CWA 4900 Members,
I send you this message from the Bargaining table in Chicago. As I write today the company continues to push negative proposals that take back years of gains we have made in our contracts. They are serious and intended to strip us of differentials, sick time, fixed holidays, job security and healthcare! Yes, all these and more. They are very serious about these items and we are fighting daily just to achieve the current language we already have. Plus they refuse to discuss our retirees, which is unacceptable! WTF, Where’s The Fairness!!! There is none in these retrogressive proposals from the company.
Your committee’s goal is to make this contract better, NOT WORSE! We want to improve job security, healthcare and time off with your families. Not to mention add fairness to all the company’s bad work practices you deal with each and every day. We are determined to fight until we achieve these goals. We need you to mobilize like never before and force the company to take notice. I ask you to take RISKS. We must have risky mobilization that gets the attention of management and labor relations. We must take these risks together and collectively.
YOU are the key to success in this fight! We win what we have the power to win. We can all think of mobilization ideas that affect the operations in our workgroups. Lead the way and tell your stewards what you and your groups want to do. Stand together or divided we fall.
Our contract is soon to expire and the company believes they can shove their bad proposals down our throats and you will accept them. Yes, we can strike and may do so, but your mobilization now can be the key to a long or short strike. It can also force these bad proposals off the table from the company so your committee can get you real improvements that you deserve.
You count and your actions count. I am asking each of you to step up now as I know you will. Be a soldier in this battle and we will be victorious. Let’s not have a strike be our only option. I appreciate all you do and know you believe we deserve better.
In Unity,
Tim Strong
President CWA 4900
We must learn to live together as brothers or we are going to perish together as fools.-- Martin Luther King, Jr
TS/hsr/opeiu#1/afl-cio