100 WIRELESS DEMONSTRATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

On August 8, 2003 CWA member from all across the country demonstrated in support of a group of 51CWA technicians who run the verizon wireless network for the entire New York metro area. For 14 years, Verizon Wireless and its predessesor companies have been trying to brake up the union within this small bargaining unit, and today it is refusing to settle a fair contract with them.

Demonstrations were held in Washington, D.C.; Berkeley, Rosemead, and W. Covina, CA; Paramus, NJ; Burlington, VT; Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx, NY; Annapolis, Baltimore, and Salisbury, MD; Boston, MA; across Pennsylvania and Delaware, and in dozens of other places, and were joined by members of IBEW, the AFL-CIO, Jobs with Justice, and other allies.

CWA Local 9415 members participated by demonstrating at the Verizon Wireless stores in San Leandro, Berkeley, and Emeryville.

BERKELEY: Tom Watt and Amie Keegan

SAN LEANDRO (L to R): Mike Thompson, Adrian Orozco, Frank Manibusen, Gabriel Castillo, Juan Hernandez

In San Leandro, demonstrators handed out flyers to pedestrians outside the store as well as Verizon Wireless customers inside the stores. They also gave flyers to the extremely irritated sales personnel within the store. Although the demonstrators were only present at the store for one hour, it was long enough to not only attract building security, but also the head of security and even the local police. All in all the demonstrations were a complete success.

In downtown D.C., President Bahr, Secretary-Treasurer Easterling, Executive Vice President Cohen, District 2 Vice President Catucci, District 13 Vice President Maisano, IBEW T-6 Council Chairman Myles Calvey, and IBEW 827 Business Manager Dominic Turdo joined the chants of "No contract, no peace!" along with about 200 others.