A reader passed this on–it’s the tale of Cingular Wireless workers joining the Communications Workers of America. Off of the CWA website comes this: “On Oct. 13, the largest single day of union recognition by former AT&T Wireless workers at Cingular, nearly 1,800 Customer Care and Retail Sales employees gained representation with CWA. The American Arbitration Association certified that a majority of the employees in the locations over 1,600 at three customer care centers in California and 84 retail sales associates statewide in Nevada — supported CWA representation.
With these latest campaigns, more than 7,900 former AT&T Wireless workers at Cingular have gained CWA representation this year. Since August, the number of Cingular Wireless employees with CWA representation has grown from 22,000 to nearly 30,000. The workers been organizing at a rate of over 110 a day since they were covered by CWA’s neutrality agreement with Cingular. “

As our reader pointed out, “Most folks don’t realize this but Verizon Wireless is vehemently anti-union. They are the Wal-Mart of communications. After many years of organizing efforts, only 50 technicians are union represented at Verizon, Despite the fact that at the core (wireline) Company, they are highly unionized. Verizon has kept a steel curtain of seperation between these two units. On the core side they seek cooperation and heap praise ,at wireless we are scum suckers. ”

“Verizon’s explanation; they are two separate companies and Verizon core has no control of Verizon wireless. Yeah Right!

Contrast that with CWA and Cingular. Cingular has a Neutrality and Card Check Agreement that they actually respect and live up to. And the results have been unprecedented.

As a CWA member and a Verizon employee I am extremely proud to be a Cingular Wireless subscriber. At meetings with Verizon management, they express shock and disappointment when they learn that my cell service is Cingular. Why? How could I? Verizon is your employer!
I love telling them that Verizon Wireless is a separate company and therefore, not my employer, That Cingular is represented by CWA and that as a CWA member I get a 15% discount too boot!
(10% for AFL_CIO members). Verizon core doesn’t give any discount for wireless to its employees as Verizon wireless is a ……..separate company.”

Of course, it’s great that CWA is organizing new folks and putting the effort into such campaigns. But, it also jumps out at me how huge the task is: just to move union representation up one percent in the private sector, unions have to organize a NET of 1.5 million workers. At a clip of 1,800 per shot, it’s going to take a loooonnnnnggggg time to get there–if ever.