May 8, 2014

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Fair Trade Now!
CWA Legislative-Political and Movement Building Conference
T-Mobile Settles NLRB Complaint
NLRB Moves Forward on Consolidated Complaints Against T-
Mobile US
Labor Rights Forum Honors Defenders
Fair Trade Now!
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More than a thousand activists from dozens of progressive organizations
rallied on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol Wednesday to demand trade deals
that work for everyone not just the 1 percent.
Braving thunder and a downpour, CWAers and our labor, environmental,
student, citizen, faith and good government allies chanted, "They say 'Fast
Track!' We Say 'Fight Back!'"
CWA President Larry Cohen introduces members of Congress.
About half the participants came from CWA's legislative-political and
movement building conference. CWA activists were joined by partners from
42 other organizations and other unions and the AFL-CIO as part of the
campaign to build a movement for economic justice.
Rally speakers included Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Keith Ellison (D-
Minn.), Sander Levin (D-Mich.), Mike Michaud (D-Me.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.),
and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.).
MSNBC's Ed Schultz, who covered the rally, laid it out plainly: Free trade
agreements hurt American workers.
"Americans have every right to be outraged that this country is even thinking
about this. This is a corporate deal. It's driven by Wall Street. It's been done
in secrecy. Doesn't that bother you at all?" asked Schultz.
Union and progressive partners rally together.
Watch the rally coverage and CWA President Cohen here.
After the rally, CWA activists and partners visited the offices of every member
of Congress, proving that our alliance is united in the fight for fair trade deals.
CWA Legislative-Political and Movement Building Conference
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This year's legislative-political and movement building conference had a
totally different feel, and moved us a step closer to building our movement of
50 million activists who can bring about real progressive change. This year,
CWA leaders and activists joined with partners from 42 organizations to
strategize about how we move forward together on the issues we care about.
More than 100 participants from partner groups and more than 500 CWAers
attended the conference, spoke to the issues and helped present at 17
workshops ranging from public financing of elections, fighting back against
state budget shortfalls and holding Democrats accountable to online tools for
movement building, immigration reform and more.
Every workshop and panel featured CWA activists from across our union and
the partners with whom we're working everyday on issues like economic
justice, the environment, equal rights and fair trade.
Day 1 focused on how we're building our movement. Day 2 provided an
update on the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, "fast track" authorization,
and information for the participants' meetings with their members of Congress
following the rally.
Cohen: 'Our Fights Are Really One Battle'
CWA President Larry Cohen called on activists to unite in a strong, robust
democracy movement.
Watch the video here.
"Without this movement for democracy that will unite us all, our individual
fights just can't be realized," he said.
He added, "The democracy movement is necessary if we are going to move
forward toward economic justice."
Cohen laid out why our seemingly disparate fights are really one battle.
"It's not just the rights of an individual to vote," he said. "It's not just the rights
of an immigrant. It's about what kind of democracy we have when $7 billion is
spent in the last federal election alone, more than in any other country in the
world.
More than 40 years ago, a memo was drafted by Lewis Powell Jr., before he
served on the U.S. Supreme Court, for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce,
laying out a corporate strategy to aggressively shape U.S. politics and law.
Since then, the business community has worked to take over the most
important institutions of public opinion and democratic decision-making,
Cohen said.
Barber: Why We Need a Moral Movement
Rev. William Barber called for a "moral movement" across America to defend
our democracy from extremist state legislatures.
Watch the video here.
"What is bad is not what they are doing. What would be bad is for us not to
fight back," said Barber, who is also the president of the NAACP in North
Carolina. "That's what would be bad!"
One year ago, Barber led a small group of clergy and activists into North
Carolina's state legislative building to protest GOP lawmakers' attacks on
voting rights, blocking Medicaid expansion, cutting unemployment benefits
and shrinking higher-education spending. The police led him away in
handcuffs.
But then something incredible happened: The next Monday, more than 100
people showed up at the capitol for a non-violent demonstration. The
following Monday, even more rallied to the cause. Soon thousands of people
were attending "Moral Monday" protests in Raleigh, but also in Florida, South
Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. Barber's recent Moral March on Raleigh in
February attracted a crowd of at least 80,000 people.
Today the attacks on the poor, immigrants, LGBT communities and civil rights
are "lewd, mean-spirited and fundamentally contrary to what our democracy
is supposed to be," said Barber.
"We are at a time when corporations are treated like people and people are
treated like things," he said.
Barber told CWAers that Martin Luther King Jr. and the great leaders of the
labor movement aren't going to rise up from the dead, so it's up to everyday
citizens to get involved. Moral Monday protests will start up again on May 19
and continue through the North Carolina General Assembly's legislative
session. This summer Barber will also be coordinating an event in 11
Southern states where Republican agendas are hurting the poor and working
class.
"When anybody challenges our deepest moral principles and our deepest
democratic principles you and I were born for such a time as this. And we
must fight back now!" he said.
Rev. Barber will participate in CWA's Human Rights Conference June 8-10.
Brown: 'You Make This Country Better'
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) encouraged activists to tell the personal stories
of their families, friends and neighbors when they lobby members of
Congress. Stories, like that of TU activist Blake Poindexter, who lost his job
when T-Mobile offshored several call centers, illuminate why we need bills
that protect workers and grow the middle class.
Watch the video here.
"Tell them why this matters," he said. "The labor movement has been at the
forefront of so many fights. You advocate, you organize, you educate. You
rally people. You make this country better."
This is critical as GOP lawmakers seek to undermine so many of the rights
workers have fought for over the decades. "The far right sees the
demographics of this country changing, so the only way they can win is
changing the rules," he said.
Worker advocacy is particularly important when it comes to trade. Brown
noted that we were told that passing NAFTA would create lots of jobs but it
didn't. Congress was told that same line when it negotiated CAFTA and
passed fast-track authority to speed trade agreements through Congress with
little debate. But those all failed to live up to their job creation promises.
"They don't even bother saying that anymore because the country doesn't
believe it," said Brown, who has been calling for more transparency in the
Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations.
He added, "That's why your work is so important. That's where you come in
to protect jobs, to project the public interest, to protect health and safety."
Pelosi: 'We Need Transparency'
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi was greeted with shouts of "best
Speaker ever," a reminder of the hundreds of pieces of legislation supporting
working families that she was able to steer through the House of
Representatives during her years as Speaker.
Watch the video here.
"You couldn't be coming at a more critical time. And I thank you for the
advocacy that you bring to Washington," she said. "It's so very important. We
can maneuver all we can internally, but the outside mobilization that you
represent is what makes a difference."
To the White House, Republican lawmakers and our potential trade partners
all of whom are pushing to finalize the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a
sweeping trade deal with a dozen Pacific Rim countries, and fast-track
authority the message is simple. "We need transparency," she said.
We all must be able to read and analyze the negotiating texts so that we can
keep our eye on our own economic prosperity, as the United States
negotiates trade deals in Asia and Europe, she said. Congress needs more
input and a seat at the table so that it can improve trade deals for the
American people.
"We must create jobs. We must have growth. And we want to do it in a way
that recognizes our role in the world," she said. "We're not protectionists. We
want to be fair traders. But we're not fools."
Pelosi added, "Let's do what other countries do. When they enter an
agreement for trade they do so protecting their workers."
Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and many of their fellow
Democrats have made it clear that they oppose fast tracking this trade bill.
"I'm here to give you our commitment that we understand that this is a fight
for our country. For our democracy. For the middle class that is the backbone
of our country," she said.
De Blasio: 'Thank You For Standing Up'
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) credited CWA activists for helping
pave a new progressive path for the city.
Watch the video here.
"CWA stood up and was actually one of the crucial elements in creating the
momentum that not only allowed us to win city hall, but then be able to
implement the agenda," he said. "When labor demands fairness and helps
elect progressives and builds bonds with community organizations, we have
limitless potential."
De Blasio has been a steadfast CWA ally. As the city's public advocate, he
took on Cablevision for union-busting and stood with the 22 technicians who
were unjustly fired. Cablevision rehired the technicians after a successful
community support campaign.
"When I stood with Cablevision workers in Brooklyn fighting to organize, that
was to get more people to the middle class," he said. "That was the patriotic
thing to do."
"When I stand by Verizon workers, who seem to be constantly asked to give
up their hard won gains, I say to the public, I say to Verizon, I say to anyone
who wants to ask, 'Why on earth would we want to take some workers who
actually reached the middle class and make them insecure?'" he said.
"Thank you for standing up. Thank you for building coalitions. Thank you for
organizing the most noble profession. It's my honor to stand by you, and I
hope we in New York can continue to be something of a good example for
the victories ahead," he said.
Val Givens and Blake Poindexter
Val Givens, CWA Local 6222, is a District steward and a member of CWA's
AT&T Internet bargaining team. She said the recent negotiations showed her
firsthand "the connection between the wages that we can negotiate and these
trade deals."
Watch the video here.
Blake Poindexter was in the highest level of customer support at the T-Mobile
US tech support center in Frisco, Tex., until one day, "management called us
in and told us we were out of a job. Just like that."
Watch the video here.
Panels
Joint Partner Campaigns
Herb Keener, CWA Local 6215; Hal Suter, Lone Star Sierra Club; Mona
Meyer, CWA Minnesota State Council; Terin Mayer, Take Action Minnesota,
and George Kohl, CWA, talked about how they came to work together on
issues like equality, voting rights and fair trade.
###
Beating Fast Track and TPP
Hugh Espey, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement; Steve Abbott, CWA
Iowa Council; Joe Mayhew, CWA Local 1103; Kian Frederickson, Public
Citizen, and Rafael Navar, CWA, discussed how their community coalitions
are a big part of the fight against fast track.
###
2013 Elections
Richard Hatch, CWA Virginia Council; Doris Crouse-Mays, Virginia AFL-CIO;
Steven Goldstein; Garden State Equality; Hetty Rosenstein, CWA New
Jersey, and Yvette Herrera, CWA, reviewed their joint CWA partner 2013
election work and looked ahead to 2014.
###
What's Wrong with TPP, Investor and State Ally Issue
Scott Slesinger, Natural Resources Defense Council; Elizabeth Drake, trade
attorney; Brett Gibson, AFL-CIO, and Shane Larson, CWA, explore how the
TPP has been written by and for investors, and what we can do to stop it.
CWA: There's An App For That
Four years ago, CWA was the first union, and one of the first progressive
organizations, to create an app. And now, thanks to CWA's Growth Fund,
we've taken that app to a new level, using the latest technologies available on
the iPhone and Android devices. Not only does the app allow you to connect
in real time to events and information that you care about, but, as CWAers
and progressive partners who downloaded the app at the Legislative-Political
and Movement Building Conference discovered, you can use the app to
share photos. Check out some of the great moments they captured here.
Get ready to check out more photos once you download the app. To get the
app, text APP to 69866 from your phone to get the links to download it or
search for CWA in the App Store or on Google Play or click here. Once you
download the app, set up your profile in order to RSVP to and check in at
events.
Stay Tuned for More Video
CWA's Communications Dept. will have additional video available from the
conference. It will be posted at youtube.com/cwaunion. So stay tuned.
Facing Change: Challenges and Opportunities for Our Movement
Today, a panel including Mary Kay Henry, president of the Service
Employees International Union; Bob King, UAW President; and CWA
Presidents Ken McNamara, Local 1037; Irene Roblis, Local 7019, and Abdur
Bilal, Local 3645, discussed the challenges workers and activists face in
pushing for economic and social justice, with participants and CWA President
Larry Cohen and Sec.-Treas. Annie Hill.
T-Mobile Settles NLRB Complaint
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A settlement was reached this week between the National Labor Relations
Board, T-Mobile US, CWA and two T-Mobile workers from Wichita, Kans.
Josh Coleman and Ellen Brackeen.
The agreement vindicates Josh and Ellen, who endured an illegal firing
(Josh) and unfair discipline (Ellen), all because they wanted a union voice.
The settlement is not full justice, but it is a solid step forward for workers
battling anti-worker giants like T-Mobile and other companies that attack
workers' rights.
T-Mobile agreed to a pay settlement for Josh, the first time the company has
ever agreed to pay back wages or the equivalent. T-Mobile agreed in writing
that its earlier discipline of Ellen will not be used against her in any way. Ellen
will continue to lead CWA's organizing work at the Wichita call center, now
without the constant fear that her family is at risk. Josh remains a committed
TU activist who will continue to work for union representation for T-Mobile
workers.
A top performer at the Wichita call center, Josh was disciplined and fired in
2013 after he engaged in visible union activity. An NLRB complaint was
issued over this illegal action, as well as for the company's violation of Josh's
rights when its managers destroyed his organizing notes.
Ellen was disciplined after she attended (on her own time) the final meeting of
shareholders of MetroPCS before that company merged with T-Mobile.
Why the settlement now? The NLRB has looked at T-Mobile management's
behavior in Wichita and found strong similarities to management tactics in
other T-Mobile US operations. (See next story.)
NLRB Moves Forward on Consolidated Complaints Against T-Mobile US
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Why did T-Mobile management agree to a settlement of unfair labor practice
complaints in Wichita?
Probably because the decision by the National Labor Relations Board
general counsel to consolidate recent unfair labor practice complaints brought
against T-Mobile US is going forward, and T-Mobile US knows that there is
clear evidence, especially through the company's "third party activity reports,"
that its anti-worker campaigns are directed by and orchestrated by top
management at headquarters in Bellevue, Wash.
The telecommunications company has been cited for its relentless and
escalating attempts over the past 10 years to stop workers from obtaining
union representation.
The next NLRB hearing is taking place in Albuquerque, NM, where at least
two T-Mobile US workers were illegally disciplined after being identified as
union activists and supporters; both were fired after they made their support
public.
The activists were organizing in an environment just as, or maybe more,
hostile than Wichita, since the New Mexico supervisors more openly
threatened workers. The NLRB also will prosecute its claims that the
company's handbook and other policies used nationwide violate federal labor
law because of their intimidating effect on workers who want a union.
Over the past decade, NLRB complaints were repeatedly issued against T-
Mobile in different regional offices. The decision to consolidate a group of
current unfair labor practice complaints challenging the company's
disciplinary actions targeting union activists and its overly broad company
rules and policies into one national case is an important step by the NLRB.
The company will need to defend its systemic anti-union behavior in one
proceeding where the board can order broad relief for employees at every T-
Mobile location.
The decision requires one hearing officer to hear all complaints, witnesses
and evidence regarding T-Mobile's efforts to block workers from voting for
union representation.
The general counsel's decision was affirmed by an administrative law judge.
The NLRB is responding to the history of broken promises by T-Mobile when
it comes to following U.S. labor law. Consolidation will allow the NLRB to
issue more effective remedies to finally stop T-Mobile's outrageous conduct.
Labor Rights Forum Honors Defenders
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CWA Senior Director Yvette Herrera, center, accepts the ILRF award for
CWA.
CWA was honored as an International Labor Rights Defender for its
transnational organizing that has taken on the forces of globalization and has
built alliances with unions and worker organizations in the fight for economic
justice.
Highlighted was CWA's work with STRM, the independent and democratic
telecom workers union in Mexico, our work with Brazilian finance unions to
support bank workers, and our alliance with the German union ver.di that is
working for a voice for T-Mobile US.
Also honored was Rep. George Miller (D-Cal.), a leading advocate in
Congress on international labor and human rights, for speaking out on the
violence and abuses faced by women garment workers and those in
Bangladesh, and the Maquila Worker Organizing Project that is building
respect for workers' rights in Honduras.
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