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CWACommunications Workers of America, AFL-CIO, CLC

n e w s

VOLUME 71, #1 • SPRING 2011

What’s Happeningto Middle Class

Families?

What’s Happeningto Middle Class

Families?

2 CWA News / Spring 2011

CWA®

news

Official Publication of theCommunications Workers of America(AFL-CIO, CLC)International Union Headquarters501 3rd Street, N.W.,Washington, D.C. 20001-2797Phone: (202) 434-1100

Address changes:Inquiries or corrections for CWA Newssubscriptions should be addressed toCWA Membership Dues Dept.E-Mail: subscribe@cwa-union.org

Produced byCWA Communications DepartmentDirector/Executive EditorCandice M. JohnsonSenior Writer/Editor Janelle HartmanMedia Campaign CoordinatorStephen ChapmanEditorial Specialist Alicia NestorTechnical Specialist Sarah Splitt

and as many allies as we can find. We know we won’t winthe fight if we stick to our old ways. We can’t live in the past.

In Wisconsin and too many other states, we’ve seen theresults of the 2010 elections hit working families smack inthe face. Republican governors and Republican-controlledlegislatures are using budget arguments to wipe out thevoice of workers, along with their collective bargainingrights. Too often, it’s a false argument. Wisconsin was actu-ally looking at a budget surplus earlier this year, until Gov.Scott Walker pushed through $140 million in tax breaks forcorporations.

Walker cries budget deficit so that he can eliminate pub-lic services and strip public employees of their collectivebargaining rights for everything but wages, and cap wageincreases at 2 percent. Wisconsin public workers haveoffered wage and pension changes that the governor ispushing, but Walker insists that’s not enough. Clearly thisisn’t about balancing the budget but busting unions.

In New Jersey, the contract covering 40,000 CWA stateworkers expires June 30. Led by CWA, thousands rallied inthe rain on Feb. 25, marking the beginning of that fight.Hundreds from Districts 2 and 13 rode buses and joinedpublic and private sector workers from District 1 in sayingto Gov. Chris Christie, “You say divide and conquer. We sayunite and win.”

Christie has proposed to cut state workers’ pensions.New Jersey workers have been making contributions totheir pension plan regularly, and never missed a payment.The state, on the other hand, hasn’t made a full pensionpayment in 15 years and Christie has no plan to pay up.Christie says the state can’t afford to make its contributions,but then vetoed the millionaires tax, eliminating $1 billion inrevenue.

Christie is also attempting to impose huge cuts in health

Do you find the cover of the CWA News disturbing?We all should. It’s unthinkable that we’re seeingthe kind of all-out assault on basic workers’ rightsand collective bargaining that we’re seeing now in

Wisconsin, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Florida, Oklahoma,Missouri, New Mexico and many more states, and in theHouse of Representatives.

Workers’ rights and collective bargaining are under avicious attack. Our opponents, backed by the Chamber ofCommerce and big bucks, right-wing interests like the Kochbrothers are promising not to stop until they succeed in tak-ing away the fundamental right of workers in a democracyto join together and bargain collectively. That’s the reality.

The state assault now is focused on public workers, butprivate sector collective bargaining has been under attackfor years. Collective bargaining rights for private sectorworkers are lower than they were in 1900 and just 1 in 15now have collective bargaining rights. It’s not becauseworkers don’t want a union voice, but management hasmade the price for having a voice on the job a high-riskdecision.

The coming weeks and months are critical if we’re goingto preserve collective bargaining rights. We’re witnessingincredible solidarity in Wisconsin, New Jersey, Ohio, andmany other states. It’s amazing to see so many workingfamilies saying, “it’s enough.”

Clearly, this fight is not about public workers. It’s notabout Wisconsin. This is about all of us, public and privatesector. This is one fight. The right wing says this is labor’slast gasp, but it’s not. This is the dawn of a new movement,this is an awakening.

CWA also is leading the way in building new coalitionsand alliances. We’re working together with the Sierra Club,religious groups, Common Cause, the civil rights community,

care coverage, privatize thousands of jobs, and eliminateseniority and other provisions. But most importantly, likeWalker in Wisconsin and Kasich in Ohio, he has no inten-tion of bargaining. He prefers to dictate and counts on thelegislature to cave in and back him up.

It’s no surprise, given this agenda in state after state,that tens of thousands of workers are standing up forgood jobs and strong communities, sending the messagethat working and middle-class families won’t give up ourrights.

Several campaigns are highlighted in this issue of theCWA News, and there’s a lot of work to do. We need toseize this moment and have unprecedented mobilization inevery state. Here’s what we can do now:� Take this discussion into every workplace. Talk aboutour key issues, quality jobs, health care, retirement securi-ty and bargaining rights, and make sure everyone knowswhat’s at stake.� Support local events and get coworkers, their families,their friends and other supporters to turn out.� Take this opportunity to build a strong political move-ment by electing to every level of government people whowill stand with working families.

Is it Really the End of Workers’ Rights?

W O R K I N G Together

Volume 71, No. 1 Spring 2011

CWA News (ISSN 0007-9227) is publishedquarterly Jan/Feb/March, April/May/June,July/Aug/Sept, and Oct/Nov/Dec byCommunications Workers of America, 501 3rdStreet, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001-2797.Periodical Postage Paid at Washington, D.C.Postmaster: Send address changes to CWA, 5013rd Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001-2797.Printed at Kelly Press, Cheverly, Md.Design by Chadick+Kimball, Washington, D.C.

CWA Executive Board � President Larry Cohen� Secretary-Treasurer Jeff Rechenbach �

Executive Vice President Annie Hill � VicePresidents District 1, Christopher M. Shelton �

District 2, Ron Collins � District 3, Judy Dennis� District 4, Seth Rosen � District 6, AndyMilburn � District 7, Mary Taylor � District 9,Jim Weitkamp � District 13, Edward Mooney �

Communications and Technologies, Ralph V. MalyJr. � Telecommunications, Jimmy Gurganus �

Public, Health Care and Education Workers,Brooks Sunkett � Broadcast and Cable TelevisionWorkers, Jim Joyce � The Newspaper Guild-CWA, Bernie Lunzer � IUE-CWA IndustrialDivision, Jim Clark � Association of FlightAttendants-CWA, Veda Shook � At Large BoardMembers: Claude Cummings, Madelyn Elder,Nestor Soto, Carolyn Wade � Director TNG-SCACanada, Arnold Amber

10,000 union members stood in the rain in Trenton, N.J.to hear CWA President Larry Cohen and leaders fromlabor, environmental, community, and religious groupscondemn efforts to take away workers’ rights andbalance state budgets on workers’ backs.

Union solidarityelectrified thethousands ofCWAers and otherunion memberswho came todemonstrate atNew Jersey’sstate capitol fortheir rights andfairness.

CWA News / Spring 2011 3

Some 10,000 union membersand supporters filled thegrounds of the state capitolin Trenton, sending a mes-

sage of solidarity to Wisconsin pub-lic workers and some advice to NewJersey Governor Chris Christie: stopthe attacks on public workers.

Busloads of CWAers fromPennsylvania, New York, Virginia,Maryland, D.C. and West Virginiamade the trip to stand up with pub-lic workers, sending a strong mes-sage that workers can’t be divided.Despite the pouring rain, unionmembers and supporters cheeredthe call for workers to have bargain-ing rights and jeered at politicians’efforts to divide workers.

CWA President Larry Cohen toldthe crowd that, “it’s no surprise thattens of thousands of workers arestanding up for good jobs and goodcommunities, sending the messagethat working and middle-class fami-lies won’t give up our rights.”

CWA District 1 Vice PresidentChris Shelton and many leadersfrom public and private sectorunions also were on hand.

Public workers in New Jersey,including 40,000 CWA representedstate workers whose contractexpires at the end of June, are fac-

ing exactly the same kind of attacksas those in Wisconsin. In fact,Christie has expressed his “admira-tion” for Wisconsin Governor ScottWalker’s campaign to eliminateworkers’ bargaining rights.

Chris Christie is seeking to dothe same thing in New Jersey. Hehas a proposal to legislate healthbenefits for all public workers thatwould eliminate bargaining overhealth care. His budget proposaltries to pit working people againsteach other by promising to reinstate

The All-Out Assaulton Working FamiliesIt doesn’t matter if you’re a private sector worker or apublic employee. The benefits and bargaining rights we’vehad over the years are under attack. But politicians andtheir right-wing supporters are finding out that ‘divideand conquer’ isn’t so easy. Here are just some examplesof CWAers and union activists fighting back.

This is What

Looks Like

This is What

Looks LikeDEMOCRACY

property tax rebates to seniors andother middle class workers if thestate legislature imposes his healthcare plan on public workers.

He’s calling for cuts in workers’pensions and additional increasedworker contributions. Christie saidthe state has no intention of makingany contributions to the fund. Thestate had no problem, however, ingiving people who earn more than$1 million a $40,000 tax break.

New Jersey workers have beenmaking contributions to their pen-sion plan year in and year out, nevermissing a payment. The state gov-ernment, on the other hand, hasn’tmade pension payments in the last13 years.

Christie used New Jersey’sbudget situation to slash workers’rights, eliminating fairness in hiringand promotions and the ability tonegotiate furloughs and appeal dis-

Source: New York Times/CBS NEWS Poll of 984 adults,Feb. 24-27.

New York Times/CBS NEWS Poll

Q. In order to reduce statebudget deficits, do you favor oroppose cutting the pay orbenefits of public employees?

� Favor� Oppose� No opinion

7%

56%37%

Source: USA TODAY/Gallup Poll of 1,000 adults Monday.Margin of error: +/-4 percentage points

USA TODAY/Gallup Poll

Q. Would you favor or oppose a law in your state taking awaycollective bargaining rights of most public unions, includingthe state teachers union?

� Favor� Oppose� No opinion

6%

61% 33%

Over 10,000 New Jersey state workers braved the rain and winds to protest thegovernor’s proposals to balance the state budget on workers’ backs.

Credit:AP

Photo/MelEvan

“Think for a moment about the debt of gratitude YOU owe to unionsfor the 40-hour, five-day work week; overtime pay; paid sick days,holidays and vacation days; family and medical leave; pensions; healthand disability benefits; proper job training; safer working conditionsand, perhaps most importantly, due process in the workplace.”John Tucker, TNG-CWA Local 31167

cipline. If Christie gets his way, theonly item left for public workers tobargain over would be wages. AndChristie already has said he wants tolegislate a cap on any wage increases.

“Dividing the middle-class andpitting New Jerseyans against each

other won’t work. All across thecountry, Americans are comingtogether to tell the politicians that itis time to stop attacking workingfamilies and scapegoating publicworkers,” said Hetty Rosenstein,CWA State Director.

New Jersey:

Union Workers Stand Together in New Jersey

The Attack onWorking FamiliesHere’s a quick look at what working families are upagainst, from Maine to Arizona

1Elimination of collective bargaining rights for public workers.Underway in at least eight states this year, more threats coming

next year. Also attacks on pensions and health care benefits.

2Paycheck Deception. Campaigns backed by right-wing and corpo-rate groups to take away workers’ right to a voice in the political

process. Underway in 15 states

3Right to Work (for less). Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. put it best.Right-to-work “provides no rights and no work.” At least 12 states

are pursuing anti-bargaining measures; 22 already have right-to-work laws.

4Outlawing Prevailing Wage Laws. These laws make sure thatcommunity wages are paid on publicly funded projects like roads,

schools and bridges, and that contracts don’t get awarded to politicalcronies who submit bargain-basement bids. They are under attack in 20states.

5Assault on Organizing Rights. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haleysaid, “we’re going to fight the unions and I need a partner to do it”

when she hired a union-buster to head the state’s labor department andblock organizing among workers at Boeing. South Carolina and at leastthree other states want to keep workers from using majority signup towin bargaining rights and a union voice.

4 CWA News / Spring 2011

Good jobs and strong com-munities go hand in hand.

That’s the message ofOhio’s new and growing

coalition, “Stand Up for Good Jobsand Strong Communities.”

Spearheaded by CWA District 4Vice President Seth Rosen, thecoalition’s unions, civil rights organi-zations, neighborhood groups andother allies are fighting to protectworkers, jobs and their communitiesbefore politicians finish what therecession started.

“Elected leaders areattacking workers, pub-lic sector budgets, civilrights and more,”Rosen said. “But whatthey’re really attackingare good jobs anddecent communities. Iwant a communitywhere the garbage getspicked up, where the teachers arecompetent, where police aren’tspread too thin to respond whenyou need them.”

Rosen said the coalition will useits collective, grassroots power tohelp fight each other’s battles. Thegoal is to organize major streetdemonstrations throughout the stateat least three times in the next sixmonths, beginning with a series ofevents March 15.

“The politicians have a strategyof divide and conquer,” Rosen said.“Our strategy is unite and win.”

Solidarity on DisplayIn a mass display of unity, thou-sands of workers each day jammedinto Ohio’s statehouse and the out-side capitol grounds for weeksbeginning in mid-February as theSenate held hearings on a bill thatwould take away collective bargain-

‘Stand Up for Ohio’ Coalition FightingFor Good Jobs, Strong Communities

ing rights for 35,000state workers and20,000 universityemployees. On Feb.22, some 15,000workers and support-ers were on the capi-tol grounds ready totestify, but publicsafety officials tem-porarily barred themfrom the Capitol andthe hearing. Security

finally relentedand admittedabout 1,000workers’ rightssupporters sotheir voicescould be heard.

Rallies con-tinued through-out the state,with public and

private sector workers joining forcesin Dayton, Cincinnati, Marietta andother communities.

Another huge rally on March 1brought 20,000 to the state capitol.

The vote had not yet been sched-uled as the CWA News went to press.

It was clear that efforts to pitworkers against each other weren’tgoing to work. “It’s just the oppo-site, everybody’s united,” said DianeBailey, vice president of CWA Local4310. “We’re all coming out andsupporting each other.”

Pushed by Ohio Gov. JohnKasich and the Republican-con-trolled legislature, the right-wingagenda includes a direct attack on6,000 CWA members working atOhio’s universities and 1,000 morein other public sector jobs.

In addition to eliminating bargain-ing rights for state and universityworkers, Kasich wants to ban teacherstrikes and kill rules requiring thatcontractors on public projects payprevailing community wages.

Kasich’s plans also include priva-tizing the Ohio Department ofDevelopment, “turning it over tosome hedge fund manager fromCalifornia,” Rosen said.

Those are some of the issues

That was the message thatspread like wildfire asWisconsin union membersand supporters stood

strong to keep the collective bar-gaining rights public workers havehad for 50 years.

As Republican governors andRepublican-controlled legislatures inmany states attempted to strip awaypublic worker bargaining rights, thestate capital in Madison became thestarting point of a huge grassrootscampaign to stop the attack onworkers.

Demonstrations began in mid-February and crowds swelled from15,000 early on to 70,000 by thesecond weekend and up to 100,000by the third, protesting Gov. ScottWalker’s extreme agenda to drasti-cally cut pensions and health carebenefits and eliminate collective bar-gaining. Walker wanted it doneimmediately, without opportunity fordiscussion, debate or compromise.Wisconsin’s 14 Senate Democratssaid they had no other option but to

leave the state, preventing a quorumand a vote.

Union workers agreed to eco-nomic demands but the governorsaid that wasn’t good enough. Hewas determined to take away work-ers’ bargaining rights.

In the Assembly, sleep-deprivedDemocrats tried hard to stop the bill.

But after three days of continuoussession, Republicans called for avote, leaving the roll call open foronly a matter of seconds. Just 13 of38 Democrats were able to vote intime, leading to outcries of “Shame!”from the Assembly floor and galleryas Republicans walked out.

As the CWA News went to press,

CWA members rallied with thousands ofother union members and allies in citiesacross Ohio, including Dayton, left, andinside and outside the state capitol inColumbus, center and right.

Rallying in Wisconsin, from left: Greg Hartjes, a retired Local 4025 member,with his wife, Local 4025 President Kim Collier-Hartjes, and Local 4671 member AnnMcNeary, chair of the CWA Wisconsin Political Council.

“If a thousand people tellsay you can’t organize, justdo it. If ten million peopletell you that you can’torganize, just do it.”Rosa Wilson,CWA Local 7110, Iowa

Paycheck deception in Kansas. Pensions under attack in Florida. Right to work (for less)in Maine. The list goes on and on. These are tools that politicians and right-wingpolitical interests are using in the very real war on working and middle class families.But we’re standing strong. We won’t give up our rights.

‘We Stand With Wisconsin’

Stand Up for Ohio will address, andthen build on. Kirk Noden, head ofthe Ohio Organizing Collaborative,explains that concerned Ohioanshave been working for several yearsto form bonds that won’t disinte-grate once a specific fight is over.

“What we’ve set out to do is cre-ate a permanent alliance betweenneighbors, faith and labor, where

This is W

Looks L

This is W

Looks LDEMOCR

Join the Stand Up for Ohiocoalition on Facebook.More than 25,000

people signed on as friendsin the first 12 hours, withmore than 115,000 joiningin just a few days. Searchwww.facebook.com for“Stand Up for Ohio.”

we’re really starting to think aboutlong-term change in the state,”Noden said.

Rosen said Stand Up for Ohio is“going to connect the dots and bringall of our fights together. This isn’tjust about public workers or rightsthat directly affect unions. It’s aboutpeople having good lives, with goodjobs and strong communities.”

Christie’s playbook,who has said thereare two classes ofcitizens, “the peo-ple who get bene-fits, and the tax-payers who pay forthem.” But on theground in Indiana,Wisconsin, NewJersey and otherstates, thousandsof workers aresticking togetherand standingtogether for theirfamilies and com-munities.

In Indiana, as inWisconsin, theyhave the support of Democraticmembers of the state legislature.

CWA News / Spring 2011 5

We are atthe dawnof a new,reawakenedlabor move-ment thanksto the thou-sands ofWisconsinstate workersand supporterswho jammedthe statehouse inMadison toprotest unjustproposals totake awayworkers’bargainingrights.

the Senate Democrats remained out-side Wisconsin and Walker wasthreating to send layoff notices tothousands of state workers.

He pledged to do so even thoughpublic worker unions have agreed toaccept all of the health care andpension cuts he’s demanding, aslong as they maintain their bargain-ing rights. Walker refused their offer.

Wisconsin was actually lookingat a budget surplus until Walkerpushed through $140 million in taxbreaks for businesses and the wealthy.Now he is trying to blame publicworkers for the deficit he created.

By an overwhelming margin— 57to 37 percent— citizens of Wisconsinsupport the right of state workers tocollectively bargain, according toPublic Policy Polling. The poll, con-ducted in late February, even foundthat respondents in non-unionhouseholds support workers’ right tobargain, 51 to 45 percent. Unionhouseholds support bargaining rightsfor state workers 70 to 26 percent.

When the protests erupted in

mid-February, some 10,000 peoplerallied outside the capitol and another3,000 waited in long lines to testifybefore the Joint Finance Committee.Democratic members continued totake testimony late into the night, andhundreds of people spent overnightinside the capitol.

“The energy that was going on inthere, it was the biggest union boostI’ve had in my life,” said CWA Local4630 President Terry Russell, whoturned out with about dozen mem-bers of his local. “Absolutely everyunion was represented. It was abonding like I’ve never seen before.I was proud to be part of it.”

CWA members from statewideLocal 4671 traveled for hours to jointhe protest. “I think the energy thatgot ignited there is something thegovernor did not anticipate,” LocalPresident Mike Oliver said, notingthe roar from the crowd as firefight-ers and off-duty officers in policeunion sweatshirts marched aroundthe capitol square.

When Walker announced his

At the Indiana statehouse, CWA members were among hundreds of demonstrators in February.From left, Jane Phillips, Local 4900; Debbie Sturgeon, Local 4700; and Dave Dunn, Local 4703.

Credit:AssociatedPress/TomStrattm

an

Thousands of union workersare standing strong at thestatehouse in Indianapolis,pushing back against a

Republican governor and legislaturethat want to weaken workers’ collec-tive bargaining rights.

Crowds of more than 4,000 filledthe halls of the statehouse, standingup for Indiana families and workers’rights.

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels,like New Jersey Governor ChrisChristie, is trying to drive a wedgebetween public and private sectorworkers. The good news: it’s notworking.

Daniels called public workers “theprivileged elites” at a Republican din-ner in Cincinnati, the ChicagoTribune reported. That’s right from

Indiana:

Legislature Backs Off ‘Right to Work’

Indiana Democratic lawmakers leftthe state when it became clear thatRepublicans were unwilling to dis-cuss or compromise over the rightto work (for less) bill and other pro-posals.

Democratic lawmakers said“they’re trying to figure out a way tosave the state from this radicalagenda.” And they’ll return when theRepublican majority drops the billsthat are a real assault on the middleclass. Democrats have raised con-cerns about several of the bills,including education reform and

budget proposals.Republican lawmakers finally

withdrew the measure to weakencollective bargaining, at least for thissession.

Separately, Jeff Cox, an Indianadeputy attorney general was firedfor the comments he made aboutusing “live ammunition” againstWisconsin union demonstrators. Ina Twitter conversation with areporter, Cox called the Wisconsindemonstrators “political enemiesand thugs.”

Members of CWA Local 4900 proudly display their banner at the statehouse.

What

Like

What

LikeRACY

“People need to understandthat this attack isn’t justabout unions, it’s about theeconomic security of allworking families.”Tom Anderson, CWA Local 3865

Credit:AP

Photo/Wisconsin

StateJournal,CraigSchreiner

intention to strip away those rights,he tried to intimidate workers byraising the possibility of using theNational Guard against them.

“This is not about the money. This is about dividing themiddle class, this is about taking away 50 years ofmoms and dads working to provide a reasonablestandard of living for their kids.”Mark Frey, CWA Local 4630

6 CWA News / Spring 2011

Members of TSEU/CWA Local 6186 urged legislators in Austin to use someof Texas’s unused $9.4 billion ‘rainy day’ fund to cover budget gaps instead ofcutting state services and workers’ benefits.

Members of the TexasState EmployeesUnion/CWA Local 6186have formed a coalition

with 36 other unions, civil rights andcommunity groups that’s working fora fair approach to close the state’sbudget deficit.

The Texas Forward Coalition isdiverse. In addition to TSEU, itincludes the Christian LifeCommission, the Texas CriminalJustice Coalition, the Coalition ofTexans with Disabilities, and UnitedWay.

They are calling on the governorand legislature to develop a balancedapproach to closing the deficit thattakes both spending and revenue intoaccount but spares critical programsand services, and public worker jobs.

Texas state employees don’t havecollective bargaining rights, but havebeen successful in several cam-paigns to stop the state from cuttingservices for citizens, especially thosewho can least afford it. “We fendedoff a five-year effort that would haveprivatized our state’s human serviceseligibility program,” said TSEUorganizing coordinator Mike Gross.The move would have eliminated3,000 jobs and closed every stateoffice where unemployed workersand others needing help would apply

for Medicaid and other vital services.“Everything would have been

moved into a call center, putting atremendous burden on those whoneed quick access to essential servic-es,” Gross said. “We won by pushingback, and our campaign was just likean all-out organizing campaign.”TSEU activists made their case to citycouncils and local Chambers ofCommerce, as well as to lawmakersin districts that would have beenaffected.

On April 6, TSEU and coalitionmembers will rally in Austin for a

huge Lobby Day, beginning on thecapitol steps and followed by meet-ings with lawmakers.

In February, hundreds of TSEUmembers and other supporters helda vigil at the capitol to show solidaritywith Wisconsin state workers. “Anattack on one is an attack on all,”Texas State AFL-CIO President BeckyMoeller told the crowd. “We are heretoday to honor a basic principle ofthe labor movement.”

TSEU members also have beenworking to make sure the publicknows the true cause of the state’s

Texas:

Building a Coalition to FightFor Essential Services

Public workers in Oklahomaalso are facing a toughassault.The state legislature is

going after public workers’ pensions,jobs and, for municipal workers,their bargaining rights. “Members ofCWA Local 6012 in Broken Arrowand Stillwater will lose their voice onthe job if this measure goesthrough,” CWA District 6 VicePresident Andy Milburn said.

State workers, members ofOklahoma State Workers/CWA Local6086, already have made big eco-nomic sacrifices, taking two fur-lough days a month, the equivalentof a 10 percent pay cut. But the leg-islature wants more.

The furloughs are a serious issuefor CWA members at theDepartment of Corrections, the offi-cers who are responsible for main-taining security and controllinginmates in the state’s prison system.Before the furloughs, one correc-tions officer had responsibility for160 inmates. With furloughs, cor-rections officers must look aftermore inmates. The result has beenmore attacks on officers and violentincidents spinning out of control.

“With fewer officers looking overmore prisoners, our members oftenare forced to wait until there is alockdown before they can assist acolleague who is being threatenedor attacked,” said Lisa Sells, Local6086’s organizing coordinator. Threethousand of the department’s cor-rections officers currently have beenfurloughed.

That bad situation will likely getworse under proposals now beingconsidered in the state legislature.

“Our department’s budgetrequest is $35 million but legislatorsare offering to appropriate just $9million,” Sells said. “This will resultin more cutbacks, creating a muchmore dangerous prison environ-

ment, and permanent layoffs formany of our members.”

Since state workers formed theirunion in 1989, membership hasmore than doubled. Despite not hav-ing collective bargaining rights, theunion has accomplished goalsthrough mobilization and legislativeand political action.

Now state legislators want toeliminate workers’ defined benefitpensions and replace them with a401(k) plan. Workers have beencontributing 5 percent of theirwages into the pension plan. Thestate hasn’t made any contributionsover the past eight years.

Lawmakers also are looking to

eliminate a longevity payment thatstate workers get annually after twoyears of service. For workers, whoearn $10,000 to $24,000 a year, thatextra payment “is money they counton to pay their homeowners’ insur-ance, or other large householdexpenses,” Sells said.

CWAers are launching a mobi-lization campaign called, “All HandsOn Deck, or Else,” with lobby daysand weekly meetings with legisla-tors.

On President’s Day, hundreds ofstate workers demonstrated againstlegislators’ attempts to put the bur-den of closing the budget gap onstate workers and their families.

Activists with the Oklahoma State Workers Union/CWA Local 6086 discussedstrategies for building support in the state legislature against pension andbenefit cutbacks at the AFL-CIO COPE Conference.

Oklahoma:

Workers Hit with Furloughs,Loss of Pension, More Pay Cuts

“I have been a CWA memberand worked for the StateDepartment of EnvironmentalProtection for 20 years, andI have never seen this kindof all-out attack on ourretirement security and oncollective bargaining.”Marty Mosen, CWA Local 1036

budget deficit. “Our deficit wascaused by inadequate revenue andtax policies, not excessive pay orpensions of state workers,” Grosssaid. “The state has always starvedstate services to keep taxes low forthe wealthy and corporations.”

Texas cut property taxes by 33percent, revenue that was used tosupport schools. Now, without anyplans to bring in revenue to coverthat tax cut, schools are at a crisispoint.

The 10,000 jobs targeted in thegovernor’s budget include parole offi-cers, health service workers, andUniversity of Texas at Austin workers,educators and staff. That’s in additionto the 100,000 school district jobs atrisk.

TSEU members, like public work-ers across the country, are bracingfor additional cuts to jobs and bene-fits, including pensions, althoughstate workers already contribute 6.5percent into their pension plan.Lawmakers want them to pay morestill, while cutting the state’s contri-bution.

“We all take pride in our workand go well beyond the call ofduty. And this job has allowedus the opportunity and abilityto live in Beavercreek andprovide a decent way of lifefor our families.”Martin Miller, CWA Local 4322

It’s All About Politics, Not Budget Deficits

Do public employee bargaining rights cause budget deficits likesome politicians and right-wing extremists claim?The facts, and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, say

no way.Public workers in Wisconsin have had bargaining rights for 50 years.

Wisconsin’s budget deficit for 2012 is estimated at 12.8 percent. But inNorth Carolina, where workers never have had bargaining rights, the budg-et deficit for 2012 will be much higher: 20 percent.

Same goes for Ohio, where Governor Kasich wants to end bargainingrights for public workers. Ohio’s budget deficit — less than half of non-union North Carolina.

CWA News / Spring 2011 7

As a general matter, employ-ees covered by a collectivebargaining agreement con-taining a Union security

clause are required, as a condition ofemployment, to pay an agency feeequal to normal Union dues (and,where applicable, initiation fees).While the wording of these clauses isnot perfectly uniform, none requiresmore than the payment of thisagency fee to retain employment.

The Communications Workers ofAmerica policy on agency fee objec-tions is the Union's means of meet-ing its legal obligations to employeescovered by Union security clausesand of effectuating those employees'legal rights as stated in the applicabledecisions of the United StatesSupreme Court (including Beck v.CWA) and the companion lower courtand labor agency decisions. Underthe CWA policy, employees who arenot members of the Union, but whopay agency fees pursuant to a Unionsecurity clause, may request a reduc-tion in that fee based on their objec-tion to certain kinds of Union expen-

Notice Regarding Union Security Agreements and Agency Fee Objectionsditures.

The policy provides an objectionperiod each year during May, fol-lowed by a reduction in the objector'sfee for the twelve months beginningwith July and running through Juneof the following year.

Briefly stated, CWA's objectionpolicy works as follows:

1. The agency fee payable byobjectors will be based on theUnion's expenditures for those activi-ties or projects "germane to collectivebargaining, contract administration,and grievance adjustment" within themeaning of applicable United StatesSupreme Court decisions.

Among these "chargeable" expen-ditures are those going for negotia-tions with employers, enforcing col-lective bargaining agreements, infor-mal meetings with employer repre-sentatives, discussion of work-relatedissues with employees, handlingemployees' work-related problemsthrough the grievance procedure,administrative agencies, or informalmeetings, and Union administration.In the past, approximately 70-75% of

the International Union's expendi-tures have gone for such activities.The percentages of Local Unionexpenditures on "chargeable" activi-ties have generally been higher.

Among the expenditures treatedas "nonchargeable," which objectorswill not be required to support, arethose going for community service(including participating in charitableevents), legislative activity, cost ofaffiliation with non-CWA organiza-tions, support of political candidates,participating in political events,recruitment of members to theUnion, and members-only benefits(including members-only socialevents). In the past, approximately25-30% of the International Union'sexpenditures have gone for such"nonchargeable" expenditures. Thepercentages of Local Union expendi-tures on "nonchargeable" activitieshave generally been lower.

2. Objectors will be given a fullexplanation of the basis for thereduced fee charged to them. Thatexplanation will include a moredetailed list of the categories of

expenditures deemed to be "charge-able" and those deemed to be "non-chargeable," and the independent cer-tified public accountants' reportshowing the Union's expenditures onwhich the fee is based. In addition toany other avenue of relief availableunder the law, objectors will have theoption of challenging the Union's cal-culation of the reduced fee before animpartial arbitrator appointed by theAmerican Arbitration Association, anda portion of the objector's fee shall beheld in escrow while he or she pur-sues that challenge. Details on themethod of making such a challengeand the rights accorded to those whodo so will be provided to objectorsalong with the explanation of the feecalculation.

3. Objections for the period ofJuly through June must be sent dur-ing May. Objections will be honoredfor one year unless the objectionspecifically states that it is continuingin nature. Continuing objections willbe honored for as long as the agencyfee payer remains in the bargainingunit. Agency fee payers who are new

to the bargaining unit, or who arereturning to the bargaining unit, mayobject within thirty days of receivingthis notice. In addition, employeeswho resign Union membership mayobject within thirty days of becomingan agency fee payer. Employees fil-ing these objections in either circum-stance should so state that circum-stance in their letter of objection.New bargaining unit members are toreceive this notice prior to anydemand being made upon them forthe payment of agency fees. If, how-ever, for any reason a new unit mem-ber begins paying agency fees priorto the receipt of this notice, he or shemay object retroactively to the com-mencement of such payments andfor the duration of the current annualobjection period.

The letter of objection shouldinclude name, address, social securi-ty number, CWA Local number, andemployer. Objections must be sent tothe Agency Fee Administrator, CWA,501 Third Street, NW, Washington,DC 20001-2797.

In Tennessee, a broad coalition ofunions and community support-ers is fighting extreme proposalsby the governor and some state

legislators to eliminate collective bar-gaining for teachers, block publicworkers from making voluntary polit-ical donations and end the deductionof union and association dues fromgovernment paychecks.

“In Tennessee, we have aRepublican governor and largeRepublican majorities in the House

and Senate that are using the sameanti-worker bag of tricks as inWisconsin, Ohio and so many otherstates,” said Tom Anderson, presi-dent of CWA Local 3865/UnitedCampus Workers.

Local 3865 represents 1,200 uni-versity workers at seven Universityof Tennessee campuses. Over thepast 11 years, UCW has built adynamic organization of higher edu-cation staff and faculty, even withoutcollective bargaining rights

Within a month of takingoffice, New MexicoGovernor SusanaMartinez fired the direc-

tor of the state’s Public EmployeeRelations Board.

“That action makesit next to impossiblefor the agency toenforce the state’spublic workers’ bar-gaining law,” saidDistrict 7 StaffRepresentative RobinGould, a former stateworker, and CWA’s leg-islative political coordinator for NewMexico. “It’s like abolishing the entireNational Labor Relations Board.”

New Mexico state workers,members of CWA Local 7076, arefacing the same kind of attacks asstate workers across the nation.Republican governors and legisla-tures are trying to make publicworkers the scapegoat for big budg-et deficits that in fact have beencaused by the Great Recession, theWall Street mortgage scam thatenriched bankers but devastatedworking families, and a right-wingagenda looking to favor political andbusiness interests.

Local 7076’s 4,000 membersdon’t have full collective bargaining

rights. They can bargain over pay,but not pensions or health care.

And even that right is limited.After completing negotiations withstate agencies, the governor andlegislature still weigh in and can

overrule negotiations.Workers still are wait-ing for the raise theynegotiated in 2009,pay increases rangingfrom to 2 to 6 per-cent. Lower-paidworkers wouldreceive the higherincreases. The state

refused to honor the negotiationsand instead gave all workers a 2percent raise. The average wage forNew Mexico state workers is $16 anhour; some earn barely $10 an hour.

“We’re now waiting to see what’sin store for our pension which wasnearly fully funded before the reces-sion,” said Local 7076 PresidentMichelle Lewis. “At least a dozenbills affecting our pension have beenintroduced.”

State workers already pay 8 per-cent of pay into their pension plan.The governor not only wants toincrease that to as much as 12 per-

NewMexico:

Governor Cripples State Worker Rights BoardCWA state workersin New Mexicojoined with otherunion members ata Solidarity Rally.

cent, but is looking to lower thestate’s contribution as well. “If ourplan is so underfunded, why wouldthe governor and others reduce thestate’s fair share. That will only makeour plan’s financial situation worse,”Lewis said.

Tennessee:

Coalition Fights Extreme Attacks on WorkersFurther attempting to silence the

voice of public employees in poli-tics, Republicans want to end auto-matic payroll deductions for uniondues and political contributions.

“People need to understand thatthis attack isn’t just about unions,it’s about the economic security ofall working families,” Anderson said.“We’re standing with the teachersand with all workers who are beingattacked, because when they gethurt, it hurts all of us.”

Local 7076 members alreadyhave held a Lobby Day and are con-tinuing face-to-face meetings withstate lawmakers, pressing for fair-ness and reminding legislators ofthe sacrifices public workers alreadyhave made.

“Working at jobs thatprovide living wages anddecent benefits is notsomething that we, asAmericans, should stopstriving to achieve.”Brien Bellous,CWA Local 4502

Did You Hear theOne About…..So a public employee unionmember, a non-union workerand a CEO are sitting at atable with a plate of a dozencookies in the middle of it.The CEO takes 11 of thecookies. Then he turns tothe non-union worker andsays, “Watch out for thatunion guy. He wants a pieceof your cookie.”

8 CWA News / Spring 2011

In Missouri, the biggest assaultagainst workers is coming fromthe state Senate, where theleadership is pushing a right to

work (for less) bill to destroy privatesector unions and a paycheckdeception bill to destroy public sec-tor ones.

And did you think you’d see theday when child labor laws wereunder attack? That’s also on theagenda of Missouri’s Senate, with abill to allow 14-year-olds to workunlimited and unrestricted hours,along with other reduced protec-tions for 15- and 16-year-olds.

Mary Rebecca Gavin, a children'sservice worker for the MissouriDepartment of Social Services inKansas City and a member of Local6355, said there have been efforts todivide workers, “but that’s not goingto work in Missouri. All of us, publicand private sector workers, arestanding together for what we knowis right.”

The paycheck deception bill wouldrestrict public workers’ right to makevoluntary contributions and partici-pate in the political process. And theSenate is looking to assess additionalcosts to unions and associations—“the greater of eight dollars or twopercent of the amount authorized”—for payroll deduction of dues.

“It’s just another way to attackworkers who want a voice in ourpolitical process. It’s our right, butsome Missouri politicians want to

silence us,” Gavin said.No big surprise, the Missouri

Chamber of Commerce is backing theright to work (for less) bill that theSenate was set to take up in March.

What else is under attack in

The University of California isproposing $500 million inbudget cuts to help reducethe state’s deficit. The prob-

lem is that most of those cuts areaimed at UC staff and faculty’s pen-sion and health care benefits and atstudents, who face a big jump infees.

The 12,000 faculty and staff,members of UPTE-CWA Local 9119,are pushing back, along with stu-dent groups and other supporters.

The proposed pension and healthcare cuts are extreme. The netretirement income of a worker whoretires at age 60 and earns $26,000a year would plummet from$12,200 a year to just $1,800.“Politicians are using the economyand our state’s budget crisis as areason to destroy workers’ pen-

sions,” Local 9119 President JelgarKalmijn said.

For students, UC’s Board ofRegents has hiked tuition costs

Members of UPTE/CWA Local 9119 at the University of California rally againstunfair cuts to workers and students.

Missouri:

Missouri Legislators Want to WeakenWorkers’ Rights, Child Labor Laws

California:

UC Rewards Top Administrators, But Aimsat Workers’ Pensions, Student Fees

again, this time by 8 percent for fall2011. Tuition has soared by 40 per-cent since 2009, putting it out ofreach for many students. Attending

UC is now more expensive thanmany private colleges in California.

Making students and activistseven angrier are fat raises and newexecutive-level positions the univer-sity created. Kalmijn, a staffresearcher at UC San Diego, said theBoard of Regents approved raisesfor administrators as high as$132,000 a year and added a chiefethics and compliance officer posi-tion with a $230,000 salary.

“The university’s decision to givebig raises to some of its highest-paid administrators is uncon-scionable considering the hugefinancial sacrifices that the universi-ty is trying to force on students,workers and their families,” he said.

UPTE and unions throughout thestate have formed a broad coalitionto mobilize against the cuts.

Missouri? The minimum wage law,the prevailing wage law that wouldallow outside contractors to low-ballbids for schools and other construc-tion, majority signup in organizingcampaigns, and much more.

Workers and supporters havebeen joining solidarity ralliesthroughout the state, to supportWisconsin workers and to stand upfor workers’ rights in Missouri.

Union members and supporters

will hold a lobby day March 30 inJefferson City. Local 6450 and manyother CWA locals are usingFacebook, Twitter and other onlinenetworks to get the word out andget members mobilized.

CWAers were a big part of solidarity rallies nationwide.Clockwise, from left: Chicago; Annapolis, Md.; Puerto Rico;Denver, Oakland, Calif.

Solidarity Rallies Across the Country

Credit:PhotobyAm

yNewell

“We are facing huge attacks in the Show-Me-State.The most direct assault is coming from our stateSenate, where the leadership is pushing a right to workfor less bill to destroy private sector unions and apaycheck deception bill to destroy public sector ones.”Rebecca Gavin, CWA Local 6355