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Report of the CWA National Women's Committee to the 63rd Annual Convention More than 400 CWA sisters and brothers attended the CWA National Women's Conference held May 9-12, 2001, in Las Vegas. Participants' evaluation forms declared the conference a huge success. The CWA National Women's Committee met at last year's convention for planning purposes, conferred by phone and met again just before the conference opened. The Committee is proud to report that all CWA sectors and districts were represented at the conference, including a large number from the new IUE-CWA division. We want to thank our CWA sisters and brothers who served as speakers, panelists, and workshop leaders, as well as CWA officers and Linda Chavez-Thompson, executive vice president of the AFL-CIO. The committee wants to keep the spirit generated by the conference alive by expanding our website, www.cwa-union.org/workers/women, and producing a new "Women in the CWA" brochure and videos highlighting the conference program. Before getting into the details of our report, we want to applaud all CWA members, most particularly CWA sisters, for their hard work and participation in the 2000 elections. The impact of organized labor's efforts was historic. More union families than ever registered and voted, leading anti-worker lawmakers to lose seats in the House and the Senate. The National Women's Committee urges members to continue to be involved in political and legislative activities as we fight for fairness and justice for all workers and their families. Coalition of Labor Union Women CWA members have played a major role in the Coalition of Labor Union Women since it was founded in 1974. Lela Foreman, CWA's retired women's director, continues to serve as CLUW treasurer. Her leadership and the support of CWA officers have helped our membership in CLUW continue to rise. In October 2001, CLUW will hold its 11th Biennial Convention in Las Vegas. The theme, "CLUW: Designing Our Own Future," will be addressed through a variety of speakers, workshops and forums. Programs such as "Why Unions?" and union history will be presented especially for young women, students and workers from the Las Vegas area. The committee encourages all delegates to join CLUW and to attend and support the CLUW convention in October. For more information, visit the CLUW website at www.cluw.org. Social Security Signed into law in 1935, Social Security was designed as insurance against poverty in old age. It provides monthly benefits to retired workers and a lump sum cash benefit to the estates of deceased workers. Because of social security, aging Americans live longer, healthier, more active lives. Women have a huge stake in Social Security. They live longer than men on average, they play a larger role than ever in the country's labor force, and many are caregivers for aging parents. Yet women, on average, earn less than men and have smaller retirement incomes. That means they count on Social Security, and any proposal to change the system is cause for concern. It is essential to ensure that Social Security's guaranteed benefits continue for women and their families. Privatization would divert a portion of taxpayers' Social Security funds into stock market accounts. This is a dangerous plan that would put workers' hard?earned money at risk. We've all seen what's happened to the stock market lately. Economists say such instability could easily mean fewer benefits and lower - or no - annual cost of living adjustments. And the retirement age may be raised even more. The present Social Security system protects workers, by law, in ways that none of the proposals to privatize the system do. We want reforms that will guarantee the solvency of Social Security well into the future, not a risky plan that threatens workers' essential retirement income. Pay Equity Equal pay remains the number-one policy issue for working women, surveys show. Many women and people of color work in clerical, service, nursing and teaching jobs - work that has historically, and wrongly, been undervalued and underpaid. Pay equity means that employers can't discriminate, that the criteria they use to set wages must be sex and race-neutral. Two laws today protect workers against wage discrimination. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 prohibits unequal pay for equal or "substantially equal" work performed by men and women. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits wage discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion or national origin. In 1981, the Supreme Court made it clear that Title VII is broader than the Equal Pay Act and prohibits wage discrimination even when the jobs are not identical. But wage discrimination laws are poorly enforced, and women and minorities still face a wage gap. More than half of all female workers hold sales, clerical and service jobs, and studies show that when women or people of color dominate an occupation, the less it pays. Though the wage gap has narrowed since the Equal Pay Act became law in 1963, it has done so very slowly. In 1963, women were paid 59 cents on average for every dollar men were paid. In 1999, women's earnings had increased to only 72 cents on the dollar. On April 3, 2001, activists for equal pay held rallies throughout the country to support new Congressional legislation, the Paycheck Fairness Act, and called for state and local laws to further reduce the wage gap. April 3 was selected because women had to work to that date to earn as much money as men had been paid on average in the year 2000. Another round of lobbying took place June 12, when union members, women's groups and civil rights activists held a news conference with Sen. Hillary Clinton and other lawmakers at the U.S. Capitol. Across the country, more than 20 states have introduced their own equal pay laws. We urge all delegates to support pending legislation, S. 77 and H.R. 781, and lobby for laws in states that haven't taken steps toward correcting the pay gap. Family Medical Leave Act In early 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the culmination of a decade?long fight for a law to let workers take time off from work to care for ailing family members, or themselves. Before FMLA, many American workers couldn't leave work, even for family emergencies, without fear of losing their jobs. That included new mothers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 1990 only 37 percent of all working women in companies with 100 employees or more were eligible for unpaid maternity leave. CWA and its allies want to strengthen FMLA to cover more workers and provide paid leave ? standard in most countries throughout the world. Meanwhile, anti?worker forces in Congress are trying to cut FMLA's present benefits. A bill introduced this spring by Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH), S-489, would restrict the definition of a "serious health condition," among other changes. Though the bill is unlikely to get a hearing now that Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) is in charge of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Gregg could attach it as an amendment to an unrelated bill on the Senate floor. We can fight this attack in Congress and at the bargaining table. The Women's Committee urges all CWA bargaining committees to negotiate for benefits that will address workers' needs in regard to child and elder care issues. And we urge all members to work to defeat Gregg's bill and any other FMLA restrictions that are proposed with letters and phone calls to your senators and representatives. You can get more information about FMLA online from these websites: AFL-CIO: www.aflcio.org Department of Labor: www.dol.gov/esa/whd/fmla/index.htm Workplace Violence Workplace violence is so pervasive that the Center for Disease Control has classified it as a national epidemic. In fact, workplace violence is the fastest growing category of murder in the United States, and homicide is now the leading cause of death on the job for women and the second leading cause of death for men at work. Workers are at greater risk of assault from customers, clients, patients and robbers than from co?workers. Still, worker?on?worker incidents account for 11 percent of workplace homicides, as well as 6 percent of assaults. Violence of any kind is destructive but violence among colleagues is particularly harmful because it creates a division that management can exploit. Some workers and their unions feel that it is difficult to address worker?on?worker violence, but it is imperative that we get involved. Looking out for each other's health and safety is the right thing to do. It also builds solidarity. CWA, and the labor movement as a whole, must find ways to promote unity among our members by fostering a spirit of genuine caring, compassion, and mutual respect through an education and awareness program. In addition the Committee recommends that locals get training in ways to address workplace violence, with a focus on the role of the union steward. Education Women, and all workers, can improve their skills, opportunities and earnings through education. Promoting and expanding education and training programs should be a top priority for CWA and its locals. Education not only helps women improve their job skills, it gives them confidence to serve their unions and communities. Many successful women leaders attribute their start to union women's summer schools and labor studies courses, which build public speaking and communications skills. Many of our major collective bargaining agreements provide tuition assistance. Where this is the case, locals should encourage women and all workers to take advantage of it. In collective bargaining, it should be a priority demand. But continuing education is only part of the equation. Our children must be guaranteed a solid, basic education to prepare them for college and work. Today, many people want to weaken public schools with a voucher system. This would give a few students many opportunities while taking money away from public education for the majority. The Women's Committee goes on record as opposing vouchers of any kind and vows to fight for public education. Women's Health Issues Women have unique health issues, and it's vital to fight for coverage for preventive screening. Many insurance plans still fail to pay for mammograms, pap smears, and diagnostic testing for women, yet are likely to cover prostrate cancer screening for men. Many plans also provide men with Viagra, yet refuse to cover birth control pills for women, even when medically necessary. Infertility treatments are rarely covered. A bill pending in Congress, HR 389, would amend the Public Health Service Act to require coverage. And the subject is being raised at the bargaining table. Verizon South workers won such coverage last year, including in?vitro fertilization, embryo transfers and sperm injection. Locals must use their power in bargaining to seek fair insurance coverage for women, including screening and help for infertility. Health issues involve more than patients. Our nurses and other health care professionals are being stretched to their physical and mental limits as overtime and responsibilities grow, and our contracts must address these issues. Further, their jobs put them at risk for infection from HIV and hepatitis and we must ensure, through laws and bargaining, that they are protected to the fullest extent. Twenty years after AIDS was identified, it continues to be a major health problem. About one?quarter of the 900,000 Americans living with HIV/AIDS are women, and AIDS was the fifth leading cause of death among women ages 25?44 in 1998. Labor, in a partnership with business, is developing a worksite education plan to educate workers and communities to help prevent the spread of HIV and hepatitis. An AFL?CIO survey last year showed that workers would welcome such a program. The CLUW Center for Education and Research recently was awarded a $250,000 grant toward that end. Trafficking of Women and Children - A Human Rights Violation Horrifying human rights violations against women and children have long been denied the attention and concern they deserve. Consider: A flight attendant rescues a 10-year-old girl she sees crying. Her father had sold her to a 60-year-old Saudi Arabian man sitting next to her for the equivalent of $240 U.S. dollars. Five Latvian women were taken to Chicago, where they were held in slavery-like conditions and forced to strip at nightclubs. The women would earn up to $600 a night, but the traffickers took all but $20. In the United States there are about 250 mail order or Internet bride agencies, who sell Russian, Eastern European, Asian and Latin American women to American men. Trafficking in women and children has become one of the fastest?growing criminal enterprises in the world. Up to two million women and children are bought and sold every year, usually for forced labor, domestic service or sexual exploitation. The United States isn't immune. The government estimates about 50,000 people are brought into the country each year against their will. Traffickers lure victims with advertisements and false promises of jobs as nannies, waitresses, sales clerks and models. This modern form of slavery frequently involves force, deception, and intimidation. Traffickers typically seize their victims' identification and travel papers. Stronger laws are needed to catch and punish traffickers. The Women's Committee strongly supports government efforts to expand public awareness campaigns to warn victims of traffickers' methods. Human rights violations against women and children must be documented, publicized and stopped. More information is available as shown: United States Government International Women's Issues www.state.gov The President's Interagency Council on Women U.S. Government's Anti-Trafficking Working Group US Department of State 2201 C Street, NW Suite 6934 Washington, D.C. 20520-7512 Tel. (202) 647-5440 Fax (202) 647-5337 Coalition Against Trafficking in Women Dr. Donna M. Hughes dhughes@uri.edu Coalition Against Trafficking in Women Representative to the United Nations ? New York Cecilia Blewer cblewer@classic.msn.com Family The American Heritage Dictionary has several definitions of the word family. The one definition that comes closest to describing the family today is "all members of a household under one roof." "Family" is no longer restricted to mom, dad and their offspring. There are growing numbers of single?parent families, households with grandparents and grandchildren, homes where relatives or friends share expenses, and homes with gay couples raising children. As families change, we must fight for laws and contract language that grant equal rights and benefits to all of them, regardless of their make-up. Tax Credits Available to Families There are many tax credits available to individuals and families. Listed below are just a few of those credits. You can get more information on tax credits and how to qualify by requesting a copy of Publication 17 from the IRS. Child Tax Credit and Additional Child Tax Credit Tax Benefits for Work?Related Education Child and Dependent Care Credit Credit for the Elderly and Disabled Education Credits 1) Hope Credit 2) Lifetime Learning Credit Adoption Credit Mortgage Interest Credit Daycare Credit Marriage Penalty Relief Administration for Children and Families Directory of Program Services The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), located within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is responsible for federal programs that aid families, children, individuals and communities economically and socially. Many programs are done in partnership with state and local governments, community groups, profit and nonprofit organizations, American Indian Tribes and Native American communities. ACF also has a strong commitment to programs that address the needs, strengths and abilities of individuals with developmental disabilities, refugees and minority populations. A full list of programs and regional ACF offices is available at www.acf.dhhs.gov. The programs include: Abandoned Infants Assistance Adoption Opportunities Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Child Care and Development Fund Child Welfare Services Community Food and Nutrition Developmental Disabilities Community Services Block Grant Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program Native American Programs Runaway and Homeless Youth Social Service Block Grant Native Employment Works Head Start Individual Development Accounts Repatriation Assistance Urban and Rural Community Economic Development Foster Care/Adoption Assistance/Independent Living Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (State and Tribal programs) Waste and Waste Water Treatment Systems Development Valuable websites include: www.nations-social-services.org www.fedmoney.org www.gksoft.com/govt/en/us.html These are just some of the federal, state and local services that can help our members. We are charged with two things: We must make the information readily available to members through our job stewards and committee persons. Second, in light of the agenda of the anti?worker administration in Washington today, we must work hard to protect these important social services. Organizing America's unions are changing to meet the challenges of creating, expanding and retaining good jobs for women. Toward that end, CWA realizes the importance of organizing and educating working women. We must rid ourselves of any lingering resistance to women's leadership in the labor movement. Unions can only benefit from the creative potential and skills of their female members. But unions must develop a keener ability to recognize leadership potential from the ranks of their female members. And they must develop strategies to promote and educate women and people of color in the workforce. Women hold the key to the future of organized labor. According to The Women's Research and Education Institute, 40 percent of union members are women. We make up the majority of the newly organized and still?to?be organized sectors of the American labor force. On average, union women earn 38 percent more than non?union women. Even when comparing women with similar education and experience, union women earn 12 percent more than their non?union peers. In spite of this, less than 16 percent of all women workers belong to unions. Labor's challenge is to organize the millions of women who are eligible to be represented, including a growing number in technical and professional jobs. We know we can do it. We take pride in CWA's many victories among health care, public sector, higher education, airline industry, and cellular and wireless workers. These are all examples of how our union reaches out to working women. Respectfully submitted, Anne Holland, Secretary?Treasurer Local 1106 CWA District 1 Linda Glass, Exec. Vice President Local 7019 CWA District 7 Nancy L. Brady, Vice President Local 2222 CWA District 2 Sherri Steen, Executive Vice President Local 7800 CWA District 7 Arlene Benjamin, Vice President Local 3406 CWA District 3 Connie Carrasco?Belisle, Member Local 9588 CWA District 9 Elizabeth Van Der Woude, Exec. Vice President Local 4250 CWA District 4 Victoria Kintzer, Secretary-Treasurer Local 13500 CWA District 13 Jennifer Case, Vice President Local 6320 CWA District 6