Bargaining Update

Frontier Communications (West Virginia and Ashburn, Va.)

CWA members at Frontier Communications in West Virginia and Ashburn, Va., have overwhelmingly voted to give union leaders authority to call a strike if negotiations between CWA and the telecom company fail to reach a fair settlement. The 1,400 members went on strike for three weeks in 2018 in order to reach an agreement that ensured that they would be able to provide quality service and keep good jobs in their communities.

“Through a bankruptcy and the pandemic, we have shown up, worked hard, and delivered quality service for our community,” said Jeff Anderson, the Area Vice President for CWA Local 2009, who has worked for the company for 18 years. “Now it’s time for a contract that gives dedicated, local technicians the opportunity to build the broadband networks that will strengthen our local economy.”

“The quality of our service matters now more than ever. Every day, I speak to customers who rely on our services to connect to a telehealth appointment or to their job,” said Tiffany Parsons, who works in Connection Support & Account Services at Frontier Communications. “We want to have the resources necessary to do a good job for our customers, and we want to be treated with respect.”

Major bargaining issues include maintaining quality, affordable healthcare, and job security provisions that keep jobs local and limit the use of subcontractors in expanding broadband. The current contract expires on August 5th.

CWA members at Frontier participate in a “white out” mobilization action to share their solidarity across the state.

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TCGplayer (eBay)

On Monday, workers at TCGplayer, an eBay-owned online marketplace for verification services, card games, comics, and collectible trading cards, held a press conference and a rally in Syracuse, N.Y., to call out the company’s continued efforts to sabotage contract negotiations and undermine the workers’ right to organize. The TCGunion-CWA members (CWA Local 1123) were joined by local community members, labor leaders, and elected officials at the rally. In the five months since the workers won their union election, eBay and its subsidiary TCGplayer have refused to meet at the bargaining table, instead engaging in various stalling techniques to silence organized workers.

The union filed an unfair labor practice charge on behalf of the workers against eBay for its illegal actions. The workers also organized a petition delivery action and garnered support online. The workers and their supporters hope that the companies will respect the workers' right to union representation and enter into meaningful dialogue to reach an agreement that addresses workers’ demands. Last month, members of the union met with President Biden to discuss the refusal by corporations, including eBay, to bargain a strong union contract, even after workers have won their union election. Read more here.

On Monday, workers at TCGplayer (eBay), held a press conference and petition delivery action in Syracuse, N.Y., to demand the company end its nefarious delay tactics and meet workers at the bargaining table.

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Change.org

Workers at the online petition company Change.org in the U.S. and Canada overwhelmingly voted to ratify their first contracts last month. The contracts include significant wage increases, and diversity, equity, and inclusion improvements, as well as comprehensive health care benefits that cover gender-affirming care and reproductive health. The workers, who are members of CWA Local 9410 and CWA Canada, announced a cross-border campaign to form a union with CWA in the spring of 2021. Since then, the workers have stayed committed through tough negotiations and persevered despite enduring a round of layoffs and company restructuring, which resulted in effects bargaining. Their strong first contracts set a new, higher standard for tech, social change nonprofits, and public benefit corporations.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.