Apr 18, 2012
Today's announcement of wireless spectrum sales by Verizon Wireless as a condition of its spectrum deal with Big Cable does not protect consumers or workers from the anti-competitive heart of the deal: the joint marketing agreement.
Apr 16, 2012
With 3,300 workers at risk of losing their jobs when T-Mobile USA closes seven call centers in June, the Communications Workers of America launched a national campaign today to protect those jobs at a rally in Bellevue, outside corporate headquarters. Participants included CWA members and union and community supporters from the Seattle area. Also joining the rally were T-Mobile workers, including workers from the call centers that are slated to close.
Apr 13, 2012
Verizon Wireless and Time Warner Cable have publicly snubbed the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) by implementing a portion of their proposed joint marketing deal even though the DOJ and FCC are still reviewing the transaction, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) said today. In December, 2011, Verizon Wireless and the nation’s largest cable companies (Time Warner, Comcast, Cox, and Bright House Networks) announced a deal in which Verizon Wireless will purchase $3.9 billion in wireless spectrum from the cable companies and at the same time enter into joint marketing agreements to promote, market, and sell each other’s products and services. The U.S. Department of Justice and the FCC are currently reviewing this transaction.
Apr 13, 2012
Another day, another revelation of fraudulent activity targeting U.S. consumers coming from overseas call centers, the Communications Workers of America said today. The latest news, similar to a February announcement, is that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) uncovered a scam operating out of Indian call centers that preyed on American consumers.
Apr 11, 2012
The Communications Workers of America today stated their strong support for the continuing efforts by Rep. Tim Bishop (D-NY) and Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA) to shed light on the ongoing crises of rampant consumer identity theft in foreign call centers, as their bi-partisan legislative effort to remedy this serious problem gains more support. The letter to U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk states in part: In an increasingly global economy, countless call centers are relocating from the United States to foreign shores. Conservative estimates place call center job losses in the United States at over 500,000 in the countries like India, the Philippines, and China. In the Philippines, the outsources industry is expected to pull in $13 billion and provide 650,00 jobs in 2012; India employs roughly 330,000 call center workers and earns about $6 billion per year through the BPO industry. While some corporations may see inflated profit margins due to outsourcing practices, such profits come at the expense of the safety and security of sensitive American consumer data.
Apr 10, 2012
As momentum builds on behalf of bi-partisan legislation to strengthen the domestic call center industry – cutting down on fraudulent activity centered in overseas call centers in the process – the Communications Workers of America (CWA) today announces an effort to thank Members from both parties who back this legislation.
Apr 9, 2012
Negotiations and discussions continued today in bargaining between CWA and four AT&T units: AT&T East, AT&T Midwest, AT&T Legacy and AT&T West. Stay tuned to this space for more developments.
Apr 9, 2012
CWA President Larry Cohen will be on the Ed Show, with host Ed Schultz, tonight, talking about the attack on workers and their unions coming from Rep. Darrell Issa, (R-Calif.) Then he heads to the War Room on Current TV, hosted by former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, to talk about ALEC and the Chamber of Commerce's orchestrated attack on workers rights and other issues in the states.
Apr 8, 2012
The contract covering 18,000 workers represented by the Communications Workers of America at AT&T West expired at midnight PDT, with many important issues not yet resolved. The AT&T West bargaining covers CWA-represented workers in California and Nevada. CWA members at AT&T West will continue to report to work for now, although that can change at any time. Workers are keeping their option to strike open. For workers, the terms of the contract will remain in effect, meaning that wages, working conditions and benefits like health care will continue unchanged, with the exception of arbitration for grievances.
Apr 8, 2012
The contract covering 15,000 workers represented by the Communications Workers of America at AT&T Midwest expired at midnight CDT, with critical issues – including employment security and health care -- not yet resolved. The negotiations cover workers in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin. CWA members at AT&T Midwest will continue to report to work for now, although that can change at any time and workers are keeping their option to strike open. For workers, the terms of the contract will remain in effect, meaning that wages, working conditions and benefits like health care will continue unchanged, with the exception of arbitration for grievances. CWA members at AT&T Midwest overwhelmingly authorized union leaders to call a strike if a fair contract can’t be reached, by a 92 percent vote.
Apr 7, 2012
Separate contracts covering 10,000 workers represented by the Communications Workers of America at AT&T operations expired at midnight EDT, with many important issues not yet resolved. Negotiations are continuing now at AT&T Midwest, covering 15,000 workers, with a deadline of midnight CDT, and AT&T West, covering 18,000, with a deadline of midnight PDT. About 4,000 members of CWA Local 1298 at AT&T East and AT&T East Yellow Pages and 6,000 in the nationwide Legacy unit will continue to report to work for now, although that can change at any time. For workers, the terms of the contracts will remain in effect, meaning that wages, working conditions and benefits like health care will continue unchanged, with the exception of arbitration for grievances.
Apr 6, 2012
Negotiations for new contracts at AT&T East, AT&T Midwest, AT&T West and AT&T Legacy are closing in on contract expiration, and CWAers are standing tough.
Apr 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.
Mar 28, 2012
In an open letter published today in the New York Times, 11 leading German legal scholars and politicians called on Deutsche Telekom and other German companies to ensure that workers at German subsidiaries in the U.S., particularly T-Mobile USA, are able to “exercise their unrestricted right to opt for organized representation in the company without fear. They must not be influenced, pressured, or intimidated by employers if they exercise their basic right for freedom of association. The human right of freedom of speech notably entails this right as well.”
Mar 26, 2012
Groups of elected officials and advocates from Albany, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo and Syracuse announced today in Reply Comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) their deep concerns about a secretive deal between Verizon subsidiary Verizon Wireless and the nation’s biggest cable companies. If approved, this deal would lead to higher prices, fewer options, and a growing digital divide for consumers in the five cities and across the country.
Mar 23, 2012
T-Mobile USA’s decision to close seven call centers, employing 3,300 workers, is a bad one. It harms workers and communities, and in several locations, abuses taxpayers who provided funds to the company in exchange for employment and economic development.
Mar 23, 2012
A major investigative journalism piece from The Sunday Times (UK) provides unsettling details about how individuals’ financial data are illegally culled from call centers in India and peddled on a thriving black market. On the heels of an investigation by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that uncovered a fraudulent debt collection ring operating out of an Indian call center, these developments call into question the safety and security of our continued off-shoring trend – no matter the way foreign authorities and off-shoring companies try to downplay the risk.
Mar 22, 2012
Verizon workers, members of the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, joined by progressive allies and AFL-CIO activists – are holding rallies and actions in nearly 300 communities as a part of a nationwide day of action against Verizon’s corporate greed.
Mar 21, 2012
Amid shocking reports of the systemic theft of consumers’ personal information at overseas call centers, the Communications Workers of America today announced that five state legislatures are now considering, or have considered, their own call center worker and consumer protection legislation, while bi-partisan Congressional support for national legislation has swelled to 90-plus co-sponsors.
Mar 19, 2012
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced today that its investigation into the death of Verizon technician Douglas Lalima — who was electrocuted while working on a utility pole in Brooklyn last September — has resulted in 10 citations against Verizon and fines totaling $140,700 for serious and repeated failures by the company to abide by critical safety rules. The fines in the citation are the maximum penalties under the law for such egregious conduct.
