• TNG-CWA Wins Landmark E-Mail Case After 9-Year Battle
• NABET-CWA to Union-Busting NBC: 'We'll Walk and Take Advertisers With Us'
• Register Now for CWA National Women's Conference
• Fairpoint Customer Care Reps Ratify First Contract
• AT&T Mobilization Continues Nationwide as SE Bargaining Goes Down to Wire
• Rush-hour Rally Gets Honks of Support for Free Choice, AT&T Workers
• Access to Top Online Training Website Available Now through CWA/NETT

TNG-CWA Wins Landmark E-Mail Case After 9-Year Battle

In a big victory for TNG-CWA members in Oregon, the U.S. Court of Appeals not only upheld their appeal over union use of company e-mail, it also slammed the infamous union-busting lawyer who told managers to pursue the case.

The Washington D.C. Court's sharply worded July decision characterized lawyer Michael Zinser's arguments as "simply more distortion than the words can bear." Zinser is known for trying to break newspaper unions.

The case began at the Eugene Register-Guard in 2000, when managers disciplined the president of TNG-CWA Local 37194 for using the company's e-mail system to send three e-mails about Guild business. The e-mails were sent after work hours. The Guild filed unfair labor practice charges, but the then Bush-dominated NLRB vote sided with the company over two of the mailings.

The company claimed that e-mail could only be used for business purposes, but the Guild was able to present abundant evidence that the company's e-mail system was used by both employees and managers for a wide assortment of news – from baby shower invitations to requests for United Way volunteers.

The evidence proved the union was the only exception, and the U.S. Court of Appeals agreed. Its decision showed irritation not only with Zinser but with the NLRB, saying the board's rationale smacked of "a post hoc invention."

"The court's decision made it clear that the company had discriminated based on union activity," TNG-CWA President Bernie Lunzer said. "I was at the Court of Appeals when Michael Zinser presented his case, and a jury of kindergarteners could have seen through it. He tried to argue that the union was a special case and could be barred from communicating by company e-mail, even though everyone else was allowed to use it freely."

NABET-CWA to Union-Busting NBC: 'We'll Walk and Take Advertisers With Us'

In a move to bust the union, NBC is demanding a change in job titles but not work functions so it can remove positions from the bargaining unit. Undeterred, NABET-CWA members at network-owned stations in four cities have voted overwhelmingly to strike, if necessary.

NABET-CWA Vice President Jim Joyce said NBC has unilaterally switched some jobs to the vague title of "content producer" and wants to switch many more, potentially affecting 200 workers. "The work itself doesn't change; people are largely doing the same jobs they've been doing through their careers  as editors, news photographers and news writers," he said. "But they are being forced to reapply as 'content producers' with no union contract." The union has filed numerous unfair labor practice charges against NBC.

The workers plan to increase informational picketing outside NBC studios that employ 2,500 NABET members in Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. Meanwhile, NABET-CWA President John Clark says the union is contacting newsmakers and advertisers asking them to boycott NBC.

"The favorable strike authorization vote shows that our membership understands the significance and danger of the issues confronting us in these negotiations," Clark said. "We will do everything we can to defeat NBC Universal's attempt at union-busting, including the hand-billing of on-air sponsors to inform them of the dispute, and contacting labor-friendly politicians and other public figures to request that they not appear on NBC's news shows."

Bargaining began in September, six months before the contract expired on March 31, 2009. Talks so far have failed to get NBC to budge on critical issues. Besides trying to take away work NABET members have done for decades, the company wants changes in the seniority system that could hurt career workers.    

Register Now for CWA National Women's Conference

CWA's fast-approaching National Women's Conference, Sept. 10-12 in St. Louis, kicks off a groundbreaking new effort to build union power for women in the workforce.

Invited speakers include presidential senior advisor Valerie Jarrett, head of the White House Council on Women and Girls, and Lily Ledbetter, whose fight against gender-based pay discrimination resulted in passage of legislation this year to protect her and millions of other women. CWA President Larry Cohen and Executive Vice President Annie Hill are also featured speakers.

Workshops offered during the conference – CWA Women Building for the Future – focus on creating effective women's committees, mentoring coworkers, and women's health. Because young workers are critical to CWA's and union growth (subject of a CWA convention "Next Generation" resolution), another conference workshop will provide tips on using the latest Internet-based tools (Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and blogs) to reach out and build networks among co-workers and younger women.

In a unique presentation on the final day of the conference, members of CWA's National Women's Committee will bring to life, in personal portrayals, Mother Jones and other pioneers in the fight for women's equality.

To register for the conference, sign up at www.cwa-union.org/cwawomen. A block of rooms at the host hotel, the Crown Plaza downtown, is being held only until Aug. 20.

By reaching out to women in our own communities, CWA members have a chance to talk about the labor movement in a way that will resonate with the new or returning workers, said Leslie Jackson, CWA's Civil Rights and Fair Practices Department. "We feel that our women have seen the gamut of what can happen in the workplace," said Jackson. "Who better to mentor and guide women entering the workforce than a CWA steward," she stated.

Dress for Success, a national organization that helps women in need dress for interviews and better prepare for job opportunities, is partnering with CWA in the mentoring program. Conference participants will be asked to bring donations for a business wear clothing drive, including handbags and shoes.

Fairpoint Customer Care Reps Ratify First Contract

A year after organizing with CWA, customer service representatives at two Fairpoint call centers in Maine have ratified their first union contract. The 55 workers, represented by Local 1400, are based in Winthrop and South China, Maine.

The agreement provides job security with protections against subcontracting, and severance pay and recall rights in the case of layoffs. Also negotiated was a strong grievance procedure with due process rights, bidding rights on new jobs, and company recognition of workers' seniority rights. The workers will maintain the same health care benefits that are currently afforded to managers.

Local 1400 represents another 350 Fairpoint workers in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont.

AT&T Mobilization Continues Nationwide as SE Bargaining Goes Down to Wire

As CWA-bargaining for District 3 members covered by the AT&T Southeast comes down to the wire, top photo, workers mobilize outside company locations in Atlanta. At bottom, AT&Ters from Local 1298 demonstrate what getting a fair contract at AT&T is all about.

As AT&T bargaining mobilization efforts continue nationwide, bargaining at AT&T Southeast comes down to the wire this week as the August 8 contract expiration date nears. Nearly 35,000 workers are represented by CWA under the AT&T Southeast contract.

Backed by mobilizations conducted by numerous CWA locals in District 3, the bargaining team worked through last weekend to press for a fair and just contract. Members picketed AT&T locations throughout the region, including demonstrations in Jacksonville, Atlanta, and Monroe, Ala. Participating locals included Locals 3105, 3106, 3110, 3204, 3205, 3250, 3414 and 3950.

Bargaining continues for contracts covering more than 60,000 other CWA members at AT&T. They include East and Yellow Pages-Connecticut (District 1), Southwest (District 6), West (District 9), and Legacy T (CWA ComTech).  

On August 7, ballots in the ratification vote are being counted on the tentative agreement covering 17,000 CWAers at AT&T Midwest.

Rush-hour Rally Gets Honks of Support for Free Choice, AT&T Workers

To drum up public support for Employee Free Choice and AT&T contract negotiations, CWAers from Local 3108 organized a rush-hour demonstration in downtown Orlando.

The mantra "location, location, location" isn't just for real estate. CWA Local 3108 used it to full advantage on Tuesday when members and dozens of allies parked themselves in front of AT&T's Orlando, Fla., headquarters to rally for a fair contract and the Employee Free Choice Act.

Organizer Joy Edery, CWA's Employee Free Choice coordinator in Florida, said the rally put workers' concerns and issues before thousands of people during the evening rush hour. "Lots of people were honking in support," she said. "It was a huge success."

The rally brought out more than 100 people over four hours, with support from Jobs with Justice, 10 other unions, students and politicians. It even got TV and radio news coverage.

"These kinds of events are so important to keep Employee Free Choice and our fight for justice at AT&T in the spotlight," CWA President Larry Cohen said.

Access to Top Online Training Website Available Now through CWA/NETT

CWA/NETT Academy is now offering CWAers and their family members two weeks of complimentary access to the hundreds of software training courses being offered at Lynda.com, one of the nation's premier online training websites. Because of the success that NABET-CWA and TNG-CWA have had with Lynda.com, the software training is being extended to all CWA members, their family members, and CWA retirees.

In CWA/NETT's partnership with Lynda.com, members from nearly every NABET-CWA local have enrolled in the online training, taking courses in video editing, graphics, and other software programs. NABET members have completed over 1,500 training modules in just the first two months of their participation. In addition, many TNG-CWA members are taking online courses in web presentation, website design, and graphic applications.

Excel, AutoCAD, Word, Final Cut Pro, Premiere, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and many other well known software applications are included in Lynda.com courses.

To request access to the training, visit www.cwanett.com/lynda and sign up online. Lynda.com will forward login information. Due to high demand, it may take several weeks before you are granted access. Participants will be able to take any of the courses on the website.  While the initial complimentary access is for a two-week period, CWA members will be permitted to participate in several complimentary sessions throughout the year.