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Feb 1, 2012

Twenty-Five House Members From Both Sides Of The Aisle Now Co-Sponsoring “US Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act”

Nearly A Thousand CWA Members Head To Capitol Hill Calling For Ban On Taxpayer Subsidies To Companies That Choose To Off-Shore American Jobs

Washington, D.C. –  February 1, 2012 -  As nearly a thousand local leaders  from all 50 states swarmed Capitol Hill today, the Communications Workers of America announced the ever-growing bi-partisan support for the job creating “U.S. Call Center  Worker and Consumer Protection Act”  now includes an additional seven members of the U.S. House of Representatives who signed on this week.

Originally co-sponsored by Rep. Tim Bishop (D, NY-1) and Rep. Dave McKinley (R, WV-1), the legislation now boasts 25 co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle. Introduced last month, the bill bans federal grants or guaranteed loans to American companies that move call center jobs from the U.S. to overseas and requires the list of companies that off-shore call center work to be made available to the public.

“I’m pleased to see this growing wave of support for a common sense jobs bill that will protect American workers and consumers,” Rep. McKinley said. “Our taxpayers should not be financing those who send our jobs overseas. This bill will protect the American workforce while simultaneously providing safety, security and better service for every American taxpayer.”

The bill also requires that overseas call centers representing U.S. corporations transfer consumers to a call center in the United States upon request.

“Yesterday we were pleased to add seven additional co-sponsors to the bill and we look forward to many more,” Rep. Bishop said. “It’s common sense that we should not be rewarding companies that ship jobs overseas while scores of qualified Americans are unemployed.  All jobs are not created equal and only good corporate citizens who create American jobs should be eligible for American taxpayer dollars.”

Today, a thousand attendees of the CWA’s Annual Legislative and Political Action Conference headed to Capitol Hill to urge more lawmakers to formally support the bill. CWA represents 700,000 workers nationally and more than 150,000 of these hard working men and women are customer service professionals.

“Americans are fed up with good paying call center jobs here in America being shipped overseas so the one percent can pocket even more money,” said CWA Chief of Staff Ron Collins, who began his career in a Maryland-based Verizon call center.  
 
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Contact:  CWA Communications, 202-434-1168. Chuck Porcari cporcari@cwa-union.org or Elizabeth Schilling eschilling@cwa-union.org