January 14, 2010

CWA Leads Fight for Fair Health Care Reform

CWA President Larry Cohen and other union presidents have been in marathon discussions at the White House this week to find a fair way to finance health care reform.

Cohen and leaders from about 10 unions plus the AFL-CIO and Change to Win met with President Obama and White House staff several times this week, with sessions lasting for many hours and past midnight. 

Cohen and CWA have been leading the fight for fair health care reform, working with members of Congress, some employers and organizations and coalitions that understand that the proposed tax would increase costs and cut benefits for working and middle income Americans.  

More than any other union, CWA's leadership has really pushed this issue in the mainstream and online media, on Capitol Hill, and in building coalitions. CWAers made tens of thousands of phone calls, wrote personal letters and met with their members of Congress and staff in both Washington, D.C. and district offices. This work was made possible through the Health Care Strategic Industry Fund, which enabled CWA to train field activists who carried out our critical mobilization program.

This week alone, more than 2,000 calls were made to members of Congress by CWAers, urging them to stand strong for fair health care reform.

More details will be provided as soon as they are available.

WVA Hearings Begin on Verizon-Frontier Deal, 800 Workers Rally in State Capitol

WVA Gov. Gov. Joe Manchin, right, joins CWAers, union activists and elected officials at a Charleston rally opposing the Verizon-Frontier deal. With Manchin is CWA District 2 VP Ron Collins. Below, CWA Pres. Larry Cohen calls for "no deal" on the Verizon-Frontier sale.  

CWA's campaign against Verizon's plan to sell 4.8 million landlines in 14 states to Frontier gained support this week from witnesses who warned the West Virginia Public Service Commission to carefully scrutinize the deal.

Vermont state senator Vince Aluzzi told commissioners that Verizon's 2008 sale of its landlines to FairPoint had been a disaster for telephone service, consumers and workers in New England. "The only jobs they created were for the bankruptcy lawyers in New York City," said Aluzzi. "If you have any lingering doubts, don't hesitate to reject the deal," he told the PUC.

Public safety concerns were raised by Vermont firefighter Matt Vinci, who said 911 systems in Vermont and Maine failed four times after FairPoint acquired the lines. "As first responders in Vermont we were outraged," he said. ARRP's West Virginia state director, Gaylene Miller, warned that "consumers should be assured that this deal does not put customers at risk of rate increases or further deterioration of service quality."

The hearings opened in Charleston two days after a crowd of 800 CWAers, IBEW members and other activists, and elected officials, rallied at the state capitol. "Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont -- they can't repeat that here. Somewhere in this country a line is going to be drawn," said CWA President Larry Cohen. CWA District 2 Vice President Ron Collins told the group, "jobs will be lost and service will suffer."

West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin energized the rally when he showed up and pledged his support for working families and consumers.

If approved, the deal will mean a $600 million tax savings for Verizon, but $3.3 billion in added debt for Frontier, making it very unlikely that Frontier could afford to build out high-speed broadband or provide other advanced telecommunications services. Allies in Congress have introduced legislation to close the "Reverse Morris Trust" tax loophole that permits companies from profiting from these kind of deals.

For more information, visit www.bad4wv.com.

Committee Report Suggests Ways to Build on CWA's Human Rights Programs

CWA's women's, civil rights and equity programs are getting a fresh look from a committee of members and staff who have just issued 16 recommendations to build on CWA's long commitment to equity.

One of the first things district and locals can expect are updated materials and workshops at upcoming district conferences to let leaders and members know what resources are available, CWA Executive Vice President Annie Hill said.

"We have a new focus and new energy on our work," said Hill, who created the Human Rights Ad Hoc Committee last spring. "We're off to a good start and we'll continue to meet quarterly and push forward."

The 19-member group, comprising people who work on CWA's human rights and civil rights programs, has been meeting in Washington, D.C. and by conference call over the last eight months.

Its recommendations include more outreach and communication, increased work with constituency groups, and continuing to hold national CWA women's and civil rights conferences every two years.

Hill said locals will be receiving more specific details within one to two weeks about the committee's work and plans.

'New Times: New Guild' Explores Ways to Save Journalism and Jobs

In an era of shrinking newsrooms, TNG-CWA members in northern California have started a national online forum to trade and inspire new ideas for the future of journalism.

New Times: New Guild is a project of the 1,800-member California Media Workers Guild. A series of special reports online at www.mediaworkers.org looks at ways the Media Workers Guild is helping journalists as journalism and jobs continue to change.

Reports already posted include a look at the creation of the nation's first Guild Freelance Unit; the new, nonprofit Bay Area News Project; the Bay Area Media Training Consortium; a project to help newsrooms overcome language barriers, and a look ahead at 2010 contract negotiations.

"We hope to kick-start a larger conversation on the future direction and forms of journalism," said Carl Hall, a science writer and Media Workers staff representative. "Journalism is too important to democracy to be left to media moguls, advertisers and bloggers."

Introducing the series, Media Workers President and San Francisco Chronicle reporter Michael Cabanatuan said, "Instead of hunkering down with our hands over our heads, we're trying to become more efficient and effective, to provide training and assistance to our current and former members, to organize freelancers (including many of our laid-off members), and to help build the future of news."

Union Members Aiding Earthquake Victims in Haiti

If you can help, please consider making a contribution to the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center's Earthquake Relief for Haitian Workers.

The labor movement is rallying to support the people of Haiti whose lives, homes and communities have been devastated by a massive earthquake this week.

Here's an early report from AFL-CIO Solidarity Center organizers already on the ground:

"We sent a Solidarity Center delegation into Haiti today comprised of Haitian union activists living in the Dominican Republic. They have to go overland and will then get an assessment of what can be done and what types of union networks can be pulled together to deliver the help. We are stockpiling supplies, water and non-perishable food in the Dominican Republic for now since the airstrips are damaged in Haiti and the only ones that are functioning are clogged with big planes bringing in shipments of aid. We may end up having to truck in our shipments from the Dominican Republic."

Many thousands of people have been killed, many more are missing and injured and there is tremendous need for drinking water, medical supplies and other support. 

Please consider making a contribution to the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center's Earthquake Relief for Haitian Workers. Click here for details.

Thousands More Workers to Benefit from COBRA Subsidy Extension

Laid-off workers will be able to keep their group health insurance from former employers at a subsidized rate under a new law signed by President Obama. Last year, the Obama administration's job stimulus program included a COBRA subsidy of 65 percent of the health care premium costs for laid-off workers for up to nine months. That program was set to expire Dec. 31, but has been extended and improved.

Before last year's subsidy was passed, laid off workers who wanted to keep their group health insurance had to pay the full employer and employee cost, plus a 2 percent administrative fee. Without the subsidy, extending benefits under COBRA cost working families as much as $1,500 a month, nearly impossible to pay without a job. 

The newest COBRA extension allows workers to receive the subsidy for 15 months, instead of nine and extends the eligibility period to Feb. 28, so newly laid off workers also can take advantage of the program. The program covers workers who have been involuntarily laid off between Sept. 1, 2008 and Feb. 28, 2010 from an employer with 20 or more employees.

Taking a Stand Against Verizon Job Cuts

CWA Virginia Verizon members protest job cuts in Herndon.

Members of Local 2222 braved cold weather this week for an early morning protest against Verizon's plan to cut 1,000 jobs in Maryland, Virginia and D.C.

CWAers held demonstrations in Herndon and Centerville, Va., to reinforce CWA's message that Verizon's job cuts are bad for customers, workers and communities.

CWA print and radio ads have been carrying that message to the public, pointing out that Verizon is one of the nation's most profitable companies and that the job cuts raise service quality concerns for customers.