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| January/February 2004 | ||
| LEGISLATIVE
- POLITICAL ACTION
ALERT: CWA Endorses Kerry for President!!
Senator John Kerry (D-MA) speaks at a town hall meeting at the University of South Carolina in Columbia January 30, 2004 C.W.A. has endorsed Sen. John Kerry for President. CWA gave careful and deliberate consideration to a presidential candidate whom we could recommend to our members. All of the candidates running for the Democratic Party nomination are friends of CWA members. We looked for a candidate with a strong record of support for the issues that working families care about. We looked for a candidate that CWA members could unite behind. We looked for a candidate of vision and character with a message that will inspire the American people. We believe Sen. John Kerry has the record, the vision and the message to defeat George Bush in November. CWA is proud to endorse Sen. John Kerry for President of the United States. Sen. Kerry has a long record of service to our nation. He is a true hero. He knows what it means to fight for America both at home and in foreign lands. His character has been tested under fire. John Kerry is the real deal. He's no photo op. Sen. Kerry has a 97% CWA voting record and he is one of America's toughest advocates for jobs, affordable health care, fair trade and civil rights. When CWA members fought for an ergonomics law and healthier workplaces, John Kerry stood with us. Last year John Kerry sponsored CWA's Consumer's Right-to-Know law to expose cut-rate call centers and protect good paying jobs. Now, John Kerry is backing our union's drive for fair labor laws including card check recognition and employer neutrality in organizing campaigns. John Kerry has also been with us on the front lines. In fact, in his home state of Massachusetts, John Kerry was on our side when CWA activists mobilized to organize workers at Lucent Technology. He has proven himself a champion of working families and CWA members. CWA urges that you give careful consideration to support Sen. John Kerry for the Democratic Party presidential nomination and for President on Nov. 7. LOCAL NEWS: Executive Board:
Presidents Corner: I will first start with a public apology to both of these officers: It was my error in judgment in not to delaying ultimatums set forth by a group of members, to seek these resignations. I reacted to insinuations of DOL charges against the Local and did not allow the Local enough time to properly investigate the allegations and research the Local’s minutes, tapes of meetings, or demand to meet with the members bringing forth the alleged violations. Only after the resignations, did I locate the audiotape that went through the Local’s budget for 2003 and found that the budget of the Local for 2003 was approved in the May General Membership meeting. The Budget was presented by the Finance Committee and approved with the Officers proposed budgets included. The minutes were vague not only to the members but myself included, which resulted in the failure to recognize that the appropriate measures were taken legally according to the Local’s By-Laws and that disclosure of Officers budgets/salaries was given to the membership in a Local meeting. After further review of these findings I have concluded that given the time frames of the allegations and the date set to remedy the allegations; I Failed. Not only to these officers, but the Local for not demanding more time to investigate properly, resulting in their resignations. I have called for a review of our Local’s practices, recording of minutes and By-Laws from District 7 staff. Rhoda Hailey; Dist 7 Staff Representative, has been assigned to assist in our Local taking corrective action in ensuring that the practices and procedures of our Local are sound and appropriate for our organization. Additionally some informal training is being provided to assist Peggy Pelton; nominated Secretary/Treasurer, in taking over the responsibilities of this title. As Local President I will ensure that more time is being dedicated to accurate record keeping and developing a policy that shall ensure all members that records of the Local are updated and open for their viewing as per our Local By-Laws. Thomas Costello, President Local 7717 General Membership Meeting topics are to include:
Grievance Report Legislative/Political
Committee: Education:
Where To Start Find out more about consultant services and to locate a consultant. By-Laws Committee Article 12 Section 2 Subsection D item 2 Article 12 Section 2 Subsection D item 3 Paul Rozinek, NATIONAL
NEWS: Grocery Workers Go
To War Over Healthcare Across the country, the system for financing healthcare benefits for union workers is breaking down, as managed care drives up the costs of medical insurance. Some employers, like Safeway, which owns the Von’s store where Norton works, can pay the increases from rising profits but won’t. More than 43 million Americans are without healthcare, and the growing crisis threatens to make 2004 a year of massive strikes and labor wars. Norton went to work for Von’s 18 years ago. He’d become a grocery manager by the time the strike started October 11. That gave him a full-time job with earnings capable of supporting a family in an industry where that’s become rare. Nationally, the retail industry pays close to minimum wage for most workers. Union supermarket workers have been able to maintain a better standard of living than most, yet more than three-quarters of the baggers, checkers and stock clerks in L.A. supermarkets have trouble accumulating the hours needed to survive. Von’s demanded that existing employees begin paying for their health insurance. “They said they were just asking for $5 a week, or $15 for family coverage. When we did the numbers, it turns out it could cost as much as $95 a week by the end of the contract,” Norton says. The average weekly wage for a Los Angeles supermarket worker is $312. An even bigger threat was Safeway’s proposal to begin hiring new workers at lower wages, with an insurance plan most wouldn’t be able to afford. “They want a two-tier system where they can bring in new employees at several dollars less an hour with little to no benefits at all,” Norton says. “A lot of us believe they’ll weed out the rest of us once they hire these new employees.” Once Norton and his coworkers struck, the two other large grocery chains in Southern California, Albertsons and Ralph’s (a division of Kroger Stores), locked out their workers—a longstanding practice now being investigated by California Attorney General Bill Lockyer as a possible violation of anti-trust laws. The chains say they need concessions in order to compete with the world’s largest corporation, Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart pays close to minimum wage and its health plan is so expensive that most employees can’t afford coverage. The retailer is one of the most important organizing targets of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) and the AFL-CIO, but a union contract there still is a long way off. The grocery chains claim that Wal-Mart represents an immediate threat to their market share. Yet most Southern California Wal-Marts don’t sell groceries, and even if the company carried through on plans to build 40 super centers in the state, it would gain only 1 percent of the grocery market, compared to the 60 percent held by the big three. Norton and other strikers extended their picket lines to other areas of the state, where they say they’ve found a sympathetic public. Supermarket workers—mostly young and often people of color—talk with store customers all the time. But solidarity has another source: This year workers in other unions, from hotel room cleaners to hospital nurses and dietitians, will face similar demands from employers. “We’re expecting a major confrontation with hotel chains over healthcare costs when our contract comes up this summer,” says Mike Casey, president of San Francisco’s Local 2 of the Hotel and Restaurant Employees. The Service Employees Union will be negotiating with hospital chains in all major West Coast cities this year, and healthcare costs will be the No. 1 issue. Northern California’s 50,000 supermarket workers are watching with the most concern; their contract is up in September. “We certainly expect this fight to be on our doorstep then,” says Rich Benson, president of UFCW Local 870. “That’s why our local unions fully support the efforts of unions in Southern California. Safeway has contracts from Virginia to Colorado, Washington and Nevada. This is a watershed moment, not just for the UFCW but for the whole labor movement.” California labor took a step toward a longer-term solution to rising costs by pushing legislation this fall to begin taking healthcare out of competition. Just before being recalled, Gov. Gray Davis signed SB-2, a bill requiring large employers to provide employee health coverage. Another bill to establish a single-payer system was introduced but didn’t come up for a vote. Unions supported SB-2 and will have their hands full just hanging onto it. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has promised to place an initiative on the ballot to repeal it. “I’d like to ask (Safeway CEO) Steve Burd at what point in his life he stopped caring about people and only about money,” Norton says angrily. “How can he tell his stockholders that putting 80,000 people on the street is an investment in their future? No one’s going to get rich doing our job; we just want to make a living.” Bush Administration: Ship More U.S. Jobs Overseas Feb. 11 — With some 15 million U.S. workers unemployed, underemployed or too discouraged to continue hunting for work, the Bush administration now is backing moves to outsource more U.S. jobs. Bush Job Creation Claim Far off the Mark “This administration has been projecting that jobs are around the corner for the last three years,” says
Economic Policy Institute
(EPI) President Lawrence Mishel. “Now it’s claiming that the economy will be able to generate 325,000 jobs a month, which would be more than the total number of jobs created during the entire last half of 2003, which was the worst year for job growth in many years.” “Bush is behaving like a gambler on a losing streak—it’s double or nothing, with all the chips on the same losing squares,” says economist and University of Texas public policy professor James Galbraith. Working families keep paying the price for that bad bet. “The economy is too weak to support job growth of 3.9 million this year, and the prediction is cynical considering the almost 15 million Americans who are unemployed, underemployed or who have given up looking for work,” says Center for Economic and Policy Research economist and co-director Dean Baker. “The federal government had the chance to create good jobs by investing in the states, which desperately need work on run-down infrastructure such as schools and bridges—but it blew that money on millionaire tax cuts. To propose to do that infrastructure work now, we’d be looking at deficits of up to $800 billion.” More:
Updated: February 11, 2004 CHEATED Date: February 12, 2004 Labor Peace Strained by United's Plan to Cut Retiree Benefits
"If you look beyond Ted's hip logo and progressive, fresh attitude, you'll see the same bad management decisions for which United is infamous," said United AFA Master Executive Council President Greg Davidowitch. "The new United is no more than a slick marketing campaign being funded on the backs of retirees who gave decades of service to United Airlines." United management signed a letter of agreement in May 2003 to ensure that flight attendants retiring before July 1, 2003 would have access to health care benefits that were less costly and more comprehensive than those that would be in place for those who retire after that date. Based on that agreement, almost 2,500 flight attendants took an early retirement penalty on their pensions to retire before the July 1 deadline, only to find out just six months later that United intends to double-cross them and cut their benefits. These changes will force retirees to pay hundreds of dollars more per month of their fixed, modest pensions just to continue health insurance. "Why is medical insurance so important to me? I was severely injured on a UAL airplane and struggled through several surgeries and intense physical rehabilitation, to return to work as a flight attendant," stated Gail Rodosevich, retired Denver flight attendant. "After 31 years plus with United Airlines, and fighting my way back to work from a serious injury, it was with great trepidation that I allowed myself to consider an early retirement. Without the offer to assure my medical benefits, I would not have retired." Flight attendants have asked the bankruptcy court to appoint an examiner to investigate United Airlines' scheme to intentionally mislead thousands of flight attendants into ending their careers and retiring early, defrauding them out of their retirement benefits. The court will hear the motion on Feb. 20. More than 46,000 flight attendants, including the 21,000 flight attendants at United, join together to form AFA, the world's largest flight attendant union. AFA is part of the 700,000 member strong Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO. Visit us at
www.unitedafa.org. Fatal
Fall: Overtime
Legislation: We've also learned that the White House is once again BLOCKING
your e-mail comments. This is adding insult to injury. So we've setup a special Web page you can use to SEND A FAX (it's free) http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/faxbush4ot/38kids42b8en8 The intentions of the Bush administration couldn't be clearer.
In testimony before the Senate on Tuesday, Bush Labor Secretary Elaine Chao said, "I think enough time has been spent on delays After you take action, the most important thing you can do to turn up the heat is to spread the word about the overtime pay take-away to your friends, family and co-workers. Please click below to send them a note. http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/faxbush4ot/forward/38kids42b8en8 America
Writes Back: THE
REAL STATE OF THE UNION http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/Tdza4F91Ipgp/ Also, look up how your senators voted at the link below. http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/Tpza4F91IpgQ/ DISTRICT
7 NEWS: A contact in the city police officers' association, part of CWA Local 7077, told the district last year that the workers wanted to join a union. As the last city employees not represented, they were wary that the city would use them to balance its budget. Local 7026 President, Linda Hatfield, built credibility with the workers based on the local's representation of hundreds of Tucson city and school district workers. The city employees, organized in 2000, won a first contract in 2001 with wage increases and a fair grievance procedure. Local 7026 Qwest steward Aurora Duran, a Nogales resident, told the workers about the benefits of her CWA contract and made many feel comfortable by conversing in Spanish.
Mayor Marco Lopez Jr. verified that a majority of the workers had signed cards and the seven-member council voted unanimously for recognition, District 7 Organizing Coordinator Rolando Figueroa said. Local's
Follow-Up Efforts Pay Off To Win A Grievance Totaling $109,000 In Back
Pay Local
7026 President Linda Hatfield Wins First Wellstone Award |
The Local Executive Board has had quite a few changes over the last month and a half. We have seen two officers resign, Claire Rozinek; Secretary/Treasurer and Jeff Lambert; Area Rep./ Finance Comm. Chair. The Local Executive Board during the January meeting nominated Peggy Pelton to fill the Secretary/Treasurer position with membership approval to this nomination to be at the March General Membership meeting. Other decisions from the Executive board are:
Over 30 members and 20 guests attended the December General Membership Meeting/ Christmas party. Guest speakers included Paul Wiessman, State House Rep. Louisville-Lafayette-Longmont, and Lew Ellingson, District 7 Staff Representative. The membership approved a ¼ of an increase in dues, a ¼ of an hour special assessment for the Local Members Relief Fund, and the Local Budget for 2004 of $42,000 with quarterly audits to the membership accessing the Local’s financial expenditures.
The Local has recently settled two suspension grievances with over $1000 back pay being awarded to J. Garcia and J. Corder. Both grievances included excessive discipline against our members and were presented by Local and District staff on these grounds. It does pay to FILE A GRIEVANCE!!
DENVER -- United Airlines flight attendants and retirees, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO, picketed, leafleted passengers and held a rally at Denver Airport on Thursday--the same day United Airlines launches its new Ted service--to protest United's plan to renege on its agreement to provide lower cost retiree health benefits to those who retired before July 1, 2003.
Local organizer, Susan Aceves, and the workers' organizing committee made house calls and held worksite meetings, then Hatfield and local Legislative-Political Chair, Dean Smith, spent several months building influence with the city council and the mayor. Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz) was especially helpful in the local achieving this organizing victory. Others who worked on the campaign include Local 7026 Executive Vice President Angel Mamion; Secretary-Treasurer Cecilia Valdez and AFL-CIO organizer Arturo Mendez.|
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