HUNDREDS OF VERIZON WORKERS RALLY AT FCC TO SPOTLIGHT JOBS IMPACT OF VERIZON WIRELESS-BIG CABLE DEAL

Nearly 200 CWA members from five states rallied outside the Federal Communications Commission, calling for conditions on the Verizon Wireless-Big Cable deal.

CWA Newsletter June 14, 2012

Verizon workers from five states and Washington D.C. rallied alongside consumer advocates and community organizations in front of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today to urge regulators to put conditions on the proposed anti-competitive deal between Verizon subsidiary Verizon Wireless and Big Cable.

CWA representatives and Verizon workers also met with FCC officials to explain why the FCC needs to impose conditions on the deal to ensure it is in the public interest. CWA members also delivered petitions and handwritten letters of concern to FCC officials from more than 130,000 workers and consumers. In addition, they distributed copies of a new report, Slamming the Door on Our High Speed Future, which details how the proposed deal will destroy jobs and widen the digital divide. Read the full story here.

Democrats worry Verizon-cable deal could undermine Telecom Act

By Brendan Sasso June 13, 2012

A group of Democrats, led by Reps. Edward Markey (Mass.) and John Conyers Jr. (Mich.), urged federal regulators on Wednesday to take a hard look at Verizon’s proposed deal with a group of cable companies, warning the deal could undermine the 1996 Telecommunications Act.

The Democrats, some of whom helped write the 1996 law, said the goal of the legislation was to promote competition between cable and telephone companies.  

Read full story here.

Serious Consumer Data Risks Highlighted in CWA Report

April 2, 2012

Citing a growing number of security questions surrounding overseas call centers, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) today released an updated version of a  sobering December 2011 report detailing the linkage between the off-shoring of call center jobs and a range of serious negative effects on U.S. consumers and job seekers, including placing consumers’ personal information at risk.

Several major investigations have unearthed fraudulent and criminal activity emanating from overseas call centers- Including stories in the Sunday Times and Australian TV Newsmagazine Today Tonight.  Despite serious security concerns, Wells Fargo and T-Mobile have announced that they will close numerous U.S. call centers and instead expand their commitments to call centers in India and the Philippines.

As security concerns rise, so does the momentum behind the bi-partisan “US Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act”. Representative Tim Bishop (NY-1) today announced that the number of co-sponsors has risen to over 100 . The recent reports of data breaches and security lapses at overseas call centers underscore the importance of the bi-partisan legislation that would ban taxpayer dollars in the form of federal grants or guaranteed loans to American companies that move call center jobs overseas.

The legislation would also require call center employees to disclose their location to U.S. consumers and transfer that call to a U.S.-based center if requested by the consumer, as well as require that a list of companies that off-shore their call center work be made available to the public.

Key Updates to the Report Include:

  • Information from an alarming investigation by The Sunday Times: The investigation details the existing black market for consumer data in India, and shows how easily undercover reporters were able to access and purchase valuable consumer data.
  • The U. S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) uncovered a telemarketing scam operating out of an Indian call center:  Employees pretended to be from a debt collection agency and defrauded Americans out of over $5 million.
  • Foreign entities and affected corporations are downplaying the incidence and risk of consumer data fraud: According to the recent Sunday Times investigation, “the Indian government — anxious to preserve the reputation of an industry worth an estimated £3.7 billion a year — described it as a “freak incident.”  Additionally, a police source told The Sunday Times that “British companies are reluctant to report such breaches for fear of the potential adverse publicity.” 
  • Despite concerns, further plans to offshore call center jobs continue: T-Mobile is closing seven U.S. call centers, a development that will mean approximately 2,000 Americans will be out of work.  T-Mobile USA took over $61 million in state and local recruitment subsidies to originally locate these call center jobs in the U.S.  Similarly, Wells Fargo recently announced plans to expand its call center operation in the Philippines – after earlier laying off hundreds of American workers by shuttering call centers in such locations as California, Florida, and Pennsylvania.   Meanwhile, Wells Fargo received a $25 billion lifeline from the government via TARP.  

Link to full report:

http://files.cwa-union.org/national/News/Misc/20111215-offshore-callcenter.pdf

CWAERS Across The Country Rally Against Verizon Greed

Across the country, CWA members turned out for the National Day of Solidarity for Verizon Workers, joined by union, progressive and community allies at hundreds of rallies and events.

March 22 became the unofficial kickoff to 99 percent spring/challenging corporate power, when union members and others will again join forces in actions to gain economic justice. At many rallies today, unions across the labor movement joined each other’s fights, with support from progressive and community activists who know what’s at stake.

As the CWA newsletter went to press, CWAers and supporters were still going strong at rallies in Long Beach, Calif., Irvine, Tex., Indianapolis, Washington, D.C., New York City, and many other places.

Other locations got an early start; members of CWA Local 2108 rallied beginning at 7 a.m. at the Verizon Silver Spring, Md., facility.

CWAers also leafleted outside Verizon Wireless stores from Seattle to Omaha to Orlando, standing up for Verizon Wireless workers who also are fighting for a fair contract.

“Today, Americans across the country are saying enough is enough with corporate America’s race to the bottom. Corporations like Verizon are squeezing the middle-class in an endless push toward low wages and no benefits. Today, we are demanding that the American economy start to work for the 99 percent again, not just for the Verizon top 1 percent,” said Ron Collins, CWA chief of staff.

“Companies like Verizon represent all that is wrong with our economy today: billions in profits, millions for executives, and cuts for everyone else. Today’s Day of Action is about more than the 45,000 Verizon workers still without a contract, this fight is about the future of the middle class itself.”

For more about Verizon and Verizon Wireless bargaining, go to www.unityatverizon.com.

99 Percent Spring/Challenging Corporate Power Is Coming

CWA activists are headed to spring training.

Next month, 2,000 CWA activists will be attending training to lead nonviolent, direct protests aimed at reigniting the enthusiasm and passion of Occupy Wall Street and Wisconsin uprisings. CWA joins more than 60 progressive groups — collectively called the 99 Percent Spring — that will be training a total of 100,000 activists at 700 trainings in 48 states.

“We call on our members in CWA, across labor, across all progressive groups to answer the call — the call for training in April and the call to march on all spring. To say to the 1 percent, ‘You have peaked. We are back. We are standing up and fighting back,'” said CWA President Larry Cohen on a media conference call.

The 99 Percent Spring activists will be targeting at least 40 companies, including Verizon, Chevron and Wells Fargo. In what’s been dubbed “Shareholder’s Spring,” activists will protest at shareholder meetings — including the Bank of America’s annual meeting in Charlotte, N.C.

Other actions will include home occupations to prevent foreclosures and student-led protests against Sallie Mae and other entities that have profited from student loan debt.

Jake Lake of CWA Local 1111 trained in DC this week with 100 other participants to be a 99 Percent Spring/Challenging Corporate Power trainer during the week of April 9 to 15. Next week he’ll continue with coalition training in New York City, where 1,100 people will be preparing to launch the April workshops.

“We definitely need to have people power and grow our coalition,” he said. “That’s key to our future as middle-class Americans and the 99 percent. There’s already a lot of commonalities between the groups, which is cool.”

On the media call, organization leaders highlighted the erosion of union bargaining rights, voter suppression, attacks on immigrants and corporate money in politics.

“It’s time for us as the 99 percent to really talk about, imagine, demand and organize around our vision for a new economy,” said Sarita Gupta, executive director of Jobs with Justice.

Justin Ruben, executive director of MoveOn.org, said history is already on our side.

“From the labor movement to the struggle for civil rights, we have this incredible shared history in America of everyday folks using their own power and using nonviolent, direct action to create change at the moments that our country most needed it,” said Ruben. “And we think that’s what has to happen now, again.”

Click here to see why CWA members identify with the 99 Percent Spring/Challenging Corporate Power movement.

Bargaining for Four AT&T Contracts Continues

CWA bargaining teams are continuing separate negotiations with AT&T Midwest, AT&T West, AT&T Legacy and AT&T East. CWA negotiators are reporting tough bargaining at every table and are urging members to keep mobilizing to make certain that the companies know we’re not backing down from our fair contract fight. Those contracts expire April 7. In the summer, CWA District 3 will begin negotiations with AT&T Southeast; that contract expires in early August.
Get the latest bargaining updates and mobilization reports at http://www.cwa-union.org/issues/entry/c/att.

CWA says “No Secret Deals” As Redacted Documents Filed By Verizon and Four Cable Providers Fail to Provide FCC and Public Critical Information about the Deal

Washington, D.C. — The Communications Workers of America today filed supplemental comments with the Federal Communications Commission asking the agency to “stop the clock” on consideration of the Verizon/cable company transaction until the parties involved provide the Commission with full and complete copies of their related commercial agreements.

In demanding the release of unredacted versions of Joint Marketing Agreements between Verizon Wireless and the four cable companies — Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, and Bright House Networks — the CWA noted that the documents are essential to shed light on competitive concerns related to the proposed sale under consideration by the FCC…

Read full story here:

High-Impact Campaign Fighting Indiana ‘Right to Work’ Bill

CWA Helps Coordinate as Statehouse Draws Thousands of Activists Daily

With a campaign that is flooding the Indiana statehouse with thousands of activists every day, CWA and other unions are determined to stop Republican leaders from ramming an anti-union “right-to-work” bill through the legislature.

Union members with clipboards are positioned at entries in the capitol, where long lines of activists stretch down the street. Volunteers sign in visitors and direct them to the “help desk,” a table staffed with activists armed with laptop computers. They help visitors identify their representative and suggest other lawmakers to visit who are wavering on the issue.

“We’re really focusing on educating people about the issue and how to lobby for it,” said CWA Local 4900’s Angie Schritter, Legislative-Political Action Team coordinator. “We talk to them about the facts about ‘right-to-work’ states, the fact that wages are lower in those states, that on-the-job injuries and fatalities are significantly higher, that even infant mortality rates are higher.”

As hundreds of activists visit various Indiana statehouse offices each day, “It’s driving some of the office staff crazy,” Schritter said. “We are sending a very strong message.”

Based on the fire marshal’s estimates during the first week of January, Schritter said 3,000 is the fewest number of people who came through the capitol. Typically, 5,000 to 7,000 people arrived daily, from union members and allies to people who wish they had the chance to join a union.

“I had a 73-year-old grandfather here today and he said, ‘I’m doing this for my grandkids,'” Schritter said.

The capitol was filled to the brim the night of Jan. 10, as Gov. Mitch Daniels gave his State of the State address. TVs were set up in overflow rooms, but it was almost impossible to hear with the huge crowd, many of whom angrily booed their governor and the Republicans for pushing “right-to-work.”

Many Democrats skipped the speech, and have been refusing to show up to legislative sessions, denying the Republican majority the quorum it needs to pass the bill, which has been approved by House and Senate committees. Last year, Democrats fled Indiana for five weeks to block the bill in the 2010 session.

“After the speech, the Democrats who did attend got up and left immediately to absolutely roaring applause,” Schritter said. “They came through and shook everyone’s hands. It was great. Then the Republicans got up to leave and the boos were unbelievable.”

Although she couldn’t see inside the chamber, she heard that “quite a few Republicans” didn’t stand and cheer when Daniels talked about right to work. “We are definitely having an impact,” she said. “We know there are Republicans who don’t want to support this bill, but they are afraid to go against their leadership. We are appealing to them to do the right thing.”

Among the broad support for workers, NFL players, who are union members themselves, are calling on Republicans to kill the bill. “‘Right-to-work’ is a political ploy designed to destroy basic workers’ rights. It’s not about jobs or rights, and it’s the wrong priority for Indiana,” the NFL Players Association said in a statement last week (PDF).

Daniels and Republican leaders are anxious to pass the bill so the controversy will die down before Indianapolis hosts the Super Bowl on Feb. 5.

As the CWA Newsletter was being published Jan. 12, union activists in their favorite NFL gear were preparing for a march from the statehouse to the Colts’ stadium.

‘The 12 Days Of Verizon’

Photo Courtesy of CWA-Union.org

CWAers, members of other unions, and activists from Jobs with Justice and the Occupy movement sang carols about corporate greed outside the office of Verizon board member Rodney Slater.

Slater, who made $219,000 last year as a Verizon board director, helped the company’s top five executives get $258 million over the last four years.

The National Says We have much to loose.

Verizon is attempting to complete a partnership with its rivals that can destroy the very core of Unionized jobs and retiree benefits. Verizon has failed to provide information at this time to our bargaining committee on how this will hurt our jobs. Our National Union has told us that Active Members and Retirees alike have much to loose on this partnership.

The Thursday Union Hall call covered what this has done for our bargaining process. We have been informed that now more than ever in the sights of this threat we must mobilize and participate in each an every event for our jobs and our families.

Listen to the CWA National Union Hall Call: December 15, 2011

How Verizon Stole Christmas!

A few years ago, Verizon’s fiber build offered the promise of truly high-speed Internet and video competition. Now Verizon is abandoning that vision. Consumers looking forward to advanced FiOS and video competition will now have to make do with either cable or satellite service.

This latest move means that Verizon will depend less on its unionized workforce and rely more on the services of the low-wage, low-benefit cable companies and their contract labor. In all, not a good move for America. Read full story – Cable Deal Signed, below!
Cable Deal Signed, Verizon Pulls Out of FiOS Build Out – Speedmatters

Stand with Rep. Bishop’s Call Center Bill

CWA-Union.org

Here’s a special CWA carol:

On the First Day of Christmas, Verizon gave to me: A few million for the CEO!

On the Second Day of Christmas, Verizon gave to me: A cut in starting pay, and a few million for the CEO!

On the Third Day of Christmas, Verizon gave to me: Dishonest bargaining, a cut in starting pay, and a few million for the CEO!

On the Fourth Day of Christmas, Verizon gave to me: Unfairly fired workers, dishonest bargaining, a cut in starting pay, and a few million for the CEO!

On the Fifth Day of Christmas, Verizon gave to me: OUT-SOURCING JOBS, unfairly fired workers, dishonest bargaining, a cut in starting pay, and a few million for the CEO!

On the Sixth Day of Christmas, Verizon gave to me: Billions in profits, OUT-SOURCING JOBS, unfairly fired workers, dishonest bargaining, a cut in starting pay, and a few million for the CEO!

On the Seventh Day of Christmas, Verizon gave to me: Cutting our pensions, billions in profits, OUT-SOURCING JOBS, unfairly fired workers, dishonest bargaining, a cut in starting pay, and a few million for the CEO!

On the Eighth Day of Christmas, Verizon gave to me: Dividends for stockholders, cutting our pensions, billions in profits, OUT-SOURCING JOBS, unfairly fired workers, dishonest bargaining, a cut in starting pay, and a few million for the CEO!

On the Ninth Day of Christmas, Verizon gave to me: Less health insurance, dividends for stockholders, cutting our pensions, billions in profits, OUT-SOURCING JOBS, unfairly fired workers, dis-honest bargaining, a cut in starting pay, and a few million for the CEO!

On the Tenth Day of Christmas, Verizon gave to me: More corporate greed, less health insurance, dividends for stockholders, cutting our pensions, billions in profits, OUT-SOURCING JOBS, unfairly fired workers, dishonest bargaining, a cut in starting pay, and a few million for the CEO!

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas, Verizon gave to me: Less respect for workers, more corporate greed, less health insurance, dividends for stockholders, cutting our pensions, billions in profits, OUT-SOURCING JOBS, unfairly fired workers, dishonest bargaining, a cut in starting pay, and a few million for the CEO!

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, Verizon gave to me: Profits over people, less respect for workers, more corporate greed, less health insurance, dividends for stockholders, cutting our pensions, billions in profits, OUT-SOURCING JOBS, unfairly fired workers, dishonest bargaining, a cut in starting pay, and a few million for the CEO!

61 Wrongly Fired CWAers Back To Work At Verizon; Fight Continues

CWA has won back the jobs of 61 members wrongly fired for alleged misconduct during the Verizon strike in August, and is continuing to fight for the other 25 members who were terminated.

“If the parties can’t agree on the 25 remaining cases, we strongly believe they should go before a neutral third party arbitrator,” CWA Chief of Staff Ron Collins said. In addition to the 86 fired CWA members, Verizon fired 39 IBEW members. Of those, 25 workers are back on the job.

Recent news stories about Verizon have reported on the firings, but failed to say that most of the workers have won their jobs back.

Leafleting at Verizon Wireless stores and Verizon buildings is continuing across the country, with a special holiday emphasis. On the 15th, CWA members in Washington, D.C., visited the office of Verizon Board Member Rodney Slater, delivering candy coal and singing carols with distinctive union lyrics.

CWA Christmas Carol

CWA-Union.org