News

  • Communications Workers of America Urges FCC to Deny Sale of AT&T Mobility Units to Liberty Latin America
      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 22, 2020  The union says the transaction as currently structured threatens considerable harm to the public interest by endangering potentially hundreds of jobs, harming workers and threatening service quality. WASHINGTON – In comments filed yesterday, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) called on the FCC to deny the sale of AT&T Mobility operations in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to Liberty Latin America Ltd. (LLA). Because of LLA's strained financial position and track record of opposing workers' rights, including the offshoring of jobs to countries with lower labor standards, the deal, as currently structured, endangers jobs, harms workers, and threatens service quality. CWA also outlines how the transaction could impact the deployment of FirstNet – a particular concern given recent natural disasters in Puerto Rico – as another reason that more disclosure is needed to assess whether the transaction will harm the public interest. FirstNet is the nation's first interoperable broadband network specifically dedicated to first responders and the agencies and personnel who support them, and it's being built, operated, and maintained by AT&T. "Puerto Rico has seen its telecommunications infrastructure destroyed by numerous natural disasters in recent years," said Communications Workers of America President Chris Shelton. "AT&T's plans to dump its mobility operations in both Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands appeases Elliott Management and boosts AT&T's stock price with complete disregard for the public interest, the company's workers and the health of AT&T's network. The FCC should deny this transaction unless there are clear and enforceable commitments by Liberty Latin America to honor collective bargaining agreements, protect jobs in Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands, and invest in quality service for its customers, including a robust 5G network." Liberty Latin America, a Bermuda-incorporated company, has had a negative net income since 2016 and is highly indebted, with a leverage ratio greater than any of its peers. LLA's strained financial position raises serious questions about the company's ability to invest in network upgrades and achieve true 5G service for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In September, after purchasing a small stake in AT&T, Paul Singer's Elliott Management announced plans to extract profits at the company by eliminating jobs and divesting critical assets. Elliott Management's proposals also push AT&T to spend billions on stock buybacks, drive up its share price, and enrich Singer, leaving fewer resources for building next generation wireless and fiber broadband networks and training workers for the jobs of the future. When AT&T announced in early October that it would sell its Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Island Mobility units to LLA, the Wall Street Journal noted that this deal aligned with the goals outlined by Elliott Management. CWA, which represents approximately 100,000 AT&T workers, has voiced strong opposition to the controversial proposals from Elliott Management. The union has said Elliott's plans would put 30,000 jobs at risk, including jobs in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, destroy long-term value at AT&T and are the "archetype ploy of vulture capitalists." In October, CWA penned letters to AT&T's CEO, board of directors, the company's 100 largest investors, and the Business Roundtable, calling on them to reject damaging proposals from Elliott Management. As of December 2019, CWA represented 840 workers employed by AT&T Mobility in Puerto Rico and 37 workers employed by AT&T Mobility in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The workers represented by CWA work as technicians, retail employees, and call center representatives, among other positions. CWA's filing is available at https://cwa-union.org/sites/default/files/20200121-cwa-fcc-comments-att-libertylatinamerica.pdf. ### — Jan 22
  • NABET-CWA Members Win Largest Back Pay Settlement in NLRB History
    Last week, NABET-CWA won the largest back pay settlement in the 84-year history of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), requiring CNN to pay a total of $76 million to hundreds of broadcast technicians who were fired after CNN terminated its subcontract with union-represented employees at Team Video Services (TVS). The settlement provides substantial justice to workers who have been waiting more than 15 years to be made whole for the losses that they suffered as a result of CNN's unlawful conduct. NABET-CWA's longstanding labor dispute with CNN threatened to disrupt the CNN-hosted January 14 debate at Drake University, with NABET-CWA advising the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic presidential candidates who qualified for the debate, and CNN of its intention to picket the event. CWA President Chris Shelton extended his thanks to the Democratic presidential candidates, who demonstrated their commitment to working people by intending to honor the picket line. "After more than 15 years, this settlement agreement finally delivers justice for workers who experienced serious hardship in their lives due to CNN's union-busting practices," said NABET-CWA President Charlie Braico. "This incredible settlement in workers' favor should send a very clear message to CNN and to other employers that union-busting is illegal and has consequences." CNN's ability to avoid taking responsibility for its unlawful behavior for over 15 years shows just how far U.S. labor laws that are supposed to protect workers have become rigged in favor of corporations. While CNN did everything possible to avoid complying with the law, many of the affected workers struggled to make ends meet with minimum wage jobs or were forced to uproot their families in order to find work. Several of the workers have died while waiting for justice from the company. — Jan 16
  • CWA Member Testifies at House Aviation Subcommittee Hearing on Working Conditions
    At a hearing held Wednesday by the House Subcommittee on Aviation, CWA Local 3645 Vice President Donielle Prophete called on Congress and American Airlines to address serious safety concerns for airline workers. During her testimony, Prophete noted that inadequate lighting on the tarmac, a concern repeatedly raised by her local with Piedmont management, likely led to the tragic death of Charlotte ramp worker Kendrick Hudson in August, 2019. The tug Hudson was driving hit a piece of baggage that had fallen on the tarmac, causing the tug to flip over. In addition to insufficient lighting on the tarmac, damaged and outdated equipment and understaffing are key safety concerns for airline ground workers. Prophete said that these hazards are made worse by low wages at regional carriers like Piedmont, which lead to agents working long, exhausting shifts and taking additional jobs. Low wages contribute to high turnover, which exacerbates the understaffing problems. "American is a highly profitable company and pays out billions to wealthy shareholders and executives. Yet, American is cutting costs and outsourcing passenger service work to low-wage contractors and regional airlines, like Piedmont," Prophete said. Prophete said that action is needed to ensure that airlines are implementing the protocols on passenger rage required by the FAA Reauthorization Act. She also recommended that Congress work to establish ramp worker staffing ratios, so that there is an adequate number of agents working a flight, and mandate safety standards for ramp operations to guarantee a safe working environment at all airports. Prophete's recommendations were widely reported in the media. At the congressional hearing, Dr. Brian Callaci also testified on the findings of a new CWA-commissioned study, Fissuring in Flight, using government data to show how major airline carriers have employed outsourcing, restructuring, and consolidation to suppress wages and erode the quality of jobs in the airline industry. Flight Attendants at the eight regional carriers represented by AFA-CWA have also raised concerns about unsafe conditions due to understaffing and the need to bridge the gap between regional and mainline carriers to make the industry better and safer. In a new survey of nearly 500 Piedmont agents across the country, ninety-four percent of agents view safety as a serious problem at their station, with 74% reporting that they feel rushed to do their jobs because of understaffing and more than half of the agents reporting that they work with defective equipment in all or most of their shifts. Watch Prophete's testimony at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChsHe5VcHxQ. CWA Local 3645 Vice President Donielle Prophete (right) prepares to testify before the House Aviation Subcommittee. — Jan 16
  • CWA President Chris Shelton Calls for All Hands on Deck to Pass PRO Act to Build Union Member Power
    On a legislative-political activist team call this week, CWA President Chris Shelton urged CWA members to keep pressure on their Members of Congress to support the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the bill next month. "We heard, as I know many of you on this call know, that there would not be a vote without at least 218 sponsors of the House bill, and we're at 219 now," Shelton said. "A number of those members agreed to sponsor the bill specifically because of the hard work that all of you put in. So now we're on the verge of this historic vote. This is an amazing achievement, but we also know that there are many members of Congress who are still waffling or trying to dodge taking a position." The PRO Act puts power back in the hands of workers and reverses decades of legislation meant to crush unions. It would update outdated American labor laws to better protect strikes and other protest activities, make it easier to bargain union contracts, strengthen protections for workers who want to join a union, and prevent the misclassification of workers as independent contractors. Shelton stressed the importance of continuing to call and write members of Congress. "We need to work hard over the next few weeks to hold those members' feet to the fire and make sure we get a good strong vote in support of the PRO Act to continue to build momentum for labor law reform," he said. To send an email to your member of Congress about the PRO Act, visit https://actionnetwork.org/letters/write-to-congress-support-the-pro-act/. — Jan 16
  • Workers and Community Members Press Stephanie Murphy to Support the PRO Act
    Last Thursday, workers and community members gathered outside Representative Stephanie Murphy's office in Orlando to press Murphy to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. "When I look at the list of PRO Act cosponsors, I see Democrats, I see Republicans, but I don't see Stephanie Murphy," said Steve Wiesniewski (below), President of CWA Local 3018 in Orlando. "Does she think that it is okay for corporations to have so much control over our lives? Would she rather see money go to wealthy corporate shareholders instead of to those of us who live, work and support our families right here in her district?" — Jan 16