District 6 Organizing Initiative Update #12

As you know, we rolled out our District 6 Organizing Initiative in January 2010 during the District 6 Conference in El Paso. Since that time, many Locals have been working to make face-to-face contacts with non-members. Some Locals have engaged in external organizing efforts as well. I have periodically provided updates on some of the successes that Locals have achieved. Below are a few of the highlights and notable efforts of our Locals since the last update. Please note that, while the number of new members for some Locals listed below may not appear to be large, they are included here because they represent a significant percentage of the Local’s non-members. Additionally, this is not a complete and comprehensive list of all organizing activities throughout the District. A more complete representation of all organizing activities across the District can be found in the Weekly Organizing Reports that are being compiled and disseminated to all Locals each week.

Week of March 27, 2011

• Local 6143 organizers made the rounds to several Mobility retail stores on Saturday, making face-to-face contacts with non-members and successfully signing up 10 of them.

• Local 6222 signed up 18 new members, fourteen of whom also became new COPE contributors.

• Local 6450 added 6 new members to their membership rolls.

• Local 6733 signed up 12 new members employed by AT&T Internet Services.

Week of April 3, 2011

• Local 6012 organizers signed up 11 new members, seven of whom became COPE contributors.

• Local 6300 signed up 15 new members, including four that were signed up for sister Locals.

• Local 6316 added 7 new members and four COPE contributors to their rolls.

• Local 6355 signed up 13 new members during the report week.

• Local 6360 organizers enjoyed a successful week during which 23 new members were signed up.

Week of April 10, 2011

• Local 6132 added 12 new members to their membership rolls.

• Local 6139 organizers were rewarded for their constant persistence as they converted 2 long-term non-members employed at Helena Labs.

• Local 6203 organizer Cora Ward, an OI-IO grad, signed up 16 new members, twelve of them while conducting a Union orientation session and the other four by making face-to-face contacts with long-time non-members working in the Mobility call center.

• Local 6300 Organizing Committee members not only signed up 24 new members but also worked on external campaigns as well.

• Local 6355 organizers found success as they signed up 20 new members.

Week of April 17, 2011

• Local 6012 signed up 13 new members, ten of whom also signed COPE cards.

• Local 6143 organizers made face-to-face contacts with fifteen non-members and converted 10 of them to new member.

• Local 6203 organizers reeled in 10 new members and three new COPE contributors.

• Local 6215 organizers signed up 21 new members working in three different bargaining units.

• Local 6355 organizers reported 13 new member sign-ups during the week.

• Local 6507 added 8 new members during the week.

Week of April 24, 2011

• Local 6222 organizers signed up 14 new members.

• Local 6402 organizers made face-to-face contacts with nine non-members and successfully converted 5 of them into new members.

• Local 6300 submitted information on 16 new members the OC signed up.

Week of May 1, 2011

• Local 6215 organizers had a great week, bringing 30 new members into the CWA family, seventeen of whom also signed up to become participants in CWA’s COPE program.

• Local 6300 OC members worked to ward off a decertification effort with Multiband as well as external campaigns with Verizon Business and West Asset MGT. In addition, organizers also found time to sign up 15 new members and nine new COPE contributors.

• Local 6355 organizers added 11 new members to the Local’s membership.

• Local 6360 successfully signed up 9 new members, four of whom also signed COPE cards.

Week of May 8, 2011

• Local 6132 organizers conducted a Union orientation with a Mobility training class, signing up 9 new members and seven new participants in CWA’s COPE program.

• Local 6203 organizer Malashon Tennison, a recent OI-IO graduate, conducted a Union orientation session with a Mobility training class upon returning from the OI-IO training. Organizer Tennison was successful in signing up 9 new members.

• Local 6215 organizers Ron Swaggerty, Rick Wrey and Herb Keener conducted a Union orientation with an AT&T training class comprised of newly hired Premises Technicians. Their efforts were rewarded as they signed up 43 new members and twenty-seven new COPE contributors.

• Local 6222 provided information on 47 new member sign-ups over the previous few weeks.

• Local 6300 organizers, in addition to their continued work on external campaigns, added 16 new members, all of whom were also signed up as new COPE contributors.

• Local 6312 President Jim Billedo gave an assist to a sister Local, signing up 6 new Mobility workers.

• Local 6314 grew with the addition of 7 new members with four new COPE contributors included among them.

• Local 6327 organizer Sheryl Janeski, an OI-IO graduate, conducted a Union orientation with a Mobility training class, signing up a total of 11 new members into our Union. Eight of these new members were signed up for sister Locals.

• Local 6360 reported signing up 17 new members during the week.

Week of May 15, 2011

• Local 6201 reported signing up 11 new members.

• Local 6222 organizers signed up 33 new members from three different bargaining units.

• Local 6225 organizer Justin Vining, a graduate of our most recent OI-IO, put what he learned to use making face-to-face contacts with non-members and successfully converted 7 of them to CWA members. Adding to this success, Justin signed four of them up as COPE contributors as well.

• Local 6312 President Jim Billedo signed up 5 new members, all Premises Technicians with AT&T.

• Local 6733 organizers signed up 16 new members, eight of whom also signed COPE cards.

Week of May 22, 2011

• Local 6132 added 14 new members during the report period.

• Local 6139 organizers made face-to-face contacts with seven long-time non-members employed by AT&T Mobility and Helena Labs. Their efforts proved successful as they signed up 5 of them.

• Local 6143 membership grew with the addition of 17 new members, thirteen of whom also signed COPE cards.

• Local 6201 had an outstanding week as 30 new members were brought into the CWA family.

• Local 6300 organizers signed up 21 new members. Included among them were sixteen who also signed up to become new COPE contributors.

• Local 6316 membership grew with the addition of 8 new members, seven of whom also became COPE contributors.

• Local 6402 added 5 new members and three new COPE contributors during the week.

• Local 6502 organizers signed up 6 new members throughout the report period.

Week of May 29, 2011

• Local 6110 signed up 1 new member who had dropped out of the Union previously. The Local is now 100% organized.

• Local 6229 signed up 2 long-term hold outs working in different Mobility retail stores. Making this more significant is the fact that these sign-ups bring the two stores to 100% organized. Four of the seven Mobility retail stores in the Local’s jurisdiction are now 100% Union, a remarkable achievement considering there were no members in these stores when the current officers took over two years ago.

• Local 6300 organizers had a whopper of a week, signing up a total of 49 new members from four different bargaining units. Eighteen of these were signed up for sister Locals. Among the new members, twenty-two were also signed up as new COPE contributors.

• Local 6312 welcomed 7 new members into the Local and Union.

• Local 6314 membership increased with the addition of 7 new members.

• Local 6316 added 5 new members and two new COPE participants to their rolls during the week.

• Local 6327 had an exceptional week as 31 new members and twenty-six new COPE contributors were added to Local rolls.

• Local 6360 organizers also had an outstanding week, signing up 24 new members and four COPE contributors.

• Local 6402 added 7 more new members during the week.

Week of June 5, 2011

• Local 6012 signed up 9 new members during the week.

• Local 6132 organizers had an outstanding week, signing up 32 new members working in three different bargaining units.

• Local 6143 had a good week, signing up 13 new members and twelve new COPE contributors.

• Local 6203 officers and organizers teamed up to bring a total of 29 new members into our Union.

• Local 6215 enjoyed an outstanding week as organizers signed up 39 new members, twenty-two of whom also signed up as new COPE contributors.

• Local 6313 President Kevin Kollmeyer and organizer Mark Smith joined forces to sign up 10 new members, all ten of whom were also signed up as new COPE contributors.

• Local 6327 organizers signed up 11 new members and nine COPE contributors. Seven of them were signed up for four sister Locals.

Week of June 12, 2011

• Local 6128 President Darlene Kirchgessner has consistently visited Mobility retail stores to talk to non-members. Her efforts were rewarded this week as 2 of them signed membership cards.

• Local 6150 saw their membership grow with the addition of 7 newly signed up members.

• Local 6201 brought 11 new members into the CWA family.

• Local 6412 organizers had worked for seven months making contacts and establishing relationships with workers in former Alltel Wireless stores that were acquired by AT&T Mobility. These efforts paid off once the Local was free to sign these workers up as CWA members. This week, the Local signed up 12 of them.

Week of June 19, 2011

• Local 6012 organizers had an outstanding week, bringing 19 new members into our Union.

• Local 6128 President Darlene Kirchgessner and organizer Lagina Endsley, both OI-IO graduates, made face-to-face contacts with ten non-members and successfully converted 4 of them into CWA members. Included among them was a former member who had dropped out of the Union.

• Local 6143 organizers signed up 17 new members, eleven of whom will be members of five other Locals.

• Local 6313 organizers Angie Fanning and Patty Williams signed up 7 new members and signed all seven up as new COPE contributors as well.

Week of June 26, 2011

• Local 6127 President Kim Black, an OI-IO grad, conducted a Union orientation session with a Mobility training class, successfully signing up 6 of the trainees as CWA members.

• Local 6139 provided information on 5 new member sign-ups.

• Local 6202 found their continued efforts to sign up non-members rewarded as 3 were signed up during the week.

• Local 6215 had a great week in which they added 30 new members to the Local.

• Local 6225 organizers Jason Harwell and Justin Vining, both graduates of our most recent OI-IO, increased membership in the Local with the addition of 3 new member sign-ups during the week.

• Local 6290 provided information on 6 new member sign-ups.

• Local 6313 submitted information on 15 new member sign-ups.

Week of July 3, 2011

• Local 6012 provided information on 10 new member sign-ups.

• Local 6200 signed up 10 new members, five of whom also became COPE contributors.

• Local 6203 organizers Cora Ward and Malashon Tennison, both OI-IO grads, conducted a Union orientation session with a Mobility training class. Organizer Ward also made face-to-face contacts with seven non-members during the week. These efforts resulted in 19 new members joining our Union.

• Local 6215 had a great week, signing up 26 new members, two of whom were signed up for a sister Local. In addition, eighteen of the new members also became COPE contributors.

• Local 6391 submitted information on 6 newly signed up members.

• Local 6502 signed up 7 non-members, all employees of AT&T Mobility.

• Local 6313 provided information on 37 new member sign-ups.

Week of July 10, 2011

• Local 6012 signed up 10 new members during the report period.

• Local 6171 added 6 new members to the Local’s membership.

• Local 6300 had a monstrous week, signing up a total of 57 new members, seven of whom were signed up for sister Locals. Adding icing to the cake, organizers signed up thirty-six of the new members as participants in CWA’s COPE program as well.

Week of July 17, 2011

• Local 6016 submitted information on 34 new members that Local organizers signed up, nine of whom were signed up for sister Locals.

• Local 6143 added 8 new members and six COPE contributors to their rolls this week.

• Local 6215 organizers Rick Wrey, Mary Linhart and Annie Roberson had an outstanding week as they joined together to sign up 37 new members.

• Local 6229organizers signed up 6 new members, five of whom work in Mobility retail stores.

• Local 6290 provided information on 4 newly signed up members.

• Local 6327 conducted a Union orientation session with Mobility trainees and signed up 10 new members, eight of whom were signed up for sister Locals. During this effort, organizers also signed three of the new members up as COPE contributors.

• Local 6355 organizers signed up 12 new members and three new COPE contributors.

• Local 6360 organizers enjoyed an excellent week during which 21 new members were signed up.

• Local 6502 organizer Matt Meyer conducted a Union orientation session with a Mobility training class and signed up 9 new CWA members, five of whom will be members of sister Locals.

Again, these are but a few of the success stories that Locals throughout the District have experienced from late March through mid-July. It is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of organizing activities and successes across the District.

Your ongoing organizing efforts are appreciated as we all continue to work to build our Union.