March 17, 2006

CWA Members Get Head Start on Critical Political Season

The speakers from Capitol Hill who enlivened the mornings at CWA's annual Legislative-Political Conference in Washington, D.C., this week were far from the only politicians in the ballroom.

Among the 500-plus leaders and activists from CWA locals across the country were members elected to or running for school boards and town councils, county commissions and state offices.

In doing so, they're putting the rights of workers and needs of working families at the forefront of decisions, whether they're made in a tiny school district or a bustling state legislature.

"We've been successful so far in getting members elected to the state House and have just elected another CWA member to the Tulsa City council, with another just winning a primary for the council," Local 6012 President David Ratcliff said. "If that member wins, we'll have one-third of the six-person council."

Even losses can be victories in the long run, said Larry DeAngelis, a CWA representative in District 1 who has twice been the Working Families candidate for a seat long held by conservatives on the Nassau County Legislature in New York.

The massive outreach by CWA and other unions has brought labor within a few percentage points — far closer than years past. "We ran to get the ideals of working families out in the public, and we've been very successful with that," DeAngelis said. "We're going to win that seat eventually."

Whether running for office themselves or supporting pro-worker candidates, participants at the annual legislative conference are committed to progressive change in the November midterm elections, from Congress to "red-state" governors and state legislatures.

"Walking and talking to members is key," said Sandra Carter, legislative chair for Local 9417 in Stockton, Calif., where they've been fighting Gov. Arnold Schwarzeneggar's anti-worker agenda and will work to defeat him this fall. "We learned that 11 different contacts are needed in order to get someone to vote. That's 11 contacts — brochures, handouts, phone calls, more phone calls, and you have to do it. Then you still have to go back to members to get them to turn out to vote. We learned that last minute contacts alone don't work."

That's something made clear by lawmakers and a pollster addressing the legislative conference: nothing is more important than getting pro-worker voters to the polls in November.

Widely respected pollster Celinda Lake said that no matter how much surveys today show public dissatisfaction with Republican leadership in Congress, there is no guarantee that it will translate into votes later.

A recent survey by her firm showed that more than 80 percent of people considered part of the Republican base said they would definitely cast ballots, while less than 60 percent of minorities and young people considered strong parts of the Democratic base said they were likely to vote. "We have to have record turnout in 2006, and we're already in trouble," Lake cautioned.

One way CWA leaders are preparing for the fight is through the expansion of state councils, bringing together locals to work on state issues and fight for candidates who support labor's issues. Five activists involved in state councils spoke about building and using them effectively: Local 2004 Vice President David Fox of West Virginia, Local 7200 President Tim Lovaasen of Minnesota, retiree Dally Wilson of Texas, Local 4671 Vice President Ann McNeary of Wisconsin and Local 3212 Executive Vice President David Pilgrem of Georgia.

"Together we've pooled our resources," said Lovaasen, whose Minnesota council includes locals from all CWA sectors. "In 2004, we had a tremendous impact."

Willis said the council is so active in his state that "there's not a single lawmaker in Texas that doesn't know about CWA."

Participants spent much of their time in Washington on Capitol Hill meeting with House and Senate members and their staffs about issues important to CWA and all working families, from health care reform to building and reaffirming support for the Employee Free Choice Act to give workers a better chance to organize unions.

Speaking with a group of CWA members from Michigan in her Senate Hart Building office, Sen. Debbie Stabenow pledged her continued support, saying the EFCA "is a fight for our way of life."

Speakers at the conference itself included a surprise guest at Wednesday's farewell breakfast, Sen. John Kerry, who got a rousing standing ovation and offered "the most profound, most heartfelt thank-you I could possibly give you," for the time, money and support CWA members across the country gave to his 2004 campaign.

"I am absolutely convinced — no doubt in my mind — that what we built is going to bear fruit in 2006 and in 2008," Kerry said, denouncing the Republican leaderships' assault on working families and how they've used social wedge issues to persuade workers to vote against their own economic interests. "We've got to take common sense back for America."

The conference's other Capitol Hill speakers issued the same call to action, whether talking about the grossly unfair and unbalanced federal budget, the health care crisis, attacks on workers' rights or other pressing issues. Featured speakers were Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii), Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), Rep. Arthur Davis (D-Ala.), Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), Rep. John Spratt (D-S.C.), Rep. Stephanie Tubbs-Jones (D-Ohio) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

Kicking off the conference, Maryland Speaker of the House Michael Busch inspired members to follow Maryland's lead in pushing for the nation's first "Fair Share" legislation forcing large companies — i.e., Wal-Mart — to spend a percentage of their payroll to provide health benefits for employees. Launched by the AFL-CIO, Fair Share campaigns are underway in 33 states.

CWA President Larry Cohen said the conference — co-chaired by CWA Secretary-Treasurer Barbara Easterling and Executive Vice President Jeff Rechenbach — was all about what CWA and its members stand for, as opposed to George W. Bush's ownership society, "which is only about what we own."

"America is at a turning point," Cohen said, "and our work this week can be part of that turning point."

Board Supports April 29 Demonstration in NY "To End the War and Turn Our Country Around"

CWA's Executive Board this week voiced support for the brave men and women deployed in Iraq and for a major demonstration April 29 in New York where labor activists, veterans and community groups, students and others will gather to demand that our troops be brought home. The demonstration also will call for a new focus on our needs here at home.

District 1 Vice President Chris Shelton told board members that several CWA locals in New York and New Jersey are active in organizing the demonstration. "A majority of Americans now agree that it's time to pull our troops out of Iraq, and we need to amplify that message to our political leaders," he said.

Public, Health Care and Education Sector Vice President Brooks Sunkett, who is active in the peace group U.S. Labor Against the War, noted that CWA called for winding down troop levels in a convention resolution as early as September 2004. "We are tremendously proud of the men and women of our armed forces, including many in our CWA family, who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. But it's now clear that the best way to support our troops and their families is to bring the troops home and out of harm's way."

CWA and other groups also are pointing to the fact that the war has siphoned hundreds of billions in funding for health care, job training, education, housing, infrastructure and the rebuilding of the storm-ravaged Gulf coast.

To make a donation to U.S. Labor Against the War or for more information go to http://www.uslaboragainstwar.org/.

Retired District 4 VP Martin Hughes Dies

Martin J. Hughes, 85, a retired vice president of CWA District 4 who was a powerful political influence in Ohio, died March 8 at a hospital near Cleveland.

CWA Executive Vice President Jeff Rechenbach, who became District 4 vice president in 1994, described Hughes as "a creative and innovative leader. Because of his work, thousands of workers in our union have better lives."

Coming of age following the Great Depression, Hughes became a telephone repair technician and rose through the leadership ranks of Cleveland Local 4340.

He served in the Army during World War II and was decorated for service in North Africa and Europe. After his discharge, he returned to union work.

Helping settle a statewide telephone strike in 1947, he came to the attention of founding CWA President Joe Beirne, who brought him to the union's Washington, D.C., headquarters as his assistant.

In 1950, Hughes returned to District 4 as assistant to Vice President A.T. Jones. He served alternately as assistant to the vice president and as CWA's Ohio director in the 1950s and '60s. In 1970, after working hard to elect Democratic Gov. James J. Gilligan, Hughes was named director of the Ohio Department of Industrial Relations.

After returning to CWA, he went on to win election as District 4 vice president in 1972. Throughout his 15 years as vice president, Hughes was passionately committed to mobilizing the membership and raising funds to elect Democratic candidates. In the '80s, he became a frequent visitor to the White House and adviser to President Jimmy Carter.

Hughes stepped down as vice president in 1987 after facing charges of irregularities in the reporting of union political contributions. He received a fine and two years probation, and later was pardoned by President Bill Clinton.

During the course of his career, Hughes served as president of the Cleveland AFL-CIO and member of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, the board of the Cleveland Port Authority and the national governing board of United Way.

He is survived by his wife, Natalie, three sons and a brother.

Union Bid for Knight Ridder Newspapers Goes Forward

TNG-CWA remains an active player in the bid for 12 newspapers that are part of the Knight Ridder chain but that are slated to be sold by the chain's announced buyer, the McClatchy Co., TNG-CWA President Linda Foley reported.

Included in the 12 newspapers to be sold are eight represented by TNG-CWA: the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Duluth News Tribune, Grand Forks Herald, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News, San Jose Mercury News, Akron Beacon Journal, and The Monterey County Herald. These have a combined employment of approximately 7,000 and a combined daily circulation of 1.3 million.

At all the TNG-CWA represented newspapers, union members are collecting statements of support for keeping a quality, hometown newspaper from community leaders, elected officials, residents and others. Those are being forwarded to McClatchy as that company moves forward with the sale of 12 newspapers.

In San Jose, Calif., more than two dozen elected officials and community leaders so far have signed a statement as part of the campaign to "save one of America's best newspapers." More information on the San Jose campaign is available at http://www.savethemerc.com/.

Advisors to TNG-CWA will meet with representatives of McClatchy and their investment advisors. The TNG-CWA effort is backed by The Yucaipa Companies, the largest "worker friendly" investment fund in the nation. Workers at the newspapers will be able to invest in the union-led buyout, using 401k funds, but the TNG-CWA bid is not dependent on employee investment. 

More information is available at http://www.knightridderwatch.org/.

IN BRIEF:

  • National Public Radio was wrong to shift audio work performed by NABET-CWA technicians to reporters and producers, an arbitrator ruled this week.

    The ruling came after the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, representing the reporters, filed a grievance protesting the change in job functions, which are a key issue in ongoing negotiations between NABET-CWA Local 31 and NPR. NPR claimed that the talks with NABET-CWA had reached an impasse and tried to impose part of its contract demands to hand audio work to the AFTRA members.

    The local, based in Washington, D.C., has filed an unfair labor practice complaint charging that NPR simply stopped bargaining and no impasse exists under rules set by federal labor law. The local represents about 80 technicians working at NPR facilities in Washington, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.

     
  • The Washington Post has uncovered one of the most egregious pieces of evidence yet that the U.S. Labor Department is a fully owned subsidiary of corporate America: An internal e-mail directing people to a virulent anti-union website that the DOL approves as a "training opportunity."

    "The next [noteworthy item] is a new website, if you were not already aware of it," Lynne Gibson, a public liaison office aide said in an e-mail obtained by the Post's In the Loop column. "The website is dedicated to providing information on labor unions and their expenditures. UnionFacts.com launched on Monday, February 13th, and some news links are listed below."

    In addition to the website, the so-called UnionFacts campaign is running ugly, slanderous full-page ads in major newspapers blaming unions for lost American jobs and even going so far as to compare union leaders trying to organize workers through cardcheck to dictators Kim Jung Il of North Korea and Fidel Castro of Cuba.

    Unnamed donors are pouring millions into the campaign, run by Richard Berman, who is known in Washington for his vicious anti-worker, anti-consumer efforts. His previous campaigns have included slamming Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the alcohol industry, convincing pregnant women to eat more white albacore tuna despite warnings of high mercury content and vigorously opposing any minimum wage hike.

     
  • The latest Forbes list of the world's richest people is proof that a small number of very rich people are getting even richer while workers and impoverished people in the United States and around the world struggle.

    Since Forbes began putting out the list 20 years ago, the number of billionaires has risen from a mere 140 to today's 793 today. This year, their combined wealth grew 18 percent to $2.6 trillion.

    Once again, Microsoft founder Bill Gates is the world's richest man, with his net worth rising to $50 billion from $46.5 billion last year. Investor Warren Buffett again ranked second, though his fortune fell by $2 billion to $42 billion. Five other billionaires on the list belong to Wal-Mart's Walton family.