UNIONS
After meeting with the company this week and with staff our union is under attack like we have never experienced. We need to stress to our members more than ever how important it is that we are strong and united. In the end if we do not stand united and strong against AT&T we will not have good jobs and benefits, if we even have jobs. This past week has really upset me with this company more than I ever thought they could. We listened to Vice Presidents sit and say they know that they are violating our contracts and that is the direction the company is taking. At the same time letting us know that they have no control and are just about as disgusted with the company as we are. I really know after this week that the majority of them are doing what they are directed to do hoping to keep their jobs.
If you have not heard Yellow Pages did not ratify their contract. Our District 6 Staff advised us yesterday that the company is trying to stir up trouble leading these members to believe it is the unions fault. Many of these members are saying they do not want their bargaining committee negotiating for them, they apparently think they can negotiate with Randal Stephenson on their own... This is exactly what at&t wants and seems to be doing a good job at attempting to bust the union every chance they can. Members working at Yellow Pages are in the majority young members and we have apparently not done a very good job at teaching them what UNIONS can do.
We have members dropping out all over the district and country with each member that we lose it gets a little easier for AT&T to get just what they want. That seems to be employees that will work for little pay, no health care, no benefits, and willing to work seven days a week. It sounds like corporate America wants us to go back in time. It took us a century to get what we have. In the last decade we have allowed ourselves be knocked down. How much and how far will we have to be knocked down before our members and the American workers say I have had enough. American Labor Members over the years have fought, struggled, and lost lives to get us where we are and all we have to do is make a strong and united stance to keep it. It seems we are not willing to do that.
The strength that CWA has against the company is in the number of members we have and their strength to stand up against the company. We can’t and will not be able to win this fight without members standing up and saying we will be treated fairly. We have to set aside our differences and be union brothers and sister willing to help each other out. That is what it has taken over the years for us to have good pay, health care, benefits, and fair work practices. Companies have not just given these things to workers. Over the years we have lost sight of the fact that working together makes things better for us all. We have to stop thinking that we will keep what we have when American's all over our country are working for lousy pay, have no health care, no benefits, and work in sweat shops. Guess what they are willing to do our jobs as contractors making half of our pay, no benefits, and no health care because it is better than they have. And don't fool yourself into thinking AT&T will not take advantage of that they already are and we are allowing it.
To save our jobs we are all going to have to step up to the plate and fight not only for our jobs but fight to assure that American’s have jobs where they make a decent living and are treated fairly. How do we accomplish this, UNIONS did it in the past and can do it again if we are willing to be a UNION. When I say UNION that does not mean elected representatives it means ALL OF OUR MEMBERS. We have to start standing together and put our differences aside we have to be one. We have to keep our focus not on our differences but what we have in common the need for a job where we can make a good living and be treated with some respect.
