News

  • Seattle Area Verizon Wireless Retail Workers Ratify First Union Contract, Drive Organizing Momentum at Telecom Giant
    In spite of Verizon’s aggressive union-busting and retaliation efforts, workers successfully formed a union with the Communications Workers of America and negotiated a first contract in record time Verizon stores in Portland and Flint have pending NLRB union elections, contributing to the growing labor momentum among retail workers across the country Seattle, Wash. — Verizon Wireless retail workers in Everett and Lynnwood, Wash., who are members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), successfully ratified their first union contract on Friday, marking a major milestone for workers who had to overcome years of poor working conditions, including understaffing and unlivable wages, along with aggressive union-busting efforts from Verizon. The workers in Washington, who fought hard against the company’s aggressive anti-union tactics to form a union and negotiate a contract in record time, join the same collective bargaining agreement as their fellow CWA members at Verizon Wireless in Brooklyn, N.Y. The contract is a reflection of what retail workers are able to secure through forming a union, and it is expected to inspire increased organizing momentum at Verizon stores across the country. “We have faced a myriad of efforts from Verizon to try and thwart our organizing efforts, and intimidate us with instances of retaliation, but those attempts failed. We stuck together, successfully formed a union, and have now secured a contract within a very short period of time,” said Natalia D’aigle, a Specialist at Verizon Wireless. “We hope our success and perseverance shows workers across the country that they too can have a voice at the table and fight for what they deserve in a contract.” One of the most notorious anti-union companies in the U.S., Verizon drove tactical union-busting efforts in Everett and Lynnwood as well as Brooklyn, where workers organized the first Verizon retail store in 2014. Workers at all three stores ultimately triumphed and continue to build power in their workplaces. In fact, following their union win in April, workers in Everett and Lynnwood faced instances of retaliation that resulted in multiple Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges being filed with the NLRB against the telecom giant, including the firing of Jesse Mason, who was illegally fired after joining with his coworkers at Seattle’s Northgate and Aurora Village stores to organize a union. The retaliation firing happened days after Mason attended the Everett and Lynnwood workers’ union vote count in solidarity. Mason is now supporting union organizing efforts at Verizon Wireless stores across the country. “While we’re incredibly proud of our success in securing a first contract, our fight is not over,” said Austin Hitch, a Specialist at Verizon Wireless. “This is just the beginning of a larger movement of Verizon retail workers organizing, voicing their demands, and securing better working conditions and liveable wages. No worker should feel intimidated by their employer or dissuaded from organizing.” Inspired by the groundbreaking victory in Everett and Lynnwood, Verizon Express workers in Portland, Ore., and ​​Verizon Wireless Retail Workers in Flint, Mich., recently organized with CWA, and have filed for an official NLRB election. The latest organizing efforts signal a growing movement among Verizon workers and add to the labor momentum taking place nationwide, especially amongst retail and hourly workers. ### About CWA: The Communications Workers of America represents working people in telecommunications, customer service, media, airlines, health care, public service and education, and manufacturing. cwa-union.org @cwaunion — Aug 1
  • CWA Applauds Enactment of CHIPS Act: “A step forward in strengthening U.S. competitiveness and creating good jobs for American workers.”
    The Communications Workers of America (CWA), which represents workers at the only unionized semiconductor fabrication plant in the U.S., celebrated the passage of the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) Act by the U.S. House of Representatives today. Among the provisions advocated by CWA, including $200 million towards a dedicated workforce and education fund, the bill includes key protections to prevent companies that receive funding from turning around and investing in semiconductor production in China instead. “The CHIPS Act is a step forward in strengthening U.S. competitiveness and creating good jobs for American workers, and a crucial part of rebuilding our manufacturing sector as a whole. This investment in America’s workforce, and American ingenuity, will undoubtedly strengthen our ability to compete on a global scale,” said CWA President Chris Shelton. “There is no question that we need a comprehensive approach to compete and take on China’s unfair trade practices, and this bill is a great first step in putting that approach together.” “The passage of the CHIPS Act is going to drive a huge amount of investment in semiconductor manufacturing across the country, and CWA is ready to help thousands of workers organize to join our union to ensure that the middle class shares in this investment,” said Carl Kennebrew, President of CWA’s IUE-CWA Industrial Division. “For those workers, this bill will be a ticket to a better life. I hope that Congress sends this bill to President Biden’s desk immediately, and continues working to strengthen our competitiveness and create good jobs for American workers.” CWA members at the onsemi plant in Mountain Top, Penn., fabricate semiconductor chips that power the electric vehicle, solar power, battery storage, 5G, medical, aerospace, and smart appliance industries. It is currently the only union-represented final assembly semiconductor manufacturing workforce in the United States. ### About CWA: The Communications Workers of America represents working people in telecommunications, customer service, media, airlines, health care, public service and education, manufacturing, tech, and other fields. cwa-union.org @cwaunion — Jul 28
  • Organizing Update
    Maximus On Monday, workers at Maximus, who are organizing with Call Center Workers United/CWA, announced the launch of a new solidarity fund to support their fight for better working conditions. The fund was launched with hundreds of thousands of dollars in initial pledges to aid workers at different Maximus call centers if they ever need to go on strike, without jeopardizing their housing or ability to cover critical expenses like medications. Workers at two of Maximus’ largest call centers went on their first-ever strike on the anniversary of the Affordable Care Act in March to protest Maximus’s anti-union campaign and demand pay parity with other federal contractors. In May, workers at some sites staged a two-day strike to call for more affordable healthcare and higher wages. CWA members, other union members, and community allies, who have stood in solidarity with Maximus workers throughout their organizing campaign, are making individual contributions as a show of continued support. Click here to make a contribution and help strengthen the power of workers at Maximus. ### Verizon Wireless Hannah Borstel, a Consultant at Verizon Express in Portland who is organizing with her co-workers to form a union with CWA, was the featured guest for 90.7 FM KBOO’s Labor Radio program. In the episode which aired on Monday, Hannah explained why she and her co-workers are organizing a union including the working conditions that led the workers to want to organize and fight back. During the interview, Hannah also highlighted how being part of the national wave of organizing among retail workers who face similar challenges has been inspiring for her and her co-workers to keep the fight going. Hannah ended her interview by calling on community members to support the workers’ organizing efforts and sharing the various ways they can do so through social media and other means. ### The Atlantic Workers overseeing the tech infrastructure and business operations of The Atlantic announced they are forming a union with The NewsGuild of New York (TNG-CWA Local 31003). Their union covers 130 workers including data scientists, analysts, software engineers, product managers, project managers, assistants, designers, and employees of the in-house creative studio, sales and marketing department, and customer care department. Workers are calling for more equity and diversity in the workplace, fair compensation, and meaningful professional development and growth opportunities for employees, particularly junior staff. Workers are also calling for a stronger say in the company’s digital and revenue strategy, particularly when it comes to advertisers. The tech and business workers will be joining their colleagues on the editorial team, who won voluntary recognition and joined The NewsGuild-CWA in June 2021. ### Tender Claws Workers at the Tender Claws game studio announced last week that they are forming the Tender Claws Human Union-CWA. All of the eligible workers have signed union authorization cards, and management has agreed to recognize TCHU-CWA. ### More Organizing Updates Workers at the Everett Herald formed the Everett NewsGuild, part of the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild (TNG-CWA Local 37082), to represent the newsroom workers at the Washington state publication. Workers at Orchard Park Veterinary Medical Center, who have been fighting for a voice on the job for themselves and their animal patients, voted last week to join CWA Local 1168. — Jul 28
  • Bargaining Update
    Star Tribune Workers at the Star Tribune, members of the Minnesota Newspaper and Communications Guild (TNG-CWA Local 37002), ratified a new contract earlier this month. The wage increases the workers gained in the new contract are the highest at the Star Tribune since 2006, before the company entered bankruptcy. In addition to the wage increases, the new contract also includes a one-time bonus payment, increased paid parental leave, paid wellness days, and the addition of MLK Jr. Day as a paid holiday. The workers were highly involved throughout the six weeks of negotiations, helping them win one of the best contracts for newsroom workers in recent years. ### Southern Poverty Law Center Close to 200 workers at Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) overwhelmingly voted to ratify their first contract. The contract covers workers at eleven SPLC offices in five states. The workers, who are members of the Washington-Baltimore News Guild (TNG-CWA Local 32035), stayed committed through more than a year-and-a-half of bargaining. Highlights of the contract include wage increases, just cause protections, 401(k) retirement benefits and matching employer contributions, paid holidays, parental leave for birth, fostering, or adoption, bereavement leave, paid leave to accommodate gender affirming care, and a remote and telework agreement. — Jul 28
  • CWA President Shelton Joins President Biden to Urge Passage of the CHIPS Act
    CWA President Chris Shelton joined President Joe Biden for a roundtable on the importance of passing the CHIPS Act to promote domestic production of semiconductors and create good jobs in the United States. “The CHIPS Act is a key component of both creating good jobs here in the U.S. and strengthening our ability to compete with China,” Shelton said. “Passage of this bill is going to drive a huge amount of investment in semiconductor manufacturing across the country. It will result directly in tens of thousands of jobs to help grow a key component of our manufacturing sector.” IUE-CWA represents workers at onsemi, a semiconductor manufacturer in Mountain Top, Penn., which is currently the only union-represented final assembly semiconductor manufacturing workforce in the United States. “Passing the CHIPS Act is an important first step toward creating good, union jobs in a competitive U.S. semiconductor manufacturing sector,” said Carl Kennebrew, President of CWA’s IUE-CWA Industrial Division. “Semiconductors are essential for everything from appliances to cars to medical imaging devices to fighter jets. We are ready to build on the expertise of our members and help secure the supply chain for these critical components.” Read more here. — Jul 28