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On the picket line

Published Mar 2, 2005 11:14 AM

Youngstown strikers hang tough

Battle lines in Youngstown, Ohio, hardened Feb. 7 when Newspaper Guild Local 34011 members again rejected a contract offer they had voted down in December--this time by an even wider margin. The 107-20 vote--compared with the earlier 99-36 vote--assured that the strike against The Vindicator, which began Nov. 16, 2004, will drag into a fourth month. Owners of the newspaper have refused to negotiate or even consider concessions offered by the union. They're sticking to their initial demand: a 1-percent raise and rollbacks in health-care coverage. An "adopt-a-striker" program started spontaneously in the heavily unionized city, with the first two pledges arriving Feb. 8. The union has begun appealing for more, with the goal of raising an extra $100 a month per striker. Guild members are also intensifying their community support campaign. Their alternative paper, Valley Voice News (www.valleyvoiceonline.com), now features a full-page Advertisers' Hall of Shame. A subscription boycott, with coupons in the Voice that readers can clip and mail, is gathering steam. (newsguild.org)

Verizon workers win strong contract

The Communication Workers negotiated a strong agreement for 2,000 workers in Verizon's North Central region on Jan. 30. But the workers didn't win without a struggle. They used a variety of tactics, including practice picketing, a health-care action day, Christmas cards to Verizon's top officer, work-place stand-ups and wearing stickers and T-shirts on the job. Wage increases amount to 10.5 percent over the course of the five-year contract. The medical plan currently offered to active employees in Ohio and Michigan will continue, and the plan was expanded to include workers in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. The contract protects retiree health benefits and increases pension minimums by 5 percent.

A first in Houston:
a union hotel

It took a long union-community-legislative struggle, but 500 workers at the Hilton Americas Hotel won a first in Houston history: they unionized on Dec. 16, 2004. The mostly immigrant labor force in UNITE HERE Local 251 signed a contract with decent wages and improved benefits, including increased employer contributions to health insurance, better retirement terms, sick days, vacation time, a seniority system and a grievance procedure. (February/ March 2005 America@Work)

Cingular workers vote to strike

In mid-February, 5,300 members of the Communications Workers at Cingular Wireless voted overwhelmingly--by an 88 percent yes vote--to call work actions including a possible strike if negotiators are unable to win a fair contract. Key issues for the workers are job security--essential given the recent merger with AT&T Wireless--a fair wage increase, and matters concerning technical, call center, network and retail sales work. The contract continues to be extended on a day-to-day basis. (www.cwa-union.org/cingular)