News | CWA Airline Council

Bay Area T-Mobile Retail Employees Vote to Join Communications Workers of America
Pinole, Calif. -- Workers at a Bay Area T-Mobile retail store in Pinole, Calif., voted last week to join the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The vote was 7-2 in favor of union representation. During the election campaign, T-Mobile engaged in unlawful intimidation of the workers, holding one-on-one interrogations about their union activity and threatening to fire them. The T-Mobile employees in Pinole persisted despite T-Mobile’s threat of retaliation. The National Labor Relations Board’s regional office in Oakland, Calif., investigated and found merit in CWA’s allegation that T-Mobile engaged in conduct that violates protections for these workers that are guaranteed by the National Labor Relations Act. “I am so proud of what we’ve done to stand up for ourselves,” said Symone Ramirez, a Mobile Expert at the Pinole T-Mobile store. “Most people are too afraid to try to make a difference at work, especially when managers threaten to fire you for speaking out. But we found out that if you stick together as a team, even a small group of people can make a big change.” Workers at T-Mobile and MetroPCS have been organizing for a voice and fair treatment at work as part of T-Mobile Workers United (TU), which is affiliated with CWA and ver.di, the union that represents German telecom workers at T-Mobile and its parent company Deutsche Telekom. Concern among workers has been growing due to the uncertainty created by the proposed T-Mobile/Sprint merger and the potential for layoffs. Retail workers at a Metro by T-Mobile store in New York are also represented by CWA. “All wireless workers deserve a voice on the job to address wages, benefits, and working conditions,” said CWA District 9 Vice President Frank Arce. “This is just the first step. T-Mobile has already shown their disregard for laws that protect workers. We will be keeping a close eye on the company as these workers negotiate their first contract to make sure that the talks proceed smoothly and without delay.” ### — Nov 26
CWA and Dominican Union FEDOTRAZONAS Announce New Solidarity Alliance Agreement
Washington, D.C. – Reflecting a shared commitment to building worker power in the call center industry, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and FEDOTRAZONAS, a leading union in the Dominican Republic, today announced a new Solidarity Alliance Agreement. The two unions represent call center workers at many of the same employers or who work at vendors which handle customer service work for those employers. The new agreement between CWA and FEDOTRAZONAS demonstrates CWA’s belief that strengthening relationships between the union’s members and workers in countries that serve as centers for offshored global call center work is critical to reversing the global race to the bottom in the industry. As the agreement notes, “Just as the multinational corporations that employ our members act on a global scale, we as workers must do so as well.” According to CWA President Chris Shelton , “We are honored to join with our brothers and sisters in FEDOTRAZONAS and to recognize our shared commitment to building worker power in the call center industry in both the U.S. and the Dominican Republic. Working together, we will reject multinational corporations’ efforts to pit call center workers on both sides of the offshoring equation against each other and end the global race to the bottom that drives down wages and undermines working conditions in both countries.” In the agreement, CWA and FEDOTRAZONAS, commit to holding a joint annual leadership meeting and developing an exchange program to enable members of both unions to discuss their mutual struggles and engage in education programs. The unions also pledge to support each others’ contractual and collective bargaining struggles and assist each other with efforts to help more workers have a voice at work by joining unions. In addition to the agreement in the Dominican Republic, CWA is engaged in ongoing solidarity efforts in the Philippines to support call center workers, who face a crackdown against labor organizing and basic rights under the Duterte Administration. This includes CWA’s recent condemnation of the unlawful arrest of longtime CWA ally Anne Krueger and her fellow union organizers and progressives. At CWA’s 2019 annual convention, delegates passed a resolution on international worker solidarity that rejects the notion that U.S. workers should be pitted against global counterparts in industries such as call center/customer service work. Read through the full Solidarity Alliance Agreement between CWA and FEDOTRAZONAS here, including a list of pledges that detail the specific ways the unions will work together. — Nov 21
CWA President Chris Shelton Calls for Stronger Labor Standards in Trump's New NAFTA
CWA President Chris Shelton joined Congressman Chuy García at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol to call for stronger labor standards in President Trump's revised NAFTA bill, and to demand justice for the Media Luna gold mine unionists in Mexico who were assassinated or disappeared. Quintin Salgado, Marcelino Sahuanitla Peña, and Víctor Sahuanitla Peña were murdered by anti-union vigilantes last year and the crimes remain unsolved. Their colleague, labor and environmental activist Oscar Hernández Romero, has been missing since September 23. "As we are negotiating a deal to replace NAFTA, we must use this opportunity to secure rights and justice for our brothers and sisters in Mexico," said Shelton. He also called for a strong enforcement mechanism in the new NAFTA that covers all workers, works quickly, and includes strong penalties for violators. CWA President Chris Shelton joined Congressman Chuy García at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol to call for stronger labor standards in President Trump's revised NAFTA bill. — Nov 21
Bargaining and Mobilization Update
Hawaiian Airlines Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendants, members of AFA-CWA, voted Wednesday by an overwhelming 99.9 percent to authorize a strike, with more than 95 percent participation. "This historic strike vote takes our contract fight to an entirely new level. Hawaiian Flight Attendants are sending an emphatic message to management: Delay is not acceptable; we demand the contract we deserve because we earn it every day," said AFA-CWA Hawaiian President Sharon Soper. Negotiations began in January 2017 and are overseen by the National Mediation Board (NMB). Lack of progress could lead to the NMB declaring the negotiations deadlocked and releasing both parties into a 30-day "cooling off" period leading to a strike deadline. — Nov 21
9-1-1 Bill to Restore CWA Members' Collective Bargaining Rights Approved in Puerto Rico
After more than a year of intensive lobbying and solidarity from CWA Local 3010 members, the Puerto Rico Senate and House unanimously approved bipartisan legislation supported by CWA which will protect public 9-1-1 funds and restore CWA members' collective bargaining that has been suspended since 2014. "CWA is proud of this achievement. Since 2017, our 9-1-1 dispatcher and administrative personnel have suffered the consequences of the fiscal crisis. This law will restore collective bargaining rights and wages, while making sure that 9-1-1 funds will be used exclusively to handle call emergencies, in accordance with federal law and regulations," said Aramis Cruz, CWA Local 3010 President. The law, now awaiting the signature of Governor Wanda Vazquez, was created in response to a funding crisis that 9-1-1 in Puerto Rico has been experiencing that has led to an increase in response time, a massive personnel shortage, and has placed lives and property of those who live in or visit Puerto Rico in danger. The bill will guarantee that 9-1-1 centers in Puerto Rico are properly funded. "Now CWA members will fight to make sure the governor understands the importance of this measure and signs it promptly," said Cruz. CWA Local 3010 members supported legislation to protect public 9-1-1 funds and restore CWA members' collective bargaining. — Nov 21