CWA 9416 District 9 Kern County, CA.
March 31st, 2009 — Mobilization
Rally For A Fair Contract
Time is running out.
Now more than ever, we must show our solidarity and stand together. Come join all of your brothers and sisters of CWA Local 9416 for a fair contract rally. Saturday April 4th (that’s right, the day our contact is no more) Patriot’s Park (By West High School) 10 am – 2 pm. Food and drinks will be provided (bring your own alcohol).
Everyone wear Red or CWA and bring the family!!!
See you there!
March 31st, 2009 — Core Bargaining
CWA District 9/AT&T West
Bargaining Bulletin #27
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Today we met in subcommittee regarding Memoranda of Agreements and Articles 3&7. We also had in-depth discussion on the numerous issues regarding the Premises Technicians. We met in Formal session and for the first time we had some substantive discussions. The company withdrew their proposal to eliminate Sunday plus four scheduling. We agreed on IRS mileage reimbursement and on clear language regarding discipline document retention. The Union presented a counter to the Company’s Health Care proposal. Our proposal would save the company money and not shift costs to our members. While the movement is slight it is the right direction. We still have a long way to go with a short amount of time left. Your mobilization activities are paying off. Keep on keepin’ on!
4 days and counting…
IN UNITY,
Pam Suniga
Art Gonzalez
Tom Runnion
William B. Harvey
Lupe Mercado
Bill Demers
1 Union 1 Fight 1 Future
March 31st, 2009 — Mobilization
Strike Coordinators:
Please call one of our strike coordinators if you have any questions.
Lou Mondragon 319-1302
Don Zeak 747-4647
Chad Hefner 549-0011
March 30th, 2009 — Core Bargaining
CWA District 9/AT&T West
Bargaining Bulletin #26
Monday, March 30, 2009
The parties met today in formal session and in subcommittee. The Union and the Company finally found some common ground in the area of safety and we actually have our first tentative agreement. This agreement will provide for the formation of Local Safety Committees. The Company did not have any proposals or responses to any of our previous proposals. Our District 9 Vice President Jim Weitkamp issued the following message:
The contract with at&t expires this coming Saturday. Negotiations, while ongoing, are in slow motion due to the company committee’s inability (or refusal) to engage in any substantive discussion of the major issues between us. I believe there is progress to be made if the company gets serious. Those of you that know me know that I try to make hope and the optimism that it brings part of whatever I do. My hope and optimism at this juncture is based solely in my faith in the membership and the locals to get the real message across to the company: You are healthy and profitable because of one thing; our hard work. We carry out your business plans (and we try, most often to deaf ears, to point out the flaws in those plans) with the highest productivity of any group of American workers. The mood of the entire country is supportive of economic recovery, not corporate attempts to pad the bottom line at the expense of workers and consumers. You have a golden opportunity to take the right path and if you do not choose wisely we will fight you as long and as hard as it takes to make you do the right thing by your workers and the working class of this country. The att locals are doing a superb job of mobilization and the help and support of all locals is vital. These are the largest negotiations in the country and will impact all workers in a very direct way and we stand in the forefront of medical reform which is vital to the economic health of every family in the country.
Keep the heat on; it’s all they understand. Be ready to fight them until they do what’s right. The fight is righteous and you should all be proud to be on the right side. I have moved in with the bargaining committee and will be here 24/7. I have committed to assist in any way I can and I know you will all do the same.
In solidarity,
Jim Weitkamp
Your Committee thanks and appreciates Vice President Weitkamp, the Locals and all of you for your mobilizing efforts and support. Keep it up – it helps! 5 days and counting…
IN UNITY,
Art Gonzalez
Tom Runnion
William B. Harvey
Lupe Mercado
Bill Demers
Pam Suniga
March 30th, 2009 — Core Bargaining
CWA District 9/AT&T West
Bargaining Bulletin #25
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Today the Bargaining Committee met with District 9 Vice President Jim Weitkamp. The Committee briefed him on all the outstanding issues and had a productive, strategic discussion. All through our bargaining process, Jim has been very supportive and helpful, we appreciate his assistance. We are studying proposals and preparing responses for our next meeting with the company scheduled for Monday March 30th. Your mobilization is showing the company you mean business. We expect them to come to the table knowing you won’t accept anything less than a fair and just contract. Keep it up!
6 days and counting…
IN UNITY,
Tom Runnion
William B. Harvey
Lupe Mercado
Bill Demers
Pam Suniga
Art Gonzalez
March 30th, 2009 — Audio, Music, Ringtones
Today I got a email with “A must-listen mobilization song from Local 6222″ as the subject. Check it out! I don’t have any info about it yet. I hope I can get someone at local 6222 to get me that info.
Here it is in mp3 format.
get-ready-to-strike-cwa
Also I did a iPhone ringtone (click on link, save to computer and import into iTunes, then sync iPhone)
get-ready-to-strike
Ok Here is the mp3 version of that ringtone. Most phones now support this.
get-ready-to-strike
*update “This great song was made by Ray Rodriguez, mobilization coordinator of Local 6222. ~Kris Raab, CWA Research Dept.”
This is the information for the song!
Song Name: Get
Artist Name: Special
Written By: Ray and Rachael Rodriguez -CWA local 6222
To find out more about the Artist “Special” please visit his website at http://www.lowproentertainment.com
March 30th, 2009 — Core Bargaining
CWA District 9/AT&T West
Bargaining Bulletin #24
Saturday, March 28, 2009
1 Union 1 Fight 1 Future
We met in subcommittee meetings today to continue discussions around Article 2 and Memorandums of Agreement. With only 7 days left we are not even one step closer to the contract you deserve! The company continues on their retrogressive path, still intent on attaining flexibility and reducing costs, by dumping our work rules and not paying for that flexibility. We will be working the rest of today on proposals and planning for our next set of meetings. 7 days and counting…
IN UNITY,
William B. Harvey
Lupe Mercado
Bill Demers
Pam Suniga
Art Gonzalez
Tom Runnion
March 28th, 2009 — Pictures
Info Picket at 101 V St.
New pics that got sent 3/30/09
Photo Credit: Chad
March 27th, 2009 — Core Bargaining
CWA District 9/AT&T West
Bargaining Bulletin #23
Friday, March 27, 2009
1 Union 1 Fight 1 Future
Subcommittee meetings continued in an effort to resolve issues around Article 7 and work rules/appendices. At the end of the day we have little progress and a lot of frustration. In Formal session we rejected the company’s proposal on Sunday premium Pay. We proposed a Successorship clause, which would require a new owner to recognize the Union and either honor our existing Contract or bargain new terms in the event of a sale of the company. Absent an agreement the current economic benefits would continue. The Company opened with a statement that their proposals would reflect the current economic situation and their need for cutting costs. They rejected our proposal on Job Upgrades. They presented a revised proposal on Health and Welfare, that still does not contain costs but shifts them to our members. They also proposed to eliminate the team award. The company’s final proposal of the day was on wage increases and lump sum payments. They proposed a Lump sum of 1.5% of an employee’s weekly rate in 2009 and 2010. Then wage increases of 2% at top step for 2011, 2012 and 2013 for a 5 year contract. As if we would want 5 years of this! These offers are insulting and disappointing as they show the company does not value our members’ contributions to their profits and success.
8 days and counting…
IN UNITY,
Lupe Mercado
Bill Demers
Pam Suniga
Art Gonzalez
Tom Runnion
William B. Harvey
March 27th, 2009 — Core Bargaining
CWA District 9/AT&T West
Bargaining Bulletin #22
Thursday, March 26, 2009
1 Union 1 Fight 1 Future
Subcommittee meetings resumed today in a continued effort to resolve the issues around Article 2 and Memorandums of Agreement. The formal session began with CWA Bargaining Chair Tom Runnion reading from Washington MarketWatch that AT&T is viewed as a safe vessel, a place for investors to stash cash and ride out the latest market storm. He also added that in the view of many Wall Street analysts AT&T seems more like the Queen Mary 2, the world’s largest ocean liner and not like a modern-day Titanic. Its declining wire line has shown signs of stabilizing after a rough patch in 2008. Barring an outright economic collapse, analysts insist the company can not only maintain its current dividend, now yielding above 7% but perhaps even raise it again in the future. As waves of bad corporate and economic news sink values of one blue-chip company after another, among the few that continue to steam ahead is AT&T inc. Tom reiterated the Union maintains that this is a highly profitable company and our members deserve and expect a fair contract and to benefit from the current and future profits. With that said, we rejected the company retrogressive proposals on the Premises Technician, “Leveraged title”, sickness absence pay, FMLA time, and overtime. The Union then passed two proposals. The first proposed that the company join the Union for National Health Care Reform. The second, on Evolving Technologies, proposed that CWA core contracts cover all work resulting from new technological developments. This would include Network operations, customer service activities, technical support, customer premise work, and connect tech work. The Company had nothing to offer today.
9 days and counting…
IN UNITY,
Bill Demers
Pam Suniga
Art Gonzalez
Tom Runnion
William B. Harvey
Lupe Mercado
