CWA LEGISLATIVE SPOTLIGHT 

CWA: Crack Down on Overseas Call Centers 

Rep. Tim Bishop, D-NY, has enthusiastically praised CWA for our leadership in aggressively pushing for legislation to crack down on overseas call centers, a move that would protect American workers and consumers alike.

More than 4,000 CWA members have called on Congress to pass the United States Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act, sponsored by Bishop of New York and Republican David McKinley of West Virginia.

Bishop is a CWA champion. He grew up in a CWA household and  – with CWA’s active, on the ground support – Bishop won a closely contested race in 2010.

This bipartisan bill would prevent companies that ship U.S. jobs overseas from receiving taxpayer assistance, put protections in place for U.S. consumers to know where their calls are going and provide consumers the right to be transferred back to a more secure call center in the U.S.

CWA represents more than 150,000 customer service and call center workers throughout the U.S. But every year thousands of jobs are shipped to other countries, to the detriment of hard-working Americans. And it doesn’t just hurt U.S. workers – it hurts small communities that have sacrificed and offered tax breaks to try to lure jobs, only to see them sent offshore.

And it hurts consumers. Over the past decade, identity theft has soared. Right now, the personal information of millions of Americans is in India, the Philippines, Egypt – and many call centers located overseas lack basic security measures to protect that information.

You can read CWA’s press release endorsing the bill here.

The call center bill would put a spotlight on corporations that outsource our jobs, give consumers a choice and identify theft of personal information. And by keeping jobs here, it would also strengthen our economy and help rebuild the shattered middle class.

CWA members can take action here.

CWA President Larry Cohen recently appeared on MSNBC’s Ed Show. Watch the show here.
“Unions are a big part of the 99 percent,” he said. “Those CEOs who are hoping they can isolate workers, isolate unions, are going to find there's a movement for democracy and economic justice sweeping America.”

CWA Members Weigh In on Endorsement

Voting kicked off at CWA to help the Executive Board determine whether, and who, to endorse in the 2012 Presidential election.

Last night, nearly two out of every three CWA members who participated in our CWA Union Hall Call said they would like to see the CWA Executive Board endorse President Obama for re-election. One in six members would like to see a Republican endorsement, and nearly one out of every four members who participated are undecided.

You can still participate. Go here.

The CWA Union Hall Call also featured an update on the latest developments in the fight to protect workers’ rights, including the fight for fair contracts at Verizon and Verizon Wireless. CWA President Larry Cohen said 2011 will go down in history as the moment when the 99 percent said “enough is enough” and rose in defense of workers’ rights. “From the massive protests earlier this year in Wisconsin, Ohio, New Jersey and many other states, to the growing Occupy movements in every corner of the country, 2011 has seen working families take a united stand against the billionaires, corporate executives and right-wing politicians who continue to attack our rights,” Cohen said in an email message inviting CWA members to join the call.

Restoring Democracy - Reversing Citizens United 

Jan. 21, 2012 will be the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling Citizens United vs. FEC, which infamously granted First Amendment rights to corporations, allowing them unfettered access when it comes to financing elections.

Throughout the holidays and into January, CWA will be educating our membership about the pernicious effects of Citizens United, and plans to leaflet the U.S. Capitol as the Jan. 21 anniversary approaches.

As part of this effort, we are backing several constitutional amendments pending in Congress that would undo the pernicious effects of the Citizen United vs. FEC ruling, which granted corporations First Amendment rights similar to individuals.

“We continue to believe that this whole system is awash in money and needs reform,” Rep. John Larson (D-CT) recently said. “The public is increasingly wising up to that. I think you are going to see several proposals emanating from our committees and from Democratic leaders in our caucus.”

Indeed, a number of proposals already have been filed in Congress to address the way elections are funded. They include:

• A measure to publicly finance Senate campaigns. Pending in both House and Senate committees, this measure has 13 Senate cosponsors and 79 House cosponsors.
• A measure that would require publicly held companies to inform shareholders before making political donations. This measure has nine cosponsors in the Senate and 47 cosponsors in the House.
• A measure that would clarify the authority of Congress to regulate and restrict the political activity of corporations of any sort, including contributions in support or in opposition to a candidate for public office. This House measure, sponsored by Rep. Donna Edwards, a Maryland Democrat, has 27 cosponsors.
• A measure to directly reverse the Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United. This resolution has eight cosponsors in the House and 18 cosponsors in the Senate.
• A measure stating that corporations do not have the same constitutional rights as persons. This Senate measure is sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and is similar to a House measure called OCCUPIED – the Outlawing Corporate Cash Undermining the Public Interest in our Elections and Democracy Amendment. That proposal is sponsored by Rep. Deutch, a Florida Democrat.

The most recent CWA news with the cover heading “Broken Democracy!” is a must read for more information on this key issue.

Support Growing for Wall Street Tax?

In Congress, Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore, are sponsoring legislation that would impose a tiny tax on financial transactions, such as the tens of thousands that occur daily on Wall Street. The idea may be picking up steam.

Noted economist Paul Krugman, in a New York Times op-ed, endorsed the concept. “Because there are so many transactions, such a fee could yield several hundred billion dollars in revenue over the next decade,” Krugman writes. “Again, this compares favorably with the savings from many of the harsh spending cuts being proposed in the name of fiscal responsibility.”

You can read Krugman’s op-ed here.