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Organizing Roundup: Expanding Business Opportunities Provide Catalyst for CWA's Growth
As CWA employers expand to offer new services, the union's organizers are right there, demanding representation for the workers that provide them.
On July 15, District 4 and CWA's communications and technologies sector reported victory in a unit clarification, bringing in 50 "telesales account executives" in Cincinnati who generate catalog sales leads for Lucent Technologies.
District 4 also secured a second NLRB election victory, in Milwaukee, for installers and technicians at Security Link, Ameritech's security alarm subsidiary.
And, The Newspaper Guild-CWA reported a negotiated settlement in Rhode Island to represent staff who produce an electronic edition of The Providence Journal.
"Congratulations to all our local organizers, who are working so hard to expand our membership base," said Larry Cohen, assistant to CWA President Morton Bahr and director of organization. "Particularly important is that each of these victories extends CWA further into areas that will be sources of expanding employment as the communications industry continues to evolve."
Security Link
Following a local campaign led by Local President 4603 President George Walls, Secretary-Treasurer Chris Wunder and organizer Nancy Servis, Security Link workers in Milwaukee voted 21-16 to join CWA. It was the second victory in three months, in a districtwide campaign that has spanned four years.
"Both of these wins will send a clear message to our employers that they can run, but they can't hide from CWA," said District 4 Vice President Jeff Rechenbach,
The overall Security Link campaign began in 1995, with Local 4340 focusing on Cleveland and Local 4900 on Indianapolis. Hostility from the company was so great, one Security Link technician in Cleveland was fired, said Seth Rosen, administrative assistant to Rechenbach. CWA lost its first National Labor Relations Board election bid there in 1996 and dropped its petition for an election in Indianapolis.
Changing tactics, in November 1996 the union conducted a Workers' Rights Board election in Cleveland, which the workers won 2-1, but Ameritech refused to recognize the union, said Rosen.
Then, in September 1997, 250 Jobs with Justice union, community and religious activists occupied the lobby of Ameritech headquarters in Cleveland, demanding recognition for the Security Link workers. The company still was not moved.
For the final push, which led to a victory of 17-11 on April 14, "CWA activists were at every function (Ameritech) CEO Dick Notebaert attended, demanding real neutrality in every organizing effort across our district," Local 4340 organizer Jim Cosgrove explained. He said the campaign was a team effort, "from the international on down."
Local 4340 President Ed Phillips credited Cosgrove, Chief Steward Dave Hiatt and Steward Guy Phillips for spending countless hours on the Cleveland campaign, as well as Tom Ducca, former chief steward, who retired but continue to work on a volunteer basis. An internal committee led 17 of 30 workers to sign a unity pledge prior to the election.
Bargaining for the Cleveland group has already begun, headed by Local 4340 Vice President Mike Plezia and CWA Representative Sal LaCause, with Security Link workers Tom Simek and Bill Sebastion. Principal issues, Rosen said, are healthcare, scheduling, wages, work rules and dignity.
The district campaign escalated in April when, said Local 4603's Wunder, "a list just magically appeared in my hand."
The local sent letters to the Milwaukee Security Link workers. Nancy Servis, organizing chair, set up regular meetings at the local. An internal committee was formed and Milwaukee Security Link activists met with their counterparts from Cleveland. They discovered they had many of the same issues.
The company held captive audience meetings and suggested to workers they would lose privileges if they joined the union. "There was a lot of stuff put out by the company, but they still voted for the union," said Local 4603's Walls. "The people there were just so fed up with broken promises."
CWA's new contract with Ameritech promises neutrality at Security Link, and the District has been receiving inquiries from CWA locals in other parts of the country that want to continue the campaign. Security Link employs about 5,000 workers nationwide, with its alarm monitoring operation consolidated in Florida. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is attempting to organize about 1,000 Security Link workers in Chicago.
Lucent Technologies
Local 4351 President Gerald Souder credited local Vice President Jody Smithers, Executive Vice President Keith Adams and attorney Kevin Conlon for spearheading the unit clarification at Lucent.
"The local saw people being temporarily promoted to management," and filed a grievance claiming telesales account executives were doing bargaining unit work," said Jim Irvine, CWA vice president for communications and technologies.
Local officers met with District 4's Rosen, who advised filing an accretion petition. Smithers and Adams took the lead in lining up witnesses, and Conlon prepared the union's case, presented during three days of hearings before Region 9 of the NLRB.
The labor board's decision notes that the company hired 39 telesales account executives to sell Lucent products through cold calling. Fifteen of these were "promoted" from the bargaining unit after applying for the new positions.
The board noted that aside from the cold calling, telesales account execs respond to customer inquiries just like bargaining unit employees in catalog sales. They share facilities, participate in joint training, have the same supervisor.
"I conclude that the telesales account executives share an overwhelming community of interest with employees in the unit such that they could not constitute a separate appropriate unit," writes Richard Ahearn, NLRB Region 9 director. "I shall, therefore, clarify the existing unit … to include the telesales account executives."
"This was a victory brought about by our ability to work together as a team," said Irvine. "This could lead, according to the company, to 450 jobs nationwide."
Newspapers on the Web
Linda Foley, CWA vice president for The Newspaper Guild, praised TNG-CWA Local 41 Administrative Officer Tim Schick and President Bob Jagolinzer for their roles in a mid-contract settlement, adding nine electronic edition staffers to the bargaining unit that produces the print edition of the Providence Journal, and bringing immediate raises, step increases and improved vacation benefits to the affected workers.
"With this settlement, the Guild is firmly established as the representative of online workers," said Foley.
The agreement ends a bitter four-year dispute that sent the Guild's petition for a unit clarification to appeal before the NLRB. Company representatives approached Schick in June and asked if the Guild would enter into negotiations to resolve the conflict.
"In later discussions, the company admitted that the effort of keeping the Projo staff completely separated from the newspaper's traditional staff was counterproductive," said Marian Needham, TNG-CWA executive secretary, contracts committee. "The company acknowledged that maintaining the false distinctions between the electronic and physical editions necessary to succeed at the Board was not serving their interest."
She noted that the Guild also represents online workers at the Toledo Blade, Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News, Eugene (Ore.) Register-Guard and Chicago Sun-Times, and said TNG-CWA will discuss at its upcoming sector conference, strategies for pursuing online staff at other papers.
On July 15, District 4 and CWA's communications and technologies sector reported victory in a unit clarification, bringing in 50 "telesales account executives" in Cincinnati who generate catalog sales leads for Lucent Technologies.
District 4 also secured a second NLRB election victory, in Milwaukee, for installers and technicians at Security Link, Ameritech's security alarm subsidiary.
And, The Newspaper Guild-CWA reported a negotiated settlement in Rhode Island to represent staff who produce an electronic edition of The Providence Journal.
"Congratulations to all our local organizers, who are working so hard to expand our membership base," said Larry Cohen, assistant to CWA President Morton Bahr and director of organization. "Particularly important is that each of these victories extends CWA further into areas that will be sources of expanding employment as the communications industry continues to evolve."
Security Link
Following a local campaign led by Local President 4603 President George Walls, Secretary-Treasurer Chris Wunder and organizer Nancy Servis, Security Link workers in Milwaukee voted 21-16 to join CWA. It was the second victory in three months, in a districtwide campaign that has spanned four years.
"Both of these wins will send a clear message to our employers that they can run, but they can't hide from CWA," said District 4 Vice President Jeff Rechenbach,
The overall Security Link campaign began in 1995, with Local 4340 focusing on Cleveland and Local 4900 on Indianapolis. Hostility from the company was so great, one Security Link technician in Cleveland was fired, said Seth Rosen, administrative assistant to Rechenbach. CWA lost its first National Labor Relations Board election bid there in 1996 and dropped its petition for an election in Indianapolis.
Changing tactics, in November 1996 the union conducted a Workers' Rights Board election in Cleveland, which the workers won 2-1, but Ameritech refused to recognize the union, said Rosen.
Then, in September 1997, 250 Jobs with Justice union, community and religious activists occupied the lobby of Ameritech headquarters in Cleveland, demanding recognition for the Security Link workers. The company still was not moved.
For the final push, which led to a victory of 17-11 on April 14, "CWA activists were at every function (Ameritech) CEO Dick Notebaert attended, demanding real neutrality in every organizing effort across our district," Local 4340 organizer Jim Cosgrove explained. He said the campaign was a team effort, "from the international on down."
Local 4340 President Ed Phillips credited Cosgrove, Chief Steward Dave Hiatt and Steward Guy Phillips for spending countless hours on the Cleveland campaign, as well as Tom Ducca, former chief steward, who retired but continue to work on a volunteer basis. An internal committee led 17 of 30 workers to sign a unity pledge prior to the election.
Bargaining for the Cleveland group has already begun, headed by Local 4340 Vice President Mike Plezia and CWA Representative Sal LaCause, with Security Link workers Tom Simek and Bill Sebastion. Principal issues, Rosen said, are healthcare, scheduling, wages, work rules and dignity.
The district campaign escalated in April when, said Local 4603's Wunder, "a list just magically appeared in my hand."
The local sent letters to the Milwaukee Security Link workers. Nancy Servis, organizing chair, set up regular meetings at the local. An internal committee was formed and Milwaukee Security Link activists met with their counterparts from Cleveland. They discovered they had many of the same issues.
The company held captive audience meetings and suggested to workers they would lose privileges if they joined the union. "There was a lot of stuff put out by the company, but they still voted for the union," said Local 4603's Walls. "The people there were just so fed up with broken promises."
CWA's new contract with Ameritech promises neutrality at Security Link, and the District has been receiving inquiries from CWA locals in other parts of the country that want to continue the campaign. Security Link employs about 5,000 workers nationwide, with its alarm monitoring operation consolidated in Florida. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is attempting to organize about 1,000 Security Link workers in Chicago.
Lucent Technologies
Local 4351 President Gerald Souder credited local Vice President Jody Smithers, Executive Vice President Keith Adams and attorney Kevin Conlon for spearheading the unit clarification at Lucent.
"The local saw people being temporarily promoted to management," and filed a grievance claiming telesales account executives were doing bargaining unit work," said Jim Irvine, CWA vice president for communications and technologies.
Local officers met with District 4's Rosen, who advised filing an accretion petition. Smithers and Adams took the lead in lining up witnesses, and Conlon prepared the union's case, presented during three days of hearings before Region 9 of the NLRB.
The labor board's decision notes that the company hired 39 telesales account executives to sell Lucent products through cold calling. Fifteen of these were "promoted" from the bargaining unit after applying for the new positions.
The board noted that aside from the cold calling, telesales account execs respond to customer inquiries just like bargaining unit employees in catalog sales. They share facilities, participate in joint training, have the same supervisor.
"I conclude that the telesales account executives share an overwhelming community of interest with employees in the unit such that they could not constitute a separate appropriate unit," writes Richard Ahearn, NLRB Region 9 director. "I shall, therefore, clarify the existing unit … to include the telesales account executives."
"This was a victory brought about by our ability to work together as a team," said Irvine. "This could lead, according to the company, to 450 jobs nationwide."
Newspapers on the Web
Linda Foley, CWA vice president for The Newspaper Guild, praised TNG-CWA Local 41 Administrative Officer Tim Schick and President Bob Jagolinzer for their roles in a mid-contract settlement, adding nine electronic edition staffers to the bargaining unit that produces the print edition of the Providence Journal, and bringing immediate raises, step increases and improved vacation benefits to the affected workers.
"With this settlement, the Guild is firmly established as the representative of online workers," said Foley.
The agreement ends a bitter four-year dispute that sent the Guild's petition for a unit clarification to appeal before the NLRB. Company representatives approached Schick in June and asked if the Guild would enter into negotiations to resolve the conflict.
"In later discussions, the company admitted that the effort of keeping the Projo staff completely separated from the newspaper's traditional staff was counterproductive," said Marian Needham, TNG-CWA executive secretary, contracts committee. "The company acknowledged that maintaining the false distinctions between the electronic and physical editions necessary to succeed at the Board was not serving their interest."
She noted that the Guild also represents online workers at the Toledo Blade, Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News, Eugene (Ore.) Register-Guard and Chicago Sun-Times, and said TNG-CWA will discuss at its upcoming sector conference, strategies for pursuing online staff at other papers.