shrink the digital divide if families can actually afford to get connected. Without help, high-speed internet costs too much for many families trying to make ends meet. If the ACP is allowed to expire, it will cut off a lifeline for all of those families.” Galpern continued, “There’s another benefit to the ACP. It means more work for union workers like me, who build and maintain the network that connects households to the internet. The ACP isn’t just an internet affordability program—it is a good jobs program as well.”

Also in attendance was FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, who said, “I was thrilled to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Congresswoman Clarke to raise awareness of the urgent need to refund the Affordable Connectivity Program and to support the Affordable Connectivity Plan Extension Act. Over 23 million American households stand on the precipice of losing access to a vital program. We must act now to refund ACP."

CWA Broadband Brigade members participated in a press conference calling for an extension of the Affordable Connectivity Program. Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) stood with FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel (in pink jacket) calling for passage of the bipartisan Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act.

Since his election last summer, CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. has made facilitating communication throughout our union a top priority. While some initiatives are easy to see, such as the launch of our TikTok channel and increased focus on social media, there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes.

CWA Chief of Staff Sylvia J. Ramos is focused on ensuring that CWA staff members are collaborating efficiently, sharing best practices, and connecting locals and members with support for bargaining, mobilization, and organizing. In April, she will begin regular convenings of senior District, Sector, and Headquarters staff. “As CWA’s new Chief of Staff, I have spent the past few months listening, learning, and identifying ways that we can be serving our members and locals better,” Ramos said. “One of those ways is to keep our District and Sector staff up-to-date on the resources available through Headquarters, so that they can pass that information on to locals and members. Improving communication in this way will strengthen our union and ensure that we are being responsive to our members.”

Richard “Rick” Del Rio has been an active member of CWA for over 25 years. He’s been a steward and served on numerous committees, including mobilization, organizing, community services, and, most recently, as Chair of the Election Committee for CWA Local 9421. In 2019, Rick suffered prolonged exposure to sulfuric acid, which damaged his lungs and led to Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD). The disease is incurable and often fatal as the scar tissue spreads, degrading the lungs’ ability to transfer gasses into and from the blood.

Rick is now on the lung transplant list at the University of California, San Francisco Transplant Center. In order to afford the $40,000 transplant bill, Rick’s family and friends have created a GoFundMe page. Please consider donating to help Brother Rick and his family.

Richard “Rick” Del Rio, longtime member of CWA Local 9421, is in need of a lung transplant after prolonged exposure to sulfuric acid, which led to an incurable case of Interstitial Lung Disease.

In honor of Women’s History Month, the AFL-CIO is celebrating the work of women in the labor movement who are making strides not just for worker rights but for equality and justice. This week, the AFL-CIO featured CWA Local 3204 Executive Vice President Yolanda Pearson.

A resident of Atlanta, Ga., Yolanda joined CWA 32 years ago when she began her career at AT&T. She has held various positions within CWA and currently serves as the CWA District 3 National Women’s Committee representative. Pearson also serves as president of the A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI) Metro Atlanta Chapter, Georgia APRI vice president, vice president of the Atlanta chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, a member of NAACP Dekalb County, and the community service chair on the women's, Pride, and legislative and political committees at her local.

Yolanda’s passion for social change and her commitment to social justice are evident in her many roles and serve as testaments to both her skill and experience in the labor movement.