1. Art and Diseño

Black History Month
Local 4603
February 2015
One Hell of a Fight!
The two boxers had fought an evenly matched fight for 8 or
9 rounds. Each had knocked the other to the canvass numerous
times during the bout. They had punished each other so much it
was impossible to tell who was winning. As the ninth round
concluded, one of the fighters had been particularly rocked by
his opponent and staggered to his corner. While seated in his
corner trying to recover, the ring doctor leans over the rope to
check on his condition to see if the match should continue. The
doctor asks “Where are you?” Still stunned from the beating,
the boxer quickly replies, “I’m in one hell of a fight.”
The ring doctor allows the fight to go on, and the boxer that
was so clearly rattled at the end of the ninth round goes on to
knock out his opponent a few rounds later.
The point here is that you and your union representatives are
in one hell of a fight. Some of you may not even realize or
acknowledge that fact, but you really are.
Bargaining and politics are a conflict between two
opponents, just like the boxers. If you’ve been rocked so badly
that you don’t know where you are, the outcome of the contest
will most likely not be in your favor.
We as workers were already rocked hard this past November
with the business friendly Republicans taking over control in
Washington, and an even greater majority in Madison.
Next will be your fight with AT&T to achieve a contract that
will accomplish improvements in your wages and benefits. If
you do not view these realities as they are and become actively
involved in these processes, the outcome may not be to your
benefit. You can sit home and blame the union if that’s the truth
as you see it, but the real truth is “U are the Union”. If you
choose to do nothing, you have chosen to not answer the bell for
the next round. The battles of politics and bargaining are never
ending, they just keep playing on and on.
Spring Primary:
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Spring Election: Tuesday, April 7, 2015
There are no state offices currently on the Primary Ballot.
I saw an interview on PBS hosted by Charley Rose. He was
interviewing Ava DuVernay, the young African American
director of the movie, Selma. The movie is about Martin Luther
King and the conflict to get legislation to create and protect a
voters rights act back in the 1960’s. During the interview, Ava
brought up some details that are quite poignant of our history.
Following Reconstruction of our nation after the Civil War
(1865), African Americans were still not treated as full U.S.
citizens. With the judicial ruling from Plessy v. Ferguson 1896
that established separate but equal, African Americans were
told where they could get a drink of water, or where to ride on
the public bus, or where they could get a cup of coffee.
Discrimination on this level was prevalent up into the 1960’s.
That ruling had deferred civil rights for over 60 years. when
finally, legislation made “separate but equal” illegal, and a
violation could be enforced.
Many recent events across our nation have reinforced the
notion that this conflict has not been completely resolved with
the so called voter ID laws, and the shootings and protests.
Each and everyone of us has a role in these situations. We
are the judges in the court of public opinion in these matters. As
the judge, it is your obligation to follow the intent of the U.S.
Constitution to determine your ruling. If you rush to form your
judgment or opinion, have you really given proper consideration
to all of the evidence? Are you imposing your personal values
over the rules spelled out in our constitution?
Shouldn’t we include in our thoughts and actions everyday,
our role in “forming a more perfect Union, establish Justice,
insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common Defence,
promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of
Liberty?” We craft the society where we all must live together.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964, was enacted July 2, 1964 and
became the landmark piece of civil rights legislation in the
United States. It made illegal, discrimination based on race,
color, religion, sex, or national origin. It also ended unequal
application of voter registration requirements and racial
segregation in schools, at the workplace and by facilities that
served the general public, aka "public accommodations".
The powers given to enforce the act were initially weak, but
were strengthened during later years. Congress asserted its
authority to legislate under several different parts of the United
States Constitution, principally its power to regulate interstate
commerce under Article One (section 8), its duty to guarantee
all citizens equal protection of the laws under the Fourteenth
Amendment and its duty to protect voting rights under the
Fifteenth Amendment. The Act was signed into law by President
Lyndon B. Johnson on July 2, 1964, at the White House.
The bill was called for by President John F. Kennedy in his
civil rights speech in June 1963, in which he asked for
legislation "giving all Americans the right to be served in
(Continued on page 2)
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Wisconsin voter turnout has traditionally been under 10
percent for Spring Primary elections.
Wisconsin has an estimated voting-age population of
4,378,741 eligible voters, the number used to calculate turnout.
Exercise Your Right to VOTE!
Your Opportunity to be HEARD!
Bargaining Ahead!
Hey, only two months to go! April 11, 2015
The expiration of the current CWA/AT&T contract
continues to move closer!
CWA ROBERT LILJA
MEMBERS’ RELIEF FUND
The following information was taken from the CWAUnion.org web page. It is an explanation of two funds that exist
to financially assist locals and members in the event that there is
a work stoppage/strike.
The History
The CWA Defense Fund was established by the 1952 CWA
Convention. Its funding is maintained by a fifty-cent per capita
per month allocation from member and agency fee payer dues.
CWA Defense Fund money is used to maintain the picket
lines and reimburse Local Unions for increased costs, and other
approved mobilization costs (as outlined in the Fund rules)
during a strike.
The CWA Robert Lilja Members’ Relief Fund was
established by the 1990 CWA Convention. Its funding is
maintained by an allocation of 1/4 hour of basic wages (.15%)
per month from members and agency fee payers who are eligible
to strike.
CWA Robert Lilja Members’ Relief Fund money is used for
direct assistance to strikers and victims of collective bargaining
strategies, monies can also be used to provide necessary health
care to strikers and victims (and dependents) of collective
bargaining strategies.
The CWA Robert Lilja Members’ Relief Fund (RLMRF)
provides direct assistance to members and agency fee payers,
Local Union Officers who are on the Local’s payroll and lose
wages, and victims of collective bargaining strategies during
sanctioned strikes.
ASSISTANCE FROM THE FUND
Payout Plan:
1. Commencing on the fifteenth (15th) day of a strike, $200.00
per striker per week will be provided (subject to availability
of funds) for use by the Local for strikers' assistance.
Commencing on the twenty-ninth day of a strike, $300.00
per striker per week will be provided (subject to availability
of funds) for use by the Local for strikers’ assistance.
Commencing on the fifty-seventh (57) day of a strike,
$400.00 per striker per week will be provided (subject to
availability of funds) for use by the Local for strikers’
assistance. Payments to Locals will end on the seventh day
following the conclusion of the strike. In the event the last
week of a strike is not a full week, the payments to the
Locals shall be prorated.
2. Payments may also be made on a case-by-case basis for
victims of collective bargaining strategies, this to be
determined by the Fund Director.
3. The Defense Fund Oversight Committee will monitor the
progress of the Fund and recommend changes in payouts
when applicable.
4. A uniform method for payout to the strikers shall be
determined by the Locals for each employer group, which
may be struck within each District.
5. Striker relief and medical/hospital costs shall be paid from
the Fund.
The complete document can be accessed on line. Search
“CWA Robert Lilja Members’ Relief Fund”.
Any questions regarding the Defense Fund and Members
Relief Fund can be answered by attending any monthly
membership meeting.
(Continued from page 1 - Black History Month)
facilities which are open to the public—hotels, restaurants,
theaters, retail stores, and similar establishments", as well as
"greater protection for the right to vote". Kennedy delivered this
speech following a series of protests from the African-American
community, the most notable being the Birmingham campaign
(sometimes referred to as the "Children's Crusade") in which
students and children endured attacks by police dogs and high
pressure fire hoses during their protests against segregation.
Emulating the Civil Rights Act of 1875, Kennedy's civil
rights bill included provisions to ban discrimination in public
accommodations, and to enable the U.S. Attorney General to
join in lawsuits against state governments which operated
segregated school systems, among other provisions. However, it
did not include a number of provisions deemed essential by civil
rights leaders including protection against police brutality,
ending discrimination in private employment, or granting the
Justice Department power to initiate desegregation or job
discrimination lawsuits.
House of Representatives
On June 11, 1963, President Kennedy met with the
Republican leaders to discuss the legislation before his
television address to the nation that evening. Two days later,
Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen and Senate Majority
Leader Mike Mansfield both voiced support for the president's
bill, except for provisions guaranteeing equal access to places of
public accommodations. This led to several Republican
Congressmen drafting a compromise bill to be considered. On
June 19, the president sent his bill to Congress as it was
originally written, saying legislative action was "imperative".
The president's bill went first to the House of Representatives,
where it was referred to the Judiciary Committee, chaired by
Emmanuel Celler, a Democrat from New York. After a series of
hearings on the bill, Celler's committee strengthened the act,
adding provisions to ban racial discrimination in employment,
providing greater protection to black voters, eliminating
segregation in all publicly owned facilities (not just schools),
and strengthening the anti-segregation clauses regarding public
facilities such as lunch counters. They also added authorization
for the Attorney General to file lawsuits to protect individuals
against the deprivation of any rights secured by the Constitution
or U.S. law. In essence, this was the controversial "Title III" that
had been removed from the 1957 and 1960 Acts. Civil rights
organizations pressed hard for this provision because it could be
used to protect peaceful protesters and black voters from police
brutality and suppression of free speech rights.
Kennedy called the congressional leaders to the White
House in late October, 1963 to line up the necessary votes in the
House for passage. The bill was reported out of the Judiciary
Committee in November 1963, and referred to the Rules
Committee, whose chairman, Howard W. Smith, a Democrat
and avid segregationist from Virginia, indicated his intention to
keep the bill bottled up indefinitely.
Johnson's appeal to Congress
The assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22,
1963, changed the political situation. Kennedy's successor as
president, Lyndon Johnson, made use of his experience in
legislative politics, along with the bully pulpit he wielded as
president, in support of the bill. In his first address to a joint
session of Congress on November 27, 1963, Johnson told the
(Continued on page 3)
(Continued from page 2 - Black History Month)
legislators, "No memorial oration or eulogy could more
eloquently honor President Kennedy's memory than the earliest
possible passage of the civil rights bill for which he fought so
long."
Judiciary Committee chairman Celler filed a petition to
discharge the bill from the Rules Committee; it required the
support of a majority of House members to move the bill to the
floor. Initially Celler had a difficult time acquiring the
signatures necessary, because even many congressmen who
supported the civil rights bill itself were cautious about
violating normal House procedure with the discharge petition.
By the time of the 1963 winter recess, 50 signatures were still
needed.
After the return of Congress from its winter recess,
however, it was apparent that public opinion in the North
favored the bill and that the petition would acquire the
necessary signatures. To avert the humiliation of a successful
discharge petition, Chairman Smith relented and allowed the
bill to pass through the Rules Committee.
Passage in the Senate
Johnson, who wanted the bill passed as soon as possible,
ensured that the bill would be quickly considered by the Senate.
Normally, the bill would have been referred to the Senate
Judiciary Committee, chaired by Senator James O. Eastland,
Democrat from Mississippi. Given Eastland's firm opposition, it
seemed impossible that the bill would reach the Senate floor.
Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield took a novel approach
to prevent the bill from being relegated to Judiciary Committee
limbo. Having initially waived a second reading of the bill,
which would have led to it being immediately referred to
Judiciary, Mansfield gave the bill a second reading on February
26, 1964, and then proposed, in the absence of precedent for
instances when a second reading did not immediately follow
the first, that the bill bypass the Judiciary Committee and
immediately be sent to the Senate floor for debate.
When the bill came before the full Senate for debate on
March 30, 1964, the "Southern Bloc" of 18 southern
Democratic Senators and one Republican Senator led by
Richard Russell (D-GA) launched a filibuster to prevent its
passage. Said Russell: "We will resist to the bitter end any
measure or any movement which would have a tendency to
bring about social equality and intermingling and amalgamation
of the races in our (Southern) states."
The most fervent opposition to the bill came from Senator
Strom Thurmond (D-SC): "This so-called Civil Rights
Proposals, which the President has sent to Capitol Hill for
enactment into law, are unconstitutional, unnecessary, unwise
and extend beyond the realm of reason. This is the worst civilrights package ever presented to the Congress and is
reminiscent of the Reconstruction proposals and actions of the
radical Republican Congress."
After 54 days of filibuster, Senators Everett Dirksen (R-IL),
Thomas Kuchel (R-CA), Hubert Humphrey (D-MN), and Mike
Mansfield (D-MT) introduced a substitute bill that they hoped
would attract enough Republican swing votes to end the
filibuster. The compromise bill was weaker than the House
version in regard to government power to regulate the conduct
of private business, but it was not so weak as to cause the
House to reconsider the legislation.
On the morning of June 10, 1964, Senator Robert Byrd (D-
W.Va.) completed a filibustering address that he had begun 14
hours and 13 minutes earlier opposing the legislation. Until then,
the measure had occupied the Senate for 57 working days,
including six Saturdays. A day earlier, Democratic Whip Hubert
Humphrey of Minnesota, the bill's manager, concluded he had the
67 votes required at that time to end the debate and end the
filibuster. With six wavering senators providing a four-vote
victory margin, the final tally stood at 71 to 29. Never in history
had the Senate been able to muster enough votes to cut off a
filibuster on a civil rights bill. And only once in the 37 years
since 1927 had it agreed to cloture for any measure.
On June 19, the substitute (compromise) bill passed the
Senate by a vote of 73–27, and quickly passed through the House
-Senate conference committee, which adopted the Senate version
of the bill. The conference bill was passed by both houses of
Congress, and was signed into law by President Johnson on July
2, 1964.
We would strongly encourage you to pursue further research
on the “Civil Rights Act of 1964.” There are eleven Titles
defining what the Act was to include that would be worth your
time to read.
CWA 4603 is again sponsoring a
team to climb to the top of the U.S.
Bank Center for a great cause on
Saturday, March 21, 2015. This is
more than your same-old 5K run.
The event is a vertical race to climb 47 floors. We are seeking
volunteers to participate in the climb, or to financially sponsor the
CWA 4603 team.
If you are interested in pledging a donation or becoming a
climber, please call the CWA 4603 office at 414-258-4010.
Hurry, the meter is running!
Smokey Left the Building
(But the Legend Lives On!)
As of the first of the year, former CWA 4603 Executive VP
James (Smokey) Courchane had retired. Smokey has been the
Executive VP with the local for the past 15 years, and had served
as a steward for longer than most members can remember
according to several reliable sources.
His skills at resolving members issues and grievances will be
missed although he has spent a great deal of time mentoring his
successor Greg Tennyson for some time.
Anyone who has the courage to step into any of these
positions will tell you that the work is both a challenge and
rewarding. The challenge part of the job is a nice way of saying
that it can be a pain in the ______, and most will also find the job
stressful and/or frustrating.
You have to have a passion for union work and hone your
people and problem solving skills on the fly because you can only
develop these skills from your everyday experiences. Some are
more suited to filling these roles than others, and Smokey was
one of the best!
We tried to capture a good photo to insert with this story but
Smokey has always been a hard target to shoot, even with a
camera.
CWA Local 4603
UNION
CALENDAR
February
10
Executive Board Mtg.
6:30 pm
Union Office
18
Membership Meeting
7:00 pm
Midway Hotel,
1005 S. Moorland Road,
Brookfield, WI
March
10
Executive Board Mtg.
6:30 pm
Union Office
18
Membership Meeting
7:00 pm
Midway Hotel,
1005 S. Moorland Road,
Brookfield, WI
For information and updates,
please visit the CWA 4603 web
page at:
cwa4603.com
LAS SCHOLARSHIP CRITERIA
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
$1,000.00 scholarship will be awarded one time only to an individual.
Must be a child, stepchild or grandchild of a member (active or RMO
members only).
The member must be in good standing with CWA 4603 for a
minimum of one year.
Acceptance into an accredited college, university, community college
or technical or trade school at the time of the award. (First 4 years of
college only—graduate students are not eligible.)
Awards must be for the following fall school year tuition.
Applications must be received by March 1, 2015.
All requirements must be met and information on the application
must be completed to be considered.
Applications can be hand written; the essay must be typed.
A letter of reference from a teacher on school letterhead must be
included as well as an essay of a maximum of 500 words entitled
“What impact has the union had on my life?”
Applications should be mailed to: CWA 4603, 6511 W. Bluemound
Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53213, to the attention of Holly Sherard.!
THE CWA
WIRETAP
MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF
THE COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS OF AMERICA
LOCAL 4603
6511 WEST BLUE MOUND ROAD
MILWAUKEE, WI 53213
PRESIDENT ............................. GEORGE WALLS
EXEC. VICE PRESIDENT …........ GREG TENNYSON
VICE PRESIDENT ..................... KIM WARD
SECRETARY/TREASURER ......... HOLLY SHERARD
Wiretap Staff
Bonnie Murphy, RMO
Richie Hinderholtz, Editor
CWA 4603
Membership Meeting
Attendance Award
At the completion of each monthly meeting,
those in attendance receive one raffle ticket. At the
next membership meeting a drawing is held to select
the winner of the $50.00 award.
YOU MUST BE PRESENT AT
THE DRAWING TO WIN!
The winner of the December Membership
Meeting Attendance Award drawn at the January
Meeting was not in attendance. The February
MMAA drawing will be worth $100.00 if the lucky
member is in attendance at the meeting.
Submissions Always Welcome
If you are interested in submitting an article,
cartoon or photograph for the newsletter, please
forward it to the CWA 4603 Union Office or
e-mail it to: [email protected]
To contact the RMO Report
Write c/o RMO Report
6511 West Bluemound Rd.
Milwaukee, WI 53213
414-258-4010
CWA 4603 Christmas Party
The CWA 4603 Christmas Party was held Saturday January 10th at the Radisson Hotel in Wauwatosa.
Between the two events collected nearly $593.00 was collected in cash donations and over 700 pounds of
canned goods and food was collected to donate to the Hunger Task Force. A great time was had by all as
the place was rockin’. The DJ’s had a few special features to liven things up. Five volunteers found
themselves role playing a model on the runway, ballerina, Travolta disco, Michael Jackson, and
hootenanny. Talk about shakin’ it. You just can’t get quality entertainment like this at home. Dancing
with the Stars got nothing on this group.
Special thanks goes out to our Special Events Committee; Wendy Fonseca (Chair), Sue Baumann,
Carrie Dercola, Chris Drotzur, Joyce Edwards, and Kim Ward for their work in making this party one to
remember.
Photos provided by the Wiretap photo staff.
CWA 4603 Children’s Christmas Party
The CWA 4603 Children’s Christmas Party was held Saturday January 17th at the
Waukesha Skateland. This was the second year the event was held at the Waukesha
Skateland with 38 kids and parents attending.
February 2015 RMO Report
Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city. ~
George Burns
4603 Retired Members
Organization
President
Greg Burns
262-896-0451
Vice President
Gary Kierzek
414-861-2683
Treasurer
Christine Wunder
262-547-3775
Secretary
Carol Hassel
262-783-4181
From Community Services Chair, Leighton Timm
At our future RMO meetings we will have speakers to hopefully enlighten you on ways in
which you can volunteer. We now have those free hours, as retirees, since we do not have to
be somewhere for 40 hours per week. In March, Tammy Herro from Granville Interfaith,
Neighborhood Outreach Program will speak to us. In May we will have another person
hopefully, from the “Honor Flight” program, to give you information about things we can do to
help our Veterans.
I have found that my life is much fuller, because I volunteer at Granville Interfaith N.O.P.,
Kathy’s House and through work at my church. Just a few hours per month means so much to
people. In the “craze” to lower taxes, many programs to help have been closed or underfunded
with the result that people are slipping through the cracks of life. These programs are not just
for older adults or veterans but for our youth. Homelessness is still a major problem. Helping
youth get on the right track is an underfunded problem. Helping our veterans to live a decent
productive life is a current need.
If you have a volunteer opportunity that you would like publicized please contact me at
262-257-0474.
Right to Work Laws, Leighton Timm
While the name seems like an innocent and hardly offensive law, in fact, even that name
should be an insult to our intelligence.
I have read articles in the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel regarding this issue coming to the
Wisconsin legislature but no one seems to understand completely what this entails.
First, no-one in Wisconsin has to belong to a Union. In our case, we have non-members who are “dues equivalent” members.
This means they pay a sum for all they get from CWA. Make no mistake, our union is required by federal law to bargain, file
grievances and even arbitrate for them and we have done that. None of these items comes free. No person who works under a union
contract can bargain separately with the company. They get the same wages and fringe benefits that members get.
If a person does not like unions, don’t go to work for a company that has a contract with a union. There are companies out there that
are non-union but there are no guarantees of wages or fringes. Usually wages and benefits are lower or non-existent in those
companies than in union jobs.
Right to work laws are meant to break unions. It doesn’t get simpler than that. There are people in our own legislature that do
not want workers to be organized. They fear political power (made obvious by the re-districting and voter I.D. laws). They fear
their wealthy friends may have to share profits instead of investing in their own political campaigns. They fear that organized
workers will start voting in their own interest and fund campaigns to do so. The teachers unions were first made into villains, and
then broken by the current group of politicians because of their ability to fund campaigns.
This legislature will not rest until unions are gone. They are ideologues who have no sense of history. Unions were formed to
fight against bad companies and bad governments. Our own Wisconsin history shows us that people will fight and yes die (Bay
View), for their rights to fair pay and liberty and a say in their governance.
You need to tell your legislator that.
5 Signs of Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency is a pretty common condition. Sadly, very few people realize that their health is at risk, so they choose to
ignore the side effects. Even though milk products have substantial quantities of vitamin D, that's still not enough to maintain bone
strength and stay healthy.
In fact, the main source of this vitamin is not food, but the sun. Only natural sunlight provides enough vitamin D for your body to
look and feel good. Unfortunately, older adults don't get out much, and because they spend a lot of time indoors, it's easy for them to
become vitamin D deficient.
Here are five clear signs of vitamin D deficiency to watch out for:
1. Weak muscles: In aging adults, vitamin D deficiency is strongly linked to weak muscles. Older people are susceptible to
developing a vitamin D deficit due to several factors such as diminished exposure to direct sunlight, insufficient dietary intake, lessthan-optimal intestinal absorption, and reduced skin thickness. Weakening of the muscles because of vitamin D deficiency can
manifest in different ways. In general, older adults feel a heaviness in their legs and difficulty with standing up and climbing stairs.
The good news is that supplementation can help older adults compensate for these insufficiencies, and thus get back on their feet.
2. Mood changes: Vitamin D is not your average vitamin. In fact, it is a hormone. After vitamin D has been absorbed by the
skin, it relocates to the kidneys and liver, where it is then transformed into an active hormone. This hormone helps assimilate
calcium, and keeps the bones, muscles and teeth in excellent condition. Studies have shown that vitamin D is also responsible
for activating genes that control the release of
neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine); thereby affecting
the functions of the brain. Seniors who feel depressed and
tired all the time may actually suffer from a vitamin D
deficiency)
3. Weight gain: Research claims that, together with a
hormone called leptin, vitamin D helps regulate body
weight. Leptin is manufactured inside the body's fat cells
and works by delivering signals to the human brain,
basically letting a person know that they're full and they can
stop eating. Vitamin D controls leptin levels inside the
body, making sure that the right signals are sent to the brain.
When someone is deficient in vitamin D, these signals get
disrupted and the body doesn't know when to stop eating.
This can make people overeat and gain weight.
4. Fatigue: Many older adults who feel tired don't realize
that they might have a vitamin D deficiency, so they choose
to ignore their symptoms. Someone who has stiff joints and
is constantly feeling fatigued might want to boost their
intake of vitamin D (especially if they don't go outside
much or don't eat many milk products). Apart from fatigue,
vitamin D deficiency may also trigger pain in the legs and
difficulty moving around the house.
5.
Stomach problems: Vitamin D deficiency may lead to
inflammatory bowel disease, which is a chronic illness that
causes swelling and irritation in the digestive tract. This
condition is split into two main types: ulcerative colitis and
Crohn's disease. Older adults are more predisposed to
developing inflammatory bowel disease because they're
susceptible to vitamin D deficiency. Gut problems are
unpleasant and they can also tamper with the fat absorption
process. Since vitamin D falls into the category of fatsoluble vitamins, insufficiencies may trigger severe
gastrointestinal problems. Vitamin D is an extremely
important nutrient that the body needs to function properly,
and insufficiencies may trigger severe health problems.
Older adults who don't go outside much should make a
lifestyle change if they want to preserve their health,
maintain strong bones and have a healthy digestive tract.
Expose yourself to more natural sunlight, especially in the
morning. Take relaxing walks to the park and enjoy the
beautiful weather. This will boost your mood and keep your
bones strong and healthy. Vitamin D supplements may be
advised if your deficiency is extremely severe, but it's a
decision you'll have to consult with your physician
before staring a treatment.
Jefferey Morgan writes for Nuique which offers Vegan Omega 3
Supplements and Natural Health Products. Apart he has a great
experience in writing about health and fitness related issues and
poses a deep knowledge at this field.
APHORISM: A SHORT, POINTED SENTENCE THAT
EXPRESSES A WISE OR CLEVER OBSERVATION OR A
GENERAL TRUTH
CWA Joe Beirne Foundation Scholarship
Program Eligibility
CWA members, their spouses, children and grandchildren
(including dependents of laid-off, retired or deceased CWA
members) may apply. Applicants must be high school graduates
or at least high school students who will graduate during the
year in which they apply. Undergraduate and graduate students
returning to schooling may also apply. Prior winners may not
reapply.
Scholarships
Fifteen partial college scholarships of $3,000 each are being
offered for the 2015-2016 school year. Winners, selected in a
lottery drawing, also will receive second-year scholarships of
the same amount contingent upon satisfactory academic
accomplishment. Part-time students, less than 12 credits, will
receive half of the scholarship monies.
Dates
Applications are accepted during the months of November
through March.
Final deadline is April 30, 2015
Applications
Applications should only be submitted through the online
application form.
http://www.cwa-union.org/pages/beirne
Join the RMO Breakfast Bunch - Dutch Treat
All Are Welcome
1st Wednesday - 8:30 am
Meyer's
4260 S. 76th St.
3rd Tuesday
8:30 a.m.
Denny’s
11154 W. North Ave.
Retiree Benefit Issues
Please Note: New contact info for
Alcatel-Lucent Benefit Rep.
Retiree Benefit Issues—Please Note:
Benefit Specialists are unable to help with
Medicare Supplemental Issues.
All other issues: First call your company’s Benefits Office. If
your issue is not resolved, then refer all problems to the
appropriate CWA Benefit Representative:
AT&T Legacy Midwest SBC
Holly Sherard - Local 4603 Office 258-4010
Alcatel-Lucent
Andy Wambach -800-296-3993
[email protected]
[Legacy] AT&T
Kim Wilburn - 614-868-2215
[email protected]
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CWA Local 4603
Februuary 2015
Volume 46 - 2
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Permit No. 1293
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Non-Profit Organization
Franklin Roosevelt's Statement on the National Industrial Recovery Act - June 16, 1933
“In my Inaugural I laid down the simple proposition that nobody is going to starve in this country. It seems to me to be equally plain
that no business which depends for existence on paying less than living wages to its workers has any right to continue in this country. By
"business" I mean the whole of commerce as well as the whole of industry; by workers I mean all workers, the white collar class as well
as the men in overalls; and by living wages I mean more than a bare subsistence level-I mean the wages of a decent living.
Throughout industry, the change from starvation wages and starvation employment to living wages and sustained employment can, in
large part, be made by an industrial covenant to which all employers shall subscribe. It is greatly to their interest to do this because a
decent living, widely spread among our 125, 000,000 people, eventually means the opening up to industry of the richest market which the
world has known. It is the only way to utilize the so-called excess capacity of our industrial plants. This is the principle that makes this
one of the most important laws that ever has come from Congress because, before the passage of this Act, no such industrial covenant
was possible.
On this idea, the first part of the Act proposes to our industry a great spontaneous cooperation to put millions of men back in their
regular jobs this summer. The idea is simply for employers to hire more men to do the existing work by reducing the work-hours of each
man's week and at the same time paying a living wage for the shorter week.
No employer and no group of less than all employers in a single trade could do this alone and continue to live in business competition.
But if all employers in each trade now band themselves faithfully in these modern guilds--without exception-and agree to act together and
at once, none will be hurt and millions of workers, so long deprived of the right to earn their bread in the sweat of their labor, can raise
their heads again. The challenge of this law is whether we can sink selfish interest and present a solid front against a common peril.”
The National (Industrial) Recovery Act (NRA) was passed by Congress on June 16, 1933. The law was designed to promote
recovery and reform, encourage collective bargaining for unions, set up maximum work hours (and sometimes prices), establish a
minimum for wages, and forbid child labor in industry.
Title I of the NRA prescribed the drafting and establishment of a code system of fair competition for every sort of industry. Those
codes had the force of law and were exempt from antitrust provisions. The codes were to be designed by a group or association that
would not impose inequitable restrictions on one company over another, nor would the code be designed to promote monopolies or to
eliminate or oppress small enterprises.
The intent of this policy in 1933 for the establishment of a minimum wage was to ensure that every fully employed U.S. worker
would be compensated at a wage that would afford that worker a reasonable lifestyle. Today’s poverty level minimum wage and
wage stagnation in general is the intentional result of public policy choices made on behalf of those with the most income, wealth,
and political power. To read FDR’s complete speech visit: http://docs.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/ODNIRAST.HTML