405 Workers Gain CWA Representation in L.A.
Overcoming last-minute efforts by management, 405 workers at two AT&T Broadband units in Los Angeles, CA, won CWA representation. The vote count in the Nov. 29 election was 233-132. The election is the third win for AT&T Broadband workers in California this year (263 cable workers won CWA representation at units in Fresno and Sacramento in July and October). Employees in the newly-organized units, located in West LA and in Bellflower, are outside technicians and warehouse employees. Their concerns are favoritism, the lack of promotion/transfer opportunities, and the arbitrary manner in which the company determined pay raises and job assignments.
The workers' campaign succeeded because local organizers built strong and representative inside committees at each location. Assesments were conducted frequently, which enabled the inside committee to overcome obstacles created by high employee turnover which occurred in the units.
