Making the Union Connection at Cingular…Following the lead of more than 16,000 of their co-workers, 465 former AT&T Wireless workers at Cingular Wireless locations from Hawaii to Virginia chose to form a union with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) recently. The new union members, who worked for AT&T before the merger with Cingular, have been able to exercise their free choice to join a union under a pact in which Cingular agreed to honor the workers’ freedom to form a union when a majority signs authorization cards. Find out more about the new CWA members.
The right of workers to join a union through majority sign-up is the key provision to the Employee Free Choice Act (H.R. 1696 and S. 842) that is gaining steam in Congress with 210 co-sponsors in the House and 42 in the Senate. Take a look closer at the Employee Free Choice Act and download fact sheets and other materials.
Joining forces in Utah…CWA also reports that the 600-member Utah Association of Government Employees voted to affiliate with the 700,000-member national union this month.
Union rights in the cards…In another win for workers using majority sign-up, 250 employees at ShuttlePort in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., joined the Transport Workers (TWU). ShuttlePort provides passenger and employee transportation at Fort Lauderdale International Airport and Port Everglades ship terminal. The January issue of TWU Express provides a more detailed look at the workers’ victory.
Bringing Work Home…In 2002, Carrier’s United Technologies electronics component plant in Huntington, Ind., began outsourcing work to Asian plants. But today a lot of that work is coming home after Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 983 officers and members worked together with plant managers in strategic planning sessions that led to several worker-inspired production improvements. So far 89 new IBEW jobs have been created and plans are under way to bring back more work.
Click here for the full story on the labor-management actions.
It ain’t over till…The stage workers at the Austin (Texas) Lyric Opera unanimously voted to join the Theatrical Stagehands (IATSE) last year and just ratified and signed a new three-year agreement that boosts their pay—including overtime and holiday pay—and improves health benefits. The 19 workers are carpenters, prop artists, painters and customers. Check out IATSE’s website for more on the Austin Opera workers.
