ALL Units - 2010 Shop Steward Elections:

There is a need for Shop Stewards in all Units. Shop Lists, Nominating forms, and instructions can be downloaded here (.pdf documents). For details and more information, contact the Executive Board Representative for your Unit. More information on the duties of Shop Stewards and training information can be found on this web page.

Our ability to bargain for good contracts is determined in part by the political environment.  Consider the current difficulty with seating Presidential nominees for the NLRB. CWA-COPE is the political action committee for the working men and women of CWA, their families and retirees. CWA-COPE informs and mobilizes union families to encourage their participation in the political process. More

New Training Opportunity for Members! NABET-CWA members now have free access to online training via a partnership with Lynda.com. These premium memberships include access to almost 500 course and 30,000 video tutorials. Training is self-paced and can be done from any computer with an internet connection (Broadband recommended). Courses range from simple overviews such as "Digital Video Principles" to intensive training in Final Cut, Photoshop, and After Effects. Right now, there are lots of vacancies in the Lynda.com training program. This is a reminder to our members about this free training opportunity, especially Daily Hires. Traditionally, it is a slow time for freelancers, perfect for learning something new or brushing up on old skills. You can sign up for the program or get more information by E-mailing nabet31tom@aol.com Please take a minute to visit Lynda.com and browse through the selection. You can even watch the first few videos free to get a sense of each course. Once you have decided what you want to take, or have any questions, please E-mail us HERE.

NLRB Chair: 'Reinvigorate Collective Bargaining' April 18, 2010 With four of five seats now filled at the National Labor Relations Board, chair Wilma Liebman said the NLRB would seek a more "dynamic" approach to interpreting the nation's labor laws to help "reinvigorate collective bargaining" in the workplace. At a national conference on collective bargaining in higher education, Liebman faulted the "static" approach to the law that the NLRB took during the Bush administration, which "had the effect of removing more and more employees from the protections of the law, especially vulnerable contingent workers." Liebman specifically mentioned the Bush board's decision to eliminate bargaining rights for thousands of graduate assistants and others in higher education. She said the board would look at "not just the words of the law" but the impact of board decisions on conditions affecting workers today. CWA took the lead in pressing the Obama administration to name Mark Pierce and Craig Becker as recess appointments to the NLRB, after it was clear that the Senate minority would continue to block their nominations. CWA activists convinced 141 members of Congress to sign a petition urging White House action. The NLRB now has a clear majority of three Democrats who support the law's original intent to encourage collective bargaining and protect workers' organizing rights. The four-member board will also get to work on clearing the huge backlog of cases that the NLRB could not address with two members, including "NLRB vs. KGTV." The case involves KGTV's decision to lay off part-time employees without bargaining with the Union.

You did it! Senate gone, Obama seats nominees Early Friday afternoon, the President made recess appointments for both Mark Pearce and Craig Becker to the NLRB.  http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/35093.html Our letter was a key part in persuading the President to appoint both.  Thank you for all the hard work for getting an impressive number of signatures on the letter. The final letter had 134 signatures of Congressmen from all over the country. One could get used to this idea......you know success!

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Cohen to AFL-CIO: Organizing is Key to Playing Offense for America's Workers

September 17, 2009

More workers with bargaining rights means a bigger, stronger voice for all workers, which is why organizing – even in the toughest of times – is labor's number-one job, CWA President Larry Cohen told delegates to the AFL-CIO convention in Pittsburgh.

CWA Pres. Larry Cohen, chair of the AFL-CIO Organizing Committee, gets delegates fired up.

"Every leader in this room, every delegate, every shop steward, this is our message: We don't flinch. We can't just play defense. We can't just defend the contracts that we inherited," Cohen said.

Cohen recognized CWA members at Comcast in Pittsburgh who struggled for years to join the union and flight attendants at Delta who are fighting to be AFA-CWA members.

"These are the real heroes of our movement," Cohen said, asking the CWA members to stand and recognizing members of other unions who were invited to tell their organizing stories at the convention.

Cohen applauded President Obama's Labor Day speech in Cincinnati, saying it lays the groundwork for a vote in Congress soon on the Employee Free Choice Act.

"It's been decades since we heard something like this, the president of the United States saying, 'Every American owes something to America's labor movement, even if you're not a union member,'" Cohen said.

"In our darkest moments, we need to take that to heart. We need to tell our members that if the president of the United States can say that, we can't forget it. That becomes the enthusiasm and the groundswell that will now drive our movement forward."

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Obama Vows Support for Labor's Goals, Delegates Endorse Labor Unity

President Barack Obama promised AFL-CIO convention delegates that he was dedicated to rebuilding America's middle class by giving workers and unions the tools to rebuild a strong labor movement. "When labor succeeds – that's when the United States of America succeeds," he said.

At the AFL-CIO Convention, President Obama vowed to build the middle class by fighting for labor's goals.

The president said he will fight for labor's goals – restoring the economy, protecting and creating good jobs, fighting for quality and affordable health care, and passing the Employee Free Choice Act. "These are the reforms the American people need, and these are the reforms I intend to sign into law," he said.

President Obama said he refused to go back to a business and political culture that hurt the nation and economy. "We're not going to go back to those days," he declared. "It would be bad for unions, bad for the middle class...We're not turning back. We're moving forward," he said.

Cohen: 'This is Exactly the Time for Employee Free Choice'

At Campaign for America's Future conference, CWA President Larry Cohen says senators must declare "which side they're on."

Speaking to more than 3,000 progressive activists at the Campaign for America's Future conference, CWA President Larry Cohen reminded participants just how tough the Senate vote on the Employee Free Choice Act will be.

The Chamber of Commerce has spent $200 million against the Employee Free Choice Act and is lobbying hard to block the vote for cloture, Cohen said.  "We need to demand that senators choose 'which side they're on,' when it comes to Employee Free Choice."

"We won't accept excuses that 'this isn't the time because of the economy.' You cannot fix the economy without Employee Free Choice. This is exactly the time," he said.

Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who is taking the lead in getting Senate approval of the Employee Free Choice Act, called the measure "the civil rights battle of today." And if senators refuse to work together for a bill preserves the top priorities of Employee Free Choice, "I will take the original Employee Free Choice Act bill to the floor and demand an up or down vote on it," he pledged.

Joining the session was David Bonior, chair of American Rights at Work, and Wade Henderson of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.

Standing Strong for a Fair Contract for

Our ability to bargain for good contracts is determined in part by the political environment. CWA-COPE is the political action committee for the working men and women of CWA, their families and retirees. CWA-COPE informs and mobilizes union families to encourage their participation in the political process. More

 Fight Continues For San Diego, CA KGTV-10 Contract

 Robber Barons in Buffalo's WKBW-7 New Contract

 Unions Are Good for Business, Productivity and the Economy 

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EFCA Fact Center