The NewsGuild-CWA Racks Up Impressive String of Wins

(The following post comes from The NewsGuild. It demonstrates what good union organizing can accomplish. Most of the victories mentioned were hard-fought and won. All of them will make a tremendous difference in the lives of the workers immediately involved and in the lives of their families and communities. We want to constantly remind people to support the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Strikers and their Pittsburgh Union Progress effort.)   

August 1, 2024

The NewsGuild has been working hard, and this month, they are celebrating a milestone—more than 90 first contracts won in the last three years!

Recent first contract wins include Repair the World, a non-profit dedicated to service, Jewish engagement, and social change represented by The Washington Baltimore News Guild (TNG-CWA Local 32035). Last week, workers ratified their first contract and won improved floating holidays for religious and cultural observances, extended parental leave, and wage increases. TNG-CWA Local 32035 also celebrated fresh contracts for workers at Common Cause, Duke University Press, and RAICES, including guaranteed wage increases, grievance and arbitration procedures, enhanced benefits, and more.

Journalists at The Salt Lake Tribune, another non-profit newsroom, received voluntary recognition from management one week after going public with their campaign. Workers at the Tribune are represented by the Denver Newspaper Guild (TNG-CWA Local 37074).

Workers at The Palm Beach, The Palm Beach Daily News, The News-Press, and Naples Daily News (TNG-CWA Local 3108) won their first collective bargaining agreements with owner Gannet after nearly four years of negotiations. The agreements guarantee raises for every member in each newsroom. The agreements also freeze healthcare premiums and lock in existing 401(k) matches for members at a time when healthcare costs are skyrocketing.

Congratulations to our newest members, dedicated organizers, and skilled negotiators!

Members of The Palm Beach News Guild and Southwest Florida News Guild, represented by TNG-CWA Local 3108, are celebrating reaching a tentative agreement after four years of negotiating with owner Gannet.

Video game performers strike as their industry is profitable and becomes more complex

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has called a strike covering their union-represented members who are employed by Activision Productions Inc., Blindlight LLC, Disney Character Voices Inc., Electronic Arts Productions Inc., Formosa Interactive LLC, Insomniac Games Inc., Llama Productions LLC, Take 2 Productions Inc., VoiceWorks Productions Inc., and WB Games Inc. The workers most directly affected by the strike do voice acting, stunts, motion-capture work, and other work that appear in video games. They are covered by the union's innovative Interactive Media Agreement.

The extraordinary nature of this strike is such that it is making headlines in industry publications, The New York Times, and the financial and business press. A strong union summary of what is at stake in the strike can be found here. A National Public Radio report on the strike can be found here. A key issue that makes this strike significant and is moving coverage of it into the mainstream press is the matter of A.I. and how it affects the work that the striking workers perform. Absent a national industrial policy on A.I., clear legal and legislative protections for workers whose livelihoods are impacted by A.I., and much-needed special efforts to protect workers and communities of color who are doubly impacted by A.I., unions are left to organize and take action protecting their member's interests.

In this case, then, SAG-AFTRA is leading a strong effort to gain ground at the bargaining table. A SAG-AFTRA press release quotes SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher as saying that “We’re not going to consent to a contract that allows companies to abuse A.I. to the detriment of our members. Enough is enough. When these companies get serious about offering an agreement our members can live — and work — with, we will be here, ready to negotiate.”

Another union leader has been quoted as saying "The video game industry generates billions of dollars in profit annually. The driving force behind that success is the creative people who design and create those games. That includes the SAG-AFTRA members who bring memorable and beloved game characters to life, and they deserve and demand the same fundamental protections as performers in film, television, streaming, and music: fair compensation and the right of informed consent for the A.I. use of their faces, voices, and bodies. Frankly, it’s stunning that these video game studios haven’t learned anything from the lessons of last year - that our members can and will stand up and demand fair and equitable treatment with respect to A.I., and the public supports us in that.”

SAG-AFTRA Video Game Strike Press Conference

The video game industry does indeed generate billions of dollars in profits and I have not heard that the industry is facing a crisis, although A.I. is changing the rules of competition in the video game industry, and in other industries as well. If we look at the industry and those employed in it as a whole, we see widespread and growing interest in unionization there. Moreover, we see video game workers motivated to unionize by many key issues, including fighting harassment and discrimination, protection from encroachments by A.I., winning enforcement of civil rights on the job, and winning parity with workers in other countries. Many unions are involved in organizing and representing these workers. One of the more innovative efforts is Rights & Protections for Gameworkers (RPG-IATSE).

The industry and labor relations in the industry are certainly becoming more complex. A very helpful article on the SAG-AFTRA strike that appeared in The Guardian yesterday said

The last interactive contract, which expired November 2022, did not provide protections around AI but secured a bonus compensation structure for voice actors and performance capture artists after an 11-month strike that began October 2016. That work stoppage marked the first major labor action from Sag-Aftra following the merger of Hollywood’s two largest actors unions in 2012.

The video game agreement covers more than 2,500 “off-camera (voiceover) performers, on-camera (motion capture, stunt) performers, stunt coordinators, singers, dancers, puppeteers, and background performers”, according to the union.

Amid the tense interactive negotiations, Sag-Aftra created a separate contract in February that covered indie and lower-budget video game projects. The tiered-budget independent interactive media agreement contains some of the protections on AI that video game industry titans have rejected.

Meanwhile, the Communications Workers of America is reporting the following victory for some of the video game workers CWA represents:

Video game developers at World of Warcraft and Bethesda Game Studios joined CWA this month, forming the first wall-to-wall units under our neutrality agreement with Microsoft. Over 1,750 video game workers at Microsoft now have union representation with CWA. A group of 60 quality assurance workers at Blizzard Entertainment in Austin, Texas, also joined CWA, and their union has been recognized by Microsoft. Workers at Bethesda Game Studios in Montreal filed for union recognition with the Quebec Labor Relations Board in late June to be represented by CWA Canada.

“What we’ve accomplished at World of Warcraft is just the beginning. My colleagues and I are embarking on a quest to secure better pay, benefits, and job security through a strong union contract. We know that when workers have a protected voice, it’s a win-win for employee standards, the studio, and World of Warcraft fans looking for the best gaming experience,” said Eric Lanham, Test Analyst and member of the World of Warcraft Gamemakers Guild–CWA Local 9510.

“We are so excited to announce our union at Bethesda Game Studio and join the movement sweeping across the video game industry. It is clear that every worker can benefit from bringing democracy into the workplace and securing a protected voice on the job. We’re thrilled to get down to brass tacks and win a fair contract, proving that our unity is a source of real power to positively shape our working conditions, our lives, and the company as a whole,” said Mandi Parker, Senior System Designer and member of CWA Local 2108.

Graphic from CWA

YouTube Music Workers Need Solidarity

From the Communications Workers of America:

Last week, workers at YouTube Music received support from Congressional Democrats, who sent a letter to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) urging a swift investigation of the unfair labor practice charges CWA filed after the company illegally terminated the entire Content Operations team in February. The workers, members of Alphabet Workers Union-CWA Local 9009, were blindsided with the news of the mass firing while they were speaking at an Austin, Texas, City Council meeting.

The congressional response was spearheaded by Representative Greg Casar (D-Texas), who said, “Rich and powerful corporations like Google are seeing workers across the country rise up, organize, and win. The NLRB should quickly and thoroughly investigate if the rights of these workers, like the YouTube Music workers in my district, were violated. Union organizing and collective bargaining should be a right—not a fight.”

“We welcome the attention that Representative Casar and members of the Labor Caucus are bringing to Google's continued intimidation of workers who want to organize unions at the company,” said Derrick Osobase, Vice President, CWA District 6. “Swift action by the NLRB in this case will send an important message to the entire tech industry that they are not above the law and that they must respect workers' right to organize and collectively bargain here in Texas and across the country.”

Parul Koul, Software Engineer and President of the Alphabet Workers Union-CWA, also warned, “If Google is allowed to violate its legal responsibilities to its workers and ignore the directives of the National Labor Relations Board in this case, it will set a terrible precedent for the future of workers’ rights in this country.”

Flights Attendants to kick off Solidarity Summer with picketlines on June 13

On June 13, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) Flight Attendants will kick off “Solidarity Summer” with a Worldwide Day of Action, and you can join your CWA siblings as they make their voices heard. A recent survey of Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants found that nearly 10 percent of those who responded live with family or friends because they cannot afford rent in the city to which they’ve been assigned.

Click this link to take part in a global action!

As the summer travel season begins, Flight Attendants are demanding fair contracts, respect, and livable wages. Join them at any of over 30 airports on June 13. Flight Attendants are putting corporate executives on notice: corporate greed won’t fly!

Click here to find a local picket.

CODE RED: Summer travel is coming and corporate greed is in full swing.

We’re kicking off this red hot Solidarity Summer with a Worldwide Flight Attendant Day of Action to demand our contracts. Airline executives have had no problem dolling out massive raises for themselves. We’re coming for our share of the profits we create.

Our solidarity transcends airlines. Together, in the height of summer travel season, we’ll show management and the flying public that we’re united in the fight to raise the standards for our careers. No matter what uniform we wear, we’ve earned the long-term security, benefits, flexibility, dignity, and respect that comes with a strong contract. It’s time for airline management to pay up and get this done.

Join us on Thursday, June 13, at more than 30 airports for a Worldwide Day of Action. It's our turn.

CWA Local 7065 Defends The Right To Protest & Models Solidarity

 

From Around Communications Workers Of America District 7

 

This is what forward motion looks like!

Communications Workers of America District 7

Solidarity needed now, a few learning opportunities, and some quick labor news

CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. delivered the keynote address

at the University of Michigan’s Black Men in Unions Conference.

Read about it here.

Teamsters Local 223 & Eugene/Springfield Solidarity Network

stands in solidarity with Oregon Nurses Association! Photo from Tizoc

Arenas.

From a press release signed by Johnny Earl, SEIU 503 Higher Ed Bargaining Team Chair and
Custodial Coordinator, University of Oregon:

Here are some more ways you can help:

1. Send an email to the University Presidents asking them to settle a fair contract with classified workers and to tell management’s bargaining team to stop their hardball tactics at the negotiating table. (Click here for a list of the president’s email addresses.) If you have questions, please ask Len Norwitz at norwitzL@seiu503.org.

2. Attend one of the action the list below next week. If you can attend any of these, we would love to have your support. Please wear purple if you can, but if you can’t we’d still love to see you there. To RSVP or to get more information, email Len Norwitz at norwitzl@seiu503.org.

Come to Western Oregon University (Monmouth) on Thursday, February 22nd, from 11 am to 1 pm to help distribute flyers and have conversations with the campus community and students. And participate as we deliver our support petitions. Get oriented/meet at the Werner University Center on North Monmouth Ave.

Come to Portland State University (Portland) Smith Memorial Student Union on Wednesday, February 21st, from 9:30 to 11:30 am for an open campus strategic planning session hosted by President Ann Cudd.

Come to Oregon State University (Corvallis) McNary Dining Center on Friday, February 23rd, from 11 to 11:30 am and be a part of our delegation – “OSU cannot ignore us!” - to the Annual UHDS Soup-Challenge event that is open to the community.

Come to the University of Oregon (Eugene) EU Ampitheatre on Monday, February 26th, from noon to 1 pm and be a part of the gathering and delegation to the President’s office - “We will not be ignored”.

Southern Oregon University (Ashland) - 2/26 – Event info TBD

Oregon Institute of Technology (Klamath Falls) - 2/26 – Event info TBD

Eastern Oregon University (La Grande) - 2/26 – Event info TBD

We appreciate your continued support for our Higher Ed members and thank you in advance for seeing this through to a fair contract.

From Portland Jobs with Justice:

On Monday, the editorial staff of the Portland Mercury, The Stranger, EverOut Portland, Bold Type Tickets and across Index Media have announced they have joined together to form the Index Media Union, as members of the Pacific NW Newspaper Guild! JWJ was thrilled to hear about this new union at our most recent Steering Committee meeting, as all workers deserve a union! We strongly urge management at Index Media to voluntarily recognize the union in order to proceed swiftly to negotiating a fair first contract! You can find JWJ's letter of support, here!

Share their announcements over Instagram and Twitter, and give them a follow, too!

Please join the Oregon Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, JWJ's Portland Rising, and the SEIU-AFRAM Caucus for a special Black History Month Movie night! It will feature two short films and a special presentation moderated by Vinnie Blanco Jr.:

Travis Nelson, Representative, House District 44 will talk on health care inequities and efforts to create a new health care system, and

Sarina Roher, Secretary-Treasurer, Oregon AFL-CIO will talk on bargaining challenges for health care unions and the challenges of being a health care worker.

Thursday, February 29 from 7 - 9pm
SEIU Local 503 (525 NE Oregon St Portland OR 97232)
Masks encouraged!Join Coalition of Black Trade Unionists for great Black History Month programming all month, including the 2/15 Health Forum (on Zoom.) Find more at this link!

 

Get the truth and gain an understanding on AP African American studies here.

All of the members of the Georgia State Senate Democratic Caucus wore red bandanas last week in solidarity with CWA members who are leading the fight against an anti-union bill. The bill would make companies that respect their workers’ right to form unions through voluntary recognition ineligible for state economic incentives. (Photo and text from CWA)

My heart was troubled to learn this morning that Remington Arms is moving from New York to Georgia and that our United Mine Workers of America will be losing about 300 members as this move takes place. Perhaps Remington workers will go union in Georgia. 

Four Important Labor Solidarity & Action Requests

It’s time to take action on behalf of union Flight Attendants who are represented by AFA-CWA.

It’s time to take action on behalf of union Flight Attendants who are represented by AFA-CWA. This coming Tuesday, February 13, Flight Attendants from around the world are coming together to bring their collective struggle to the public eye.

Together, Flight Attendants are taking a stand against corporate greed and fighting for the contracts they’ve rightfully earned. It’s time to send a message to management: Flight Attendants won’t tolerate stall tactics and disrespect any longer.

Join AFA-CWA in solidarity as Flight Attendants picket at over 30 airports worldwide. Help send a message to management that more than 100,000 Flight Attendants are ready to push our careers forward. Don’t miss out on this historic moment. Click here to RSVP for February 13 at the airport closest to you. In Oregon, that will be at the Portland International Airport from 11:00am - 1:00pm at the upper level of the outer roadway of the terminal.

PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care Services Strike Kickoff Rally

Saturday, February 10, 2024 at 10:00am at Sacred Heart Home Care Services, 123 International Way in Springfield

Oregon Nurses Association members at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care services will begin their strike on February 10 and will hold picket lines Monday - Friday from 7:00am - 7:00pm. Come join ONA and the Lane County labor community to make sure the strike begins with a strong start! Click here for RSVP.

Providence Candlelight Vigil Tuesday, February 13, 2024 at 6:00pm at Providence Milwaukie, 10150 SE 32nd Ave in Milwaukie It’s time to call Providence out on their failures. ONA nurses, health professionals, physicians, and their community and labor allies are holding a candlelight vigil to highlight the ongoing patient care crisis at Providence facilities. Join us to say ‘No More’ to unsafe workloads and added job requirements, chronic staffing shortages, and massive attrition caused by gross inequities in working conditions. We will gather outside Providence Milwaukie Hospital. Everyone is welcome to attend. Click here to RSVP. Support Portland Community College Federation of Classified Employees The PCCFCE has been bargaining for a year and their contract expired in July of 2023. Urgent issues for classified staff are short staffing, wages that haven’t kept pace with inflation, and healthcare affordability. Please join PCCFCE members at a series of escalating actions on PCC campuses this month and keep up the pressure until a fair contract is reached! PCC ROCK CREEK CAMPUS: Tuesday, February 13: 12:30-1:30pm 17705 NW Springville Rd, Portland, OR 97229 Meeting Location: Bus loop in front of building 5 PCC CASCADE CAMPUS: Wednesday, February 14: 12:30-1:30pm 705 N Killingsworth St, Portland, OR 97217 Meeting Location: Between Library and Arts Buildings PCC SYLVANIA CAMPUS: Tuesday, February 20: 12:30-1:30pm 12000 SW 49th Ave, Portland, OR 97219 Meeting Location: Plaza in front of PAC Center PCC SOUTHEAST CAMPUS: Wednesday, February 21: 12:30-1:30pm 2305 SE 82nd Ave, Portland, OR 97216 Meeting Location: Front of Library (on Division St side) This post has been taken from the Oregon AFL-CIO.

A reminder from the Communications Workers of America

 

Communications Workers of America Executive Board Statement on the War in Gaza

January 26, 2024


The Communications Workers of America (CWA) Executive Board released the following statement:

We unequivocally condemn the horrifying and inexcusable attacks by Hamas on October 7.

We urgently call for a stop to the ongoing siege of Gaza and strongly support a ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and the opportunity to deliver humanitarian aid.

The loss of life in Israel and Palestine over the past three months has been staggering - over 25,000 people have been killed, many of them children. Thousands of others are missing or injured.

More than 100 Israeli hostages remain in captivity and nearly all Palestinians living in Gaza have been driven from their homes, facing starvation and disease in addition to the constant risk of death or injury due to the ongoing bombardment of residential areas by the Israeli military. As always, it is working people who are most unable to escape the violence of war and who are bearing the brunt of the suffering.

Those who wish to divide us have taken advantage of heightened tensions to fan the flame of hatred, putting CWA members, retirees, and members of our families and communities at risk from antisemitic and Islamophobic attacks.

Though it has been elusive, we must keep hoping and striving for peace. The global movement for economic justice requires solidarity, and solidarity is impossible in the face of war, terrorism, occupation, and repression. We urge elected leaders to come together to bring an end to the violence and set the stage for long-term solutions that bring safety, security, and democracy to the region.

###

Press Contact
CWA Communications
(202) 434-1168
comms@cwa-union.org

We Are The Union // Cablevision 99

 

This is one of the most creative and most smartly formulated union videos that I have ever seen.

AT&T Non-Union Retail Store Workers Are Organizing

Click on the post to make it larger and clearer, please. Salem-Keizer also has non-union AT&T retail stores. Is anybody busy organizing out there? 
 

Union Workers Win Extraordinary Settlement Against Kimbal Musk’s Big Green

 
January 19, 2024


After blatantly and unlawfully terminating workers for forming a union, Musk’s nonprofit ordered to reinstate workers and recognize their union

DENVER, Colo. – In an extraordinary ruling, the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado has ordered Kimbal Musk’s nonprofit Big Green to reinstate workers whose positions were eliminated in 2021 in a blatant attempt to thwart the workers’ desire to form a union. Following the precedent set in the NLRB’s Cemex decision last year, United States District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher of the District of Colorado has further issued a bargaining order, compelling Big Green to recognize the workers’ union and bargain a union contract.

Big Green is a nonprofit organization founded by multi-millionaire Kimbal Musk, brother of Elon Musk, that built and operated “learning gardens” at schools to teach children about healthy eating and agriculture. Staff became concerned about racism in Big Green’s operations but experienced retaliation when they attempted to raise their concerns through the organization’s proper channels, including its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council. When the DEI council was disbanded, the workers’ dedication to the organization’s mission and the schoolchildren that they served led them to organize as a union.

On June 28, 2021, a majority of the program coordinators and program managers at Big Green demanded recognition for their union, the Denver Newspaper Guild-CWA Local 37074. Big Green management responded with a campaign of intimidation, surveillance, and retaliation against the very employees who brought the learning gardens to thousands of schoolchildren.

On September 13, 2021, days after facing off with their workers in a pre-election hearing before the NLRB, Big Green laid off the entire 10-person bargaining unit, claiming that the sudden layoffs were part of an organizational restructuring. Coming in the early weeks of the school year, the layoffs left teachers at 650 schools with a gap in their lesson planning as learning garden events were canceled without notice.

“It is very validating to see the law affirm that I did the right thing. I was shamed and threatened by leadership within Big Green for exercising my right to organize,” said Colleen Donahoe, an unlawfully terminated program coordinator in Indianapolis, Ind. “Regardless of the remedy, I’m glad to see them held accountable for betraying their staff and abandoning the schools we worked with.”

“This settlement is a wake-up call for top-down organizations to value workers who are on the ground every day,” said J.P. Miller, one of the unlawfully terminated program coordinators. “In nonprofit programming, workers are exploited, overworked, and underpaid. Obviously, this applies to the for-profit sector even more so, but our hope is that this decision will have a meaningful impact in the ongoing movement for workplace reform and labor rights.“

###

Sara Nelson & Hamilton Nolan to speak in Portland on February 18

I am not a fan of writer Hamilton Nolan, but I am probably in a minority in that among left-of-center Labor folks who are familiar with his work. I am a strong supporter of  "Sara Nelson, the fiery and charismatic head of the (CWA) flight attendants’ union" and I want to urge people to attend this event at Powell's Books in Portland on Sunday, February 18 at 3:00 PM. What follows is a media release from Powel's about the event.)

Sunday, February 18 @ 3:00 PM
Powell's City of Books

The Hammer: Power, Inequality, and the Struggle for the Soul of Labor (Hachette) is a timely, in-depth, and vital exploration of the American labor movement and its critical place in our society and politics, from acclaimed labor reporter Hamilton Nolan. Inequality is America’s biggest problem. Unions are the single strongest tool that working people have to fix it. Organized labor has been in decline for decades. Yet it sits today at a moment of enormous opportunity. In the wake of the pandemic, a highly visible wave of strikes and new organizing campaigns have driven the popularity of unions to historic highs. The simmering battle inside of the labor movement over how to tap into its revolutionary potential — or allow it to be squandered — will determine the economic and social course of American life for years to come. In chapters that span the country, Nolan shows readers the actual places where labor and politics meld. He highlights how organized labor can and does wield power effectively: a union that dominates Las Vegas and is trying to scale nationally; a successful decades-long campaign to organize California's child care workers; the human face of a surprising strike of factory workers trying to preserve their pathway to the middle class. Throughout, Nolan follows Sara Nelson, the fiery and charismatic head of the flight attendants’ union, as she struggles with how (and whether) to assert herself as a national leader, to try to fix what is broken.

The Hammer draws the line from forgotten workplaces in rural West Virginia to Washington’s halls of power, and shows how labor solidarity can utterly transform American politics — if it can first transform itself. A labor journalist for more than a decade, Nolan helped unionize his own industry. The Hammer is an urgent on-the-ground excavation of the past, present, and future of the American labor movement. Nolan will be joined in conversation by Sara Nelson, International President of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA.

Please note: Signed preordered books will be shipped to you and are not available for pick-up in the store the night of the event (but if you're planning to attend, don't worry! Signed editions are usually available at the events). Also, we are sorry but we can not accommodate personalized inscriptions, or guarantee the signed books are first editions. Thanks for your understanding.

Congratulations to Wells-Fargo workers in Daytona Beach who just went union! What about Salem-Keizer?

REI workers are organizing for union representation nationally. We have REI.

Starbucks workers are organizing nationally. We have lots of Starbucks stores.

Healthcare professionals are organizing across Oregon. Salem Hospital is non-union.

Wells Fargo workers are organizing around the United States. We have Wels Fargo banks and a large Wells Fargo center.

Amazon workers are organizing nationally. We have an Amazon facility.

There are plenty of union organizing opportunities in Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties. If you are interested in forming a union, contact the Oregon AFL-CIO. If you work for one of the employers mentioned above, hit the link to connect with the union that is active in your sector. 

Top Cut:
Bankers and tellers at a Wells Fargo branch in Daytona Beach, Florida, voted last week to join the Communications Workers of America’s (CWA’s) Wells Fargo Workers United. This is the second-ever successful election at the megabank.

Why It Matters:
Momentum around organizing Wells Fargo branches is building quickly across the country. Just weeks ago staff at a branch in Albuquerque, New Mexico, became the first to win a union election, and workers in Wilmington, Delaware, filed for a union election soon after. Despite Wells Fargo’s anti-union attacks, these workers are fighting to secure a meaningful voice on the job to improve conditions for themselves and their customers.

Note: the reference to The Onion in the graphic above refers to on-going union activism at The Onion, a satirical and often hilarious on-line publication. This is almost new territory for union organizing. And despite what looks like glum numbers above, note that worker activism at Wells Fargo has won over $205 million for workers in just a short period. If you set out to organize a union in Marion, Polk or Yamhill counties you will have support.

The graphic, photo and news story come from the AFL-CIO Daily Brief.

On this day and every day carry the message on!

 

CWA Day 2024 is coming!

This is from CWA District 7 that includes most of the western states. This event will start at 11:00 AM PST. It should be an incredible and inspiring event. Go to the CWA District 7 Facebook page to get the invite. 

Starbucks Workers United Calls Out The Human Rights Campaign, Questions Raised About Labor & Liberal Non-Profits

I won't pretend to understand all of the issues involved here, and I won't pretend to be a perfect empath, but at first read it seems that the relatively progressive and pro-LGBTQIA+ Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has gotten cozy with Starbucks even as a national union campaign calls on the company to negotiate with the workers where union elections have been held and the union has won and to follow the laws and generally do the right thing where the workers are concerned.

It may help readers to go here, here, here, and here for some context. The impression that I get from reading these sources is that Starbucks is feeling the squeeze from the union and its supporters during the holiday season and needs some goodwill and love from a liberal non-profit to boost flagging sales.

The HRC can't say that they have not heard of the union campaign because it is has been in the news for years now and because non-profits should be investigating who they're supporting before they start handing out commendations. It matters here that some of the most visible leaders of the union effort are LGBTQIA+ and that many workers supporting the effort support a ceasefire in Palestine/ Israel and other social justice and solidarity issues. Why does it matter? Because the HRC and most of its supporters also identify with movements for social justice. 

The union's criticism of HRC can be read as a challenge to the HRC and its supporters: Which side are you on? It seems that the HRC has taken a relatively progressive stand on events in Palestine/Israel, is close to the Biden administration despite pressure from activists, and has ties to other liberal non-profits and political groups. The HRC has won support from some in the labor movement, although I cannot find anything that tells me if HRC workers are represented by a union or not. We frequently hit a wall with liberal organizations that are right on many issues but will not deal with matters of class or encourage their workers to join a union or negotiate in good faith with a union that represents their workers.  

We in the labor movement do not have a perfect record here, but we have some leadership who understand the struggles for LGBTQIA+ liberation from their owned lived experience and we have a base and an ability to do more and better and we have Pride At Work and similar organizations in particular unions (see for instance SEIU Local 503's caucus, CWA-AFA, IBT LGBTQ Caucus) to lead us. 

In any case, Starbucks Workers United wants you to know about "what actual trans and queer workers have to say about their experience working at Starbucks."

The union press release mentioned above reads as follows:

 
We’re disappointed to see that the Humans Rights Campaign gave Starbucks a perfect score on their “Corporate Equality Index” again this year.

HRC seemingly ignored what actual queer and trans workers are saying about their experiences working for Starbucks. Members of our union’s Trans Rights Action Committee shared some of their stories on social media, and give an insight into the many systemic problems Starbucks has with their treatment of LGBTQIA+ workers - especially those who choose to exercise their legal right to organize.



Check out what queer and trans workers at Starbucks had to say, and help us call on the Human Rights Campaign to stand alongside organizing workers, many of which are members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

(Clicking on this graphic takes you to a union Instagram account in the

 original press release.)

Starbucks has repeatedly violated labor law hundreds of times according to the National Labor Relations Board. Companies that do wrong by their workers AND the law should NOT be celebrated as a fair employer.

Amplify the message to demand Starbucks to come to the bargaining table in good faith! As history has shown, labor rights are LGBTQIA+ rights - and you can stand up for your rights if you’re a Starbucks Partner or ally. Get in touch with our union to learn how and start organizing.

See you online,

Josie Serrano
Starbucks Workers United

Note: All graphics and the press release text used here comes from Starbucks Workers United. The opinions expressed here are not those of the Marion-Polk-Yamhill Central Labor Chapter or the Oregon AFL-CIO.

Two Picket Lines In Portland Coming Up!

Flight Attendants Picket Alaska Air (AFA-CWA)
Red Hot for a Fair Contract ! (wear red)
Tues. Dec. 19, 11am-1pm
Portland Int'l Airport, 7000 NE Airport Way
RSVP: https://actionnetwork.org/events/dec-19-picketing-pdx

Image from AFA-CWA. Visit that link for a post on what this is about.

Zoo Lights Zoolidarity Picket (LIUNA 483)
Joyful Rally for a Fair Contract (wear holiday gear)
Wed. Dec. 20, 4:30-6pm
Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Rd.

Image from LIUNA Local 483

CWA Leaders Arrested Alongside Federal Call Center Workers---Solidarity needed!

The following is a press release issued by the Communications Workers of America.

Communications Workers of America (CWA) President Claude Cummings Jr. and Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam were arrested alongside federal call center workers on Tuesday as they demanded that the Biden Administration back up its commitment to good jobs with concrete action.

The workers, who handle Medicare and Affordable Care Act calls for Maximus, the federal government’s largest call center contractor, traveled from across the country to distribute leaflets outside of the White House and to rally and protest at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Representatives Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Cori Bush (D-Mo.), and Greg Casar (D-Tex.) and SEIU President Mary Kay Henry joined workers in calling on HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and the Biden Administration to require livable wages of $25 per hour on federal call center contracts, ensure workers have access to affordable health care, and to investigate Maximus’s low-road employment practices.

“What do these call center workers want?” President Cummings asked the crowd. “Affordable health care. Think about it. These workers have to get a second job just to pay for their own healthcare while helping other Americans who are calling in about Medicare and the Affordable Care Act.”

“It’s unacceptable that we work for a federal contractor making billions of dollars from government contracts, but we don’t even get a living wage and affordable health care,” said Katherine Charles, a Maximus call center representative from Riverview, Fla.

You can watch speeches from the rally here and support the workers by sending a letter calling on the Biden Administration to investigate Maximus at cwa-union.org/maximus.

Maximus federal call center workers rallied with supporters outside of the

Department of Health and Human Services. (Photo Credit: Getty Images for

 Communications Workers of America)