News

  • Companies Putting Shareholders Ahead of Workers are Harming our Communities
    CWAers briefed members of Congress and their staff this week on how the recent rise of stock buybacks is harming workers, communities, and the whole economy. CWA's Director of Government Affairs Dan Mauer outlined proposals from vulture capitalist fund Elliott Management, owned by billionaire Paul Singer, that would gut jobs at AT&T while using short term profits to buy back stock to boost the company's share prices. CWA District 3 Campaign Lead Marsha Vaughn shared the story of how after 29 years at AT&T, the company closed the Pensacola call center where she worked, forcing her to move away from her family on short notice. "Over 50 of us who worked at the call center were given just five days to make a choice: move out of the state or lose your job. My family depended on my income, so I had no choice but to move to Nashville, which was seven hours away from my family and my life in Pensacola." Vaughn pointed out that before the 2017 tax bill, AT&T promised they would create more than 7,000 jobs if the bill passed. Instead, in 2018, the company conducted $609 million in stock buybacks, which alone could have funded 6,625 jobs. Instead of investing in workers and building out its network, AT&T laid off thousands of workers across the country. "In the Southeast region where I'm from, AT&T announced a surplus of over 900 employees in June," Vaughn said. "Hundreds of those employees were ultimately let go of. Thankfully, our union contract has protections so that people have an opportunity for a job offer within AT&T, but many could not move for a new position, so they were forced out in other ways. Many of the people who lost their jobs have worked for the company for over 20 years, and they depended on the job to support their families." At a Congressional hearing on buybacks that followed the briefing, Representative Chuy Garcia (D-Ill.) raised the issue of Elliott Management's pressure to increase stock buybacks at AT&T. In response, economist Lenore Palladino of the Roosevelt Institute noted that instead of using free cash flow to buy back stocks, AT&T could instead invest in upgrading America's broadband infrastructure and support its workforce.   — Oct 17
  • CWAers Building Support for Bills to Protect U.S. Jobs
    CWA Local 1102 members joined Rep. Max Rose last week on Staten Island for a press conference announcing his support for the U.S. Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act and the No Tax Breaks for Outsourcing Act, two vital federal bills supported by CWA to protect U.S. jobs. It's time to stop making it easier and more profitable for companies to ship our jobs overseas! — Oct 17
  • Governor Newsom Makes Wrong Call By Vetoing California's Anti-Offshoring Call Center Bill
    This weekend, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a veto of the Protect Call Center Jobs Act of 2019 (AB1677), anti-offshoring legislation that would have protected California's working families and taxpayers while adding new accountability to the process big corporations rely on to relocate customer service jobs overseas. The bill, which passed overwhelmingly in both the California Assembly and Senate, would have required that all customer service call center work done on behalf of the State of California and paid for with California taxpayer dollars to be performed within the state of California and not in another state or overseas. "By vetoing the state call center bill, Governor Newsom made the wrong call and sided with the CEOs of multinational corporations instead of California's working families and taxpayers," said CWA District 9 Vice President Frank Arce. "The Protect Call Center Jobs Act would have been a big step toward strengthening the job security of working families in California. Governor Newsom's veto is a missed opportunity and the wrong call for California. CWA will continue its fight to protect California jobs and workers." — Oct 17
  • CWAers Gear Up for 2020 Fight
    More than 100 CWA activists and local leaders held watch parties this week in Tennessee, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Oregon, California, and Nevada to watch the third Democratic Primary Debate to discuss the candidates' proposals on how to build worker power and to sign up activists for our CWA 2020 program. — Oct 17
  • Building Solidarity with Call Center Workers Around the World
    In August, a delegation of CWA members went on a fact-finding delegation to investigate the working conditions at call centers in the Philippines. They connected with union leaders and activists, and learned of the struggles that the workers face, in the hopes of building international solidarity. Check out this video to learn more. — Oct 17