CWA Newsletter, Thursday, July 11, 2013

7/28/2019 CWA Newsletter, Thursday, July 11, 2013

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July 11,. 2013

Send tips to [email protected] or@CWANews. Follow thelatest developments at www.resistancegrowing.org.

You Won't Want to Miss the Next CWA Town Hall Call:J uly 18

House Members Stand Up for NLRB

Allies Are a Big Part of the Fight for Senate RulesReform

Media Covers Fix the Senate Now

Bargaining Update

Immigration Reform: The Time is Now

Morton Bahr Scholarship Winners

You Won't Want to Miss the Next CWA Town Hall Call: J uly18

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Make sure you're keeping up with everything CWA. J oin nextweek's CWA Town Hall Call on Thursday, J uly 18, at 7:30p.m. ET to take a stand and learn how you can fight back.

Register here: http://cwa-union.org/cwacall.

House Members Stand Up for NLRB

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mailto:[email protected]://action.cwa-union.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=84hl2bEYnBdufO3fgzfBWQ5n6CqhAko2http://action.cwa-union.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=T4diAU7SiCQFfuVOBngVrA5n6CqhAko2http://action.cwa-union.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=ayL%2Fq4FY6Jesjbth3TsbEg5n6CqhAko2http://action.cwa-union.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=ayL%2Fq4FY6Jesjbth3TsbEg5n6CqhAko2http://action.cwa-union.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=T4diAU7SiCQFfuVOBngVrA5n6CqhAko2http://action.cwa-union.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=84hl2bEYnBdufO3fgzfBWQ5n6CqhAko2mailto:[email protected]://action.cwa-union.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=jXe50uzGBnpzBS0ehDBDWA5n6CqhAko2http://action.cwa-union.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=A5tm%2BlemMW%2BlgqiPvAEHHg5n6CqhAko2http://action.cwa-union.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=R%2FWmOEQyupfQwUtBFUGW6Q5n6CqhAko2http://action.cwa-union.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=lN2%2BklOrLmZOuSTWBlLULg5n6CqhAko2http://action.cwa-union.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=JZENCQSC4eJyGE6IaYF%2BIA5n6CqhAko2http://action.cwa-union.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=ryjRXyVK0%2BPGnaJq8XBqWg5n6CqhAko2http://action.cwa-union.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=1Ox6bYI%2BcQbDaUJWJFGQ3Q5n6CqhAko2


2/13

U.S. Representatives Linda Snchez (CA-38) and J oeCourtney (CT-2) were joined by nearly 200 of theirDemocratic colleagues in calling on Senate Minority LeaderMitch McConnell to end the obstruction over executivenominations, including the five nominations to the NationalLabor Relations Board.

A letter, signed by 201 House Democrats, was delivered toMcConnell on Tuesday; an ad featuring that letter ran in thenext day's Politico, a Capitol Hill newspaper.

At a news conference outside the Capitol, Snchez, Courtneyand other members of Congress were joined by workers whoknow just how important the NLRB is.


3/13

Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) calls on SenateMinority Leader Mitch McConnell to stop the obstruction over

the five nominations to the National Labor Relations Board.

Below: At a Capitol Hill news conference, Gertrude Villegas, aCablevision technician, says Cablevision won't bargain fairlyand only the NLRB can enforce the law.

"More than 80 million private sector employees rely on the


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National Labor Relations Board for protection from unfairlabor practices," said Congresswoman Snchez. "Bythreatening to shut down the NLRB's ability to function,Senator McConnell and Senate Republicans undermine thevery foundation of our country's labor laws and workplace

protections. Republicans should stop this reckless attack onworkers' rights. The American people deserve better thanthis."

Congressman Courtney said: "This blatant attempt to preventthe National Labor Relations Board from functioning for ournation's workers and employers is shameful. Without afunctioning board, appeals would not be heard, decisionswould not be enforced, and violations of workers' rights wouldgo without remedy."

Gertrude Villegas, a technician at Cablevision in Brooklyn,N.Y., and a member of CWA Local 1109, said "without theNLRB, Cablevision won't bargain fairly and there won't be anyagency that can make it bargain."

Last J anuary, 22 of her co-workers at Cablevision wereillegally fired and locked out, "thrown away like yesterday'snewspaper, to send a message to those of us still employed,"Villegas said.

The NLRB cited Cablevision for that action, and for illegally

promising big raises and other financial incentives totechnicians in the Bronx, as long as they dropped theirsupport for a union. Cablevision even went to the U.S.Supreme Court to stop the NLRB hearing. That effort failed,and the hearing will go forward.

Kathleen Von Eitzen, a baker at a Panera Bread franchise inMichigan, said after workers won union representation inMarch 2012, her employer stepped up the intimidation,retaliating against her because she supports the union andeven terminating one of the most outspoken union supporters.

We need the NLRB to enforce labor law.

Allies Are a Big Part of the Fight for Senate Rules Reform


5/13

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Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), CWA President LarryCohen and Ed Mierzwinski, head of U.S. Public InterestResearch Group and Americans for Financial Reform held ateleconference joined by 5,000 activists on the critical needfor Senate rules reform.

Mierzwinski noted that the Dodd-Frank banking reformlegislation, enacted to counter the economic destructioncaused by the financial industry in 2008, established theConsumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) "to protectAmerican consumers no matter where they buy their financial

services."

Now, the nomination of Richard Cordray to head that agencyis being blocked by Republican Senators doing the bidding ofthe financial services industry, he said. Several RepublicanSenators have said they will vote to confirm Cordray only ifthe banking reform measure is weakened.

A coalition of community, labor and environmental groupsdeliver 165,000 petitions to Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-

Calif.).

Below: CWA President Larry Cohen (right), joins a paneldiscussion on the misuse of the filibuster and the need forSenate rules reform. With him are leaders from CommonCause and Alliance for Justice and a participant from the

American Enterprise institute.
http://action.cwa-union.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=yG%2BfhluyZCaZS5P3JFgOqA5n6CqhAko2http://action.cwa-union.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=Yw4TtnLwESYgsizOs%2FDKEg5n6CqhAko2http://action.cwa-union.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=hnDBJ%2Fd1n7JE6bXJ%2B7Gzzg5n6CqhAko2


6/13

Warren stressed that the CFPB already is making a hugedifference for American families, from mortgages to creditcards to student loans. In fact, the agency forced credit cardcompanies to refund half a billion dollars to consumers, shesaid.

We need to keep this going, but Senate Republicans want "tokeep the game rigged so that it doesn't work for consumers,"she said.

Cohen tied it all together, noting that it's no accident that theminority in the Senate is taking aim at both the Cordraynomination and President Obama's five nominations to theNLRB.

"The Senate majority must act now and change the rules onnominations so that they can be approved by an up or down

vote," he said.

In California, CWA activists joined members of the CALPublic Interest Research Group, the Center forResponsible Lending, Greenlining Institute and otherswho met with staff from Sen. Dianne Feinstein's office.

They delivered 165,000 petition signatures to Feinsteinwith this message: The Senate should stop delayingand confirm Richard Cordray as director of theConsumer Financial Protection Bureau right away.

Leaders from Common Cause, CWA, Alliance forJ ustice and even a resident scholar from theconservative American Enterprise Institute agreed thatthe Senate's misuse of the filibuster has created anunprecedented backlog of nominations to criticalagencies and federal courts, and is harming our


7/13

democracy.

At a panel discussion at the National Press Club inWashington, D.C., participants CWA President LarryCohen, AFJ President Nan Aron, Stephen Spaulding of

Common Cause and NormOrnstein of AEI called forchanging the Senate rules to stop the obstruction thathas been rampant in the U.S. Senate.

Media Covers Fix the Senate Now

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In print and online ads, and newspaper, radio and television

interviews, CWA's message that President Obama'sexecutive nominations should get an up or down vote in theSenate is resonating.

On MSNBC's "All In with Chris Hayes," CWA PresidentLarry Cohen talked about exactly what the NLRBmeans for 80 million workers, and that the Senateminority's obstruction on these and other nominationsmust stop. That will only happen if the SenateDemocratic majority votes to change the rules. Watchthe full interview here.

President Cohen also will take that message toMSNBC's Ed Show this Sunday, J uly 14, at 5 pm EDT.Be sure to watch.

A telephone news conference featuredCongresswoman Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) andPresident Cohen on the unprecedented action byvirtually every Democratic Member of Congress tellingthe Senate to stop its obstruction of President Obama's

nominees. Listen to the news conference here.

Also this week, a new round of ads on the homepagesofPolitico and The Washington Post spotlightingexactly what's at stake for working Americans if all fiveNLRB nominees are not confirmed and letting readersclick through a message to their Senators. The ads
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8/13

read, "Fired for standing up for yourself at work?Unless the Senate majority confirms a full NationalLabor Relations Board, you're on your own." Similarads can be seen on Facebook, Twitter and when doingGoogle searches.

Next week, listen for radio interviews with CWA leadersand activists.

Bargaining Update

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University of California workers (above), members ofUPTE/CWA Local 9119, AFSCME and California Nurses

Association, demonstrate across the state for fair contracts.
http://action.cwa-union.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=gicASODbrwH9ft0WkH3OXw5n6CqhAko2http://action.cwa-union.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=nGLtnTVKJhAbsesdhZSpLg5n6CqhAko2http://action.cwa-union.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=ZpeM3%2BAnaIc3WJdJRXY10A5n6CqhAko2http://action.cwa-union.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=ZpeM3%2BAnaIc3WJdJRXY10A5n6CqhAko2http://action.cwa-union.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=nGLtnTVKJhAbsesdhZSpLg5n6CqhAko2http://action.cwa-union.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=gicASODbrwH9ft0WkH3OXw5n6CqhAko2


9/13

AT&T Internet Services members mobilize for a new contract.

Above, members of Local 4900 are standing strong. Below,members of Local 9413 joined in Health Care Action Day tosend management a message: shifting health care costs toworkers is a sick idea!


10/13

The contract covering staff research associates andtechnicians at the University of California system,members of UPTE CWA Local 9119, expired on J une30. All contract terms and conditions of employmentremain in effect during this "status quo" period. Indemonstrations across the state on J uly 1, UPTEmembers and other union activists, part of the 44,000member strong Union Coalition, protested theuniversity's plans to impose a two-tier retirementsystem (both pension and retiree health care) forworkers who don't have union representation and its

offer of a zero percent wage increase for researchassociates and techs.

On J uly 2, CWA members at AT&T Internet joined inHealth Care Action Day to protest the company'sshifting of health care costs to workers. Members inmany offices wore band-aids, bandages, crutches and


11/13


12/13

CWA activists joined other allies at a rally for fair immigrationreform on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Demonstratorswere determined to send a message to the Republicancaucus of the House of Representatives, that "we want a votenow" on comprehensive immigration reform.

CWA is calling for fair immigration reform that provides a pathto citizenship for 11 million immigrant workers.

Morton Bahr Scholarship Winners

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The Morton Bahr Scholarship has awarded five outstandingunion members scholarships for full tuition at Empire StateCollege Distance Learning Center. The winners are:

J ordan March, member of OPEIU Local 2

J ohn Llewellyn J r., president of IAFF Local 7

Mendy Thorsland, member of NYSUT

Kenya Coleman, vice president of CWA Local 1141

J ennifer J acob, member of CWA Local 1170

The scholarship honors CWA President Emeritus MortonBahr, who has been committed to lifelong learning andhelping to provide educational opportunity. Bahr is analumnus of Empire State College, which is part of the StateUniversity of New York.

Since its inception in 2001, the Bahr scholarship has helped
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13/13

56 students continue their education through distancelearning.

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CWA Newsletter, Thursday, July 11, 2013