Verizon: union win

[Andrew English]

I worked with many rank and file CWA activists when I was
involved with Jobs With Justice.  Compared to many other national
unions, CWA did a pretty good job of fighting concessions during the
80s, and maintaining some kind of pattern bargaining in the face of
deregulation and the
ATT break-up.  They also have a fairly democratic internal culture and a far
more
extensive system of rank and file mobilization on the national, regional,
and local levels.
Until recently, they may not have done as much on change-to-organize as some
other unions,
but they seem to be catching up there.

The growth of non-union telco firms is clearly their biggest challenge.

As for politics, their position is within the AFLCIO mainstream.  I think
the big New Jersey CWA public sector local
is affiliated with the Labor Party, but not very many of their telco locals.

They didn't support Sweeney in the 1995 AFLCIO overturn. Donohue put one of
their women leaders on his ticket, which might explain their
alignment with the old guard back then.

-Andy English

-----Original Message-----
From: Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com>
To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com>
Date: Tuesday, August 22, 2000 3:09 PM
Subject: Re: Verizon: union win


>Nathan Newman wrote:
>
>>There is no doubt that a lot of the energy of Seattle/DC/Philly/LA will
>>spill back into those day-to-day struggles, but part of the pragmatism of
>>UPS, Boeing, the LA Janitors, and Verizon struggles also have to spill
>>over into the globalization mass action movements if they are to become a
>>real mass struggle for change.
>
>They could, if both sides repress the urge to piss on each other.
>
>Doug