DECEMBER EXECUTIVE BOARD & MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

The E-Board and Membership meetings will be held on Tuesday, January 8, 2019.

Executive Board meeting 5:30pm

General Membership meeting 6:30pm

Please mark your calendar & make a commitment to attend the monthly union meetings. As members we all have the privilege to attend, vote and speak at these meetings. It is not just for officers and stewards, we all( officers, stewards, all members), make up the “union”. Bring any questions, comments or concerns that you may have. We will have a few topics to cover and provide updates on things going on in our different departments and areas. Please come and join us.

A GIFT FOR A FREE COLLEGE EDUCATION

Free College Online through Eastern Gateway Community College. You can enroll now for the Spring Term classes that starts January 14, 2018

Do you have a child or grandchild who would like to attend college next year? If yes, there’s no better gift than a gift for a FREE college education this holiday season.

With the Union Plus Free College Program, union members and their families can earn an Associate Degree online for free from Eastern Gateway Community College, an accredited, public, non-profit school in the University System of Ohio.

Union Plus Free College offers various programs to study, and credits can be transferred to a four-year college.

Next classes start January 14, 2019.

Union Plus Free College is offered in partnership with AFSCME. Go to the Union Plus website to learn more. You can also call 888 590-9009 to get started.

BEIRNE FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP

Dear Members:

This is to inform you that you can apply now for the application process for the CWA Joe Beirne Foundation’s scholarship for the 2019-2020 school year.

You will find a copy of the Beirne Foundation scholarship rules down below.

The Foundation’s Board of Directors has approved the awarding of sixteen (16) partial college scholarships of $4,000 each for two years. Eligible for the scholarships are CWA members, their spouses, children, and grandchildren, including the dependents of retired, laid-off, or deceased members. Applications will be available solely online for submission on the Foundation’s website at http://cwa-union.org/beirne-application.

Full program details can be found on the website at:

http://www.cwa-union.org/pages/beirne_scholarship_application

CWA JOE BEIRNE FOUDATION SCHOLARSHIP FUND RULES

1. All selected winners of the CWA Joe Beirne Foundation Scholarship must meet the following eligibility requirements:

a. Applicants must be CWA members, spouses, children or grandchildren of members. The member may be active or
retired, living or deceased. Active members must be dues-paying members in good standing.

b. Applicants must be either high school graduates or high school students who will graduate during the year in
which they apply.

2. Once selected, all winners must become enrolled in an academic institution and submit their notification form by
the deadline specified.

3. On the notification form, the winner must verify by signature the ability to accept the scholarship without
jeopardizing other assistance applications made.

4. All monies awarded will be sent direct to the academic institution of choice. any monies not utilized during the
academic year must be refunded by the academic institution to the CWA Joe Beirne Foundation Scholarship Fund. In
the event a recipient has already paid tuition, fees, mandated equipment, etc., for the school year, schools will
be instructed to arrange for student reimbursement of those expenses.

5. It is the winner’s responsibility to provided to the CWA Joe Beirne Foundation Scholarship Fund:

* Changes in address(es) and/or telephone numbers(s)
* Changes in school enrollment

6. This is a two-year program. A second-year award is contingent on academic accomplishment of the first year. Winners
will receive separate second-year application forms by mail.

Additional information for CWA determinations to:

Item 2 (winner selections):

First-year winners who do not enroll in a school by deadline date will forfeit* his/her award to the eligible alternate
as originally selected.

If additional alternate(s) need to be selected, selection will be made randomly from first-round choices until an
eligible applicant is found.

Second-year awards are contigent on first-year academic accomplishment. According to IRS discussions during audit of
1990 return, second-year awards are NOT to be denied due to a cease in CWA membership.

*Postponement of first-year award(s) may be made only if circumstances so warrant.

NOVEMBER EXECUTIVE BOARD & MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

The E-Board and Membership meetings will be held on Tuesday, December 4, 2018.

Executive Board meeting 5:30pm

General Membership meeting 6:30pm

Please mark your calendar & make a commitment to attend the monthly union meetings. As members we all have the privilege to attend, vote and speak at these meetings. It is not just for officers and stewards, we all( officers, stewards, all members), make up the “union”. Bring any questions, comments or concerns that you may have. We will have a few topics to cover and provide updates on things going on in our different departments and areas. Please come and join us.

OCTOBER EXECUTIVE BOARD & MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

The E-Board and Membership meetings will be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2018.

Executive Board meeting 5:30pm

General Membership meeting 6:30pm

Please mark your calendar & make a commitment to attend the monthly union meetings. As members we all have the privilege to attend, vote and speak at these meetings. It is not just for officers and stewards, we all( officers, stewards, all members), make up the “union”. We will also be discussing the 2019 Annual Enrollment. The deadline for Annual Enrollment is November 16th. Bring any questions, comments or concerns that you may have. We will have a few topics to cover and provide updates on things going on in our different departments and areas. Please come and join us.

SEPTEMBER EXECUTIVE BOARD & MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

The E-Board and Membership meetings will be held on Tuesday, October 2, 2018.

Executive Board meeting 5:30pm

General Membership meeting 6:30pm

Please mark your calendar & make a commitment to attend the monthly union meetings. As members we all have the privilege to attend, vote and speak at these meetings. It is not just for officers and stewards, we all( officers, stewards, all members), make up the “union”. We will also be discussing the 2019 Annual Enrollment for CORE. Bring any questions, comments or concerns that you may have. We will have a few topics to cover and provide updates on things going on in our different departments and areas. Please come and join us.

AUGUST EXECUTIVE BOARD & MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

The E-Board and Membership meetings will be held on Tuesday, September 11, 2018 due to the Labor Day holiday.

Executive Board meeting 5:30pm

General Membership meeting 6:30pm

Please mark your calendar & make a commitment to attend the monthly union meetings. As members we all have the privilege to attend, vote and speak at these meetings. It is not just for officers and stewards, we all( officers, stewards, all members), make up the “union”. Bring any questions, comments or concerns that you may have. We will have a few topics to cover and provide updates on things going on in our different departments and areas. Please come and join us.

JULY EXECUTIVE BOARD & MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

The E-Board and Membership meetings will be held on Tuesday, August 7, 2018.

Executive Board meeting 5:30pm

General Membership meeting 6:30pm

Please mark your calendar & make a commitment to attend the monthly union meetings. As members we all have the privilege to attend, vote and speak at these meetings. It is not just for officers and stewards, we all( officers, stewards, all members), make up the “union”. Bring any questions, comments or concerns that you may have. We will have a few topics to cover and provide updates on things going on in our different departments and areas. Please come and join us.

MAY EXECUTIVE BOARD & MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
Posted: May 21, 2018 | Author: Janice | Filed under: News | Leave a comment »
The E-Board and Membership meetings will be held on Tuesday, June 5, 2018.

Executive Board meeting 5:30pm

General Membership meeting 6:30pm

Please mark your calendar & make a commitment to attend the monthly union meetings. As members we all have the privilege to attend, vote and speak at these meetings. It is not just for officers and stewards, we all( officers, stewards, all members), make up the “union”. Bring any questions, comments or concerns that you may have. We will have a few topics to cover and provide updates on things going on in our different departments and areas. Please come and join us.

LAWSUIT ACCUSES AT&T MOBILITY OF PREGNANCY DISCRIMINATION
Posted: May 21, 2018 | Author: Janice | Filed under: News | Leave a comment »
Represented by high-powered lawyers, two women filed a federal court lawsuit Monday accusing AT&T’s mobile phone subsidiary of firing them for pregnancy-related absences in violation of federal anti-discrimination laws.
The women allege that AT&T Mobility’s attendance policy, which assigns point-based demerits for late arrivals, early departures and absences, discriminates against pregnant women. According to the class-action lawsuit, both women were fired after accruing points for missing work because of pregnancy-related medical care, and, in one plaintiff’s case, her infant son’s emergency medical needs as well.
The plaintiffs, Katia Hills and Cynthia Allen, filed their claim on behalf of all female non-managerial employees in AT&T Mobility’s retail stores nationwide, and seek redress for all of these employees whose rights have allegedly been violated.
AT&T spokesman Marty Richter said the company was reviewing the complaint, adding, “We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind, including for an employee’s gender or pregnancy.”
The attorneys handling the lawsuit — from the American Civil Liberties Union and the law firm Cohen Milstein — said it could have national implications for the legal boundaries of attendance policies like the one used by AT&T Mobility.
Known as “no-fault” policies, they have become popular among some large employers as a way to decide which of their lower-echelon workers has an attendance problem. Under the policies, employees are assessed demerits for various unauthorized attendance lapses, regardless of the reason for the infraction, and those who exceed certain numbers of demerits face discipline.
“They treat employees like cogs, but employees aren’t cogs” said attorney Gillian Thomas of the ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project. “They’re human. They get pregnant, they get sick, they have families that need to be taken care of.”
According to the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Hills worked at an AT&T Mobility store in Elkhart, Indiana, from April 2014 until July 2015. She became pregnant in October 2014, and ensuing nausea and other symptoms sometimes caused her to be late or miss work.
As alleged in the lawsuit, Hills had accrued several demerits by the time she started maternity leave, and experienced workplace hostility related to her pregnancy. She gave birth to a son in June 2015, returned from maternity leave in July, and two days later was fired because of demerits incurred for two pre-leave, pregnancy-related absences, the lawsuit contends.
“When I decided to bring a child into this world, the company asked me to choose between my job and having a safe pregnancy,” said Hills. “The attendance policies are too rigid for women whose bodies are undergoing so many changes.”
Allen worked at AT&T Mobility stores in New York starting in December 2012 before transferring to a Las Vegas store in April 2017. According to the lawsuit, when pregnancy-related illnesses required Allen to take time off before her son’s birth in December 2016, she submitted documentation from her health providers and was not told of any demerits. But when she returned from maternity leave in February 2017, the lawsuit says, Allen was told she’d been put on “final notice” due to the pre-birth absences, and she was fired the next month after missing two days to take her son for emergency medical care.
“I was shocked and a little scared,” said Allen, a single mother. “I was worrying about how I’m going to pay the rent and take care of my son and be able to find another job.”
The lawsuit says AT&T Mobility’s attendance policy exempts several types of absences — including jury duty and short-term disability — but does not mention pregnancy. The suit contends that the policy violates both the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which says companies cannot treat pregnant and non-pregnant employees differently in extending employment benefits, and the Family and Medical Leave Act, which grants up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for eligible employees to care for their own serious medical condition or that of an immediate family member.
“AT&T Mobility is essentially punishing women for being pregnant,” said Cohen Milstein attorney Kalpana Kotagal. “Employers of course have every right to discipline employees who are habitually late or absent, but the law recognizes that pregnancy … can’t and shouldn’t be penalized in the same way.”
The lawsuit seeks the nationwide revision of AT&T Mobility’s attendance policies, compensation for the plaintiffs’ loss of income, and unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

APRIL EXECUTIVE BOARD AND MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
Posted: April 16, 2018 | Author: Janice | Filed under: News | Leave a comment »
The E-Board and Membership meetings will be held on Tuesday, MAY 1, 2018.

Executive Board meeting 5:30pm

General Membership meeting 6:30pm

Please mark your calendar & make a commitment to attend the monthly union meetings. As members we all have the privilege to attend, vote and speak at these meetings. It is not just for officers and stewards, we all( officers, stewards, all members), make up the “union”. Bring any questions, comments or concerns that you may have. We will have a few topics to cover and provide updates on things going on in our different departments and areas. We will also update you on our D6 Officer Training & Conference. Please come and join us.

MARCH EXECUTIVE BOARD & MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
Posted: April 3, 2018 | Author: Janice | Filed under: News | Leave a comment »
The E-Board and Membership meetings will be held on Tuesday, April 3, 2018.

Executive Board meeting 5:30pm

General Membership meeting 6:30pm

Please mark your calendar & make a commitment to attend the monthly union meetings. As members we all have the privilege to attend, vote and speak at these meetings. It is not just for officers and stewards, we all( officers, stewards, all members), make up the “union”. Bring any questions, comments or concerns that you may have. We will have a few topics to cover and provide updates. Please come and join us.

FEBRUARY EXECUTIVE BOARD & MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
Posted: March 1, 2018 | Author: Janice | Filed under: News | Leave a comment »
The E-Board and Membership meetings will be held on Tuesday, March 6, 2018.

Executive Board meeting 5:30pm

General Membership meeting 6:30pm

Please mark your calendar & make a commitment to attend the monthly union meetings. As members we all have the privilege to attend, vote and speak at these meetings. It is not just for officers and stewards, we all( officers, stewards, all members), make up the “union”. Bring any questions, comments or concerns that you may have. We will have a few topics to cover and provide updates. Please come and join us.

CALL CENTER SURVEY DEADLINE EXTENDED!
Posted: December 4, 2017 | Author: Janice | Filed under: News | Leave a comment »
The deadline for the Call Center Survey has been extended to Friday, December 8, 2017

Subject: Survey on Call Center Stress

Dear CWA members,

Please take a survey to help CWA learn about the causes of stress for call center members, and what we can do to improve job quality. CWA is partnering with Cornell University Professor Virginia Doellgast to conduct this scientific survey.

Here is the link to the survey: https://cornell.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aaUGIEvp7bM5Vkx

The survey takes 10 to 15 minutes and can be completed on a computer, smart phone or tablet.

We need all members to participate in order to make this successful. Thank you for taking the survey and encouraging your coworkers to do the same.

NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION
Posted: November 20, 2017 | Author: Janice | Filed under: News | Leave a comment »
Below is a letter from our CWA National President – Chris Shelton

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

CWA and our members have fought – and won – many fights this year against the one percent and corporate interests and their agenda in Washington, DC.

We stopped an anti-union fast food mogul from becoming our Secretary of Labor. We led the charge against offshoring jobs, the TPP and other policies that benefit the one percent at the expense of working families. We are CWA STRONG.

As this year comes to a close, the Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress are trying to ram through the largest transfer of wealth from working class families to corporations, millionaires, and billionaires in our lifetimes.

They believe if they give the one percent and corporations more money, the benefits will trickle down to working families. In fact, they promise that every American family will receive a minimum of $4,000 in wage increases when they pass their tax bill. That is why I am writing to our major employers and asking them to sign a contract guaranteeing every member $4,000 if the tax legislation is passed.

Trickle-down economics has never worked for us. It’s the reason behind runaway inequality and the struggle we have with each round of bargaining. It has shifted power to the one percent, undermined our freedom to negotiate a fair return on our work, and jeopardized benefits like Medicare and Social Security that we all depend upon.

Worse still, the current tax bill will mean that CWA members’ employer-provided benefits like tuition assistance for furthering education or child care coverage would now be taxable benefits. We would no longer be able to deduct state and local taxes, moving expenses, interest on student loans and other expenses. Middle class tax breaks will expire in 2027, while the goodies for the corporations and one percent are made permanent.

To stop this massive transfer of wealth, we have planned a union-wide National Day of Action on Wednesday, November 29th. On that day, we are asking every local to take one hour to distribute the attached leaflet to all your members to educate them about what is at stake in the tax legislation.

CWA members have proven that when we fight we win. Join me November 29th in the National Day of Action.

In Unity,

Christopher Shelton
President

c: Executive Board
CWA Staff

NOVEMBER EXECUTIVE BOARD & MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
Posted: November 14, 2017 | Author: Janice | Filed under: News | Leave a comment »
The E-Board and Membership meetings will be held on Tuesday, December 5, 2017.

Executive Board meeting 5:30pm

General Membership meeting 6:30pm

Please mark your calendar & make a commitment to attend the monthly union meetings. The officers and chief stewards that will serve for the next 3 years, starting in 2018, will be sworn in at this meeting. As members we all have the privilege to attend, vote and speak at these meetings. It is not just for officers and stewards,we all( officers, stewards, all members), make up the “union”. Bring any questions, comments or concerns that you may have. We will have a few topics to cover and provide updates. Please come and join us.

SURVEY ON CALL CENTER STRESS
Posted: November 6, 2017 | Author: Janice | Filed under: News | Leave a comment »
Subject: Survey on Call Center Stress

Dear CWA members,

Please take a survey to help CWA learn about the causes of stress for call center members, and what we can do to improve job quality. CWA is partnering with Cornell University Professor Virginia Doellgast to conduct this scientific survey.

Here is the link to the survey: https://cornell.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aaUGIEvp7bM5Vkx

The survey takes 10 to 15 minutes and can be completed on a computer, smart phone or tablet.

We need all members to participate in order to make this successful. Thank you for taking the survey and encouraging your coworkers to do the same.

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JUNE EXECUTIVE BOARD & MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

The E-Board and Membership meetings will be held on Tuesday, JuLY 12, 2018 due to the 4th of July holiday.

Executive Board meeting 5:30pm

General Membership meeting 6:30pm

Please mark your calendar & make a commitment to attend the monthly union meetings. As members we all have the privilege to attend, vote and speak at these meetings. It is not just for officers and stewards, we all( officers, stewards, all members), make up the “union”. Bring any questions, comments or concerns that you may have. We will have a few topics to cover and provide updates on things going on in our different departments and areas. Please come and join us.