CWA launches call center campaign

Let's face it: few people like offshore call centers. There are often communications problems; U.S. jobs are lost; and a recent poll shows that neither Democrats nor Republicans back them politically.

That's why CWA has begun a widespread campaign to back legislation which would pressure U.S. companies to locate their call centers in the United States. Of CWA's 700,000 members, about 150,000 of them currently work in domestic calls centers. The bill would benefit both workers and consumers.

According to one report:

"The bill, offered by Rep. Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.), would bar companies that offshore call centers from receiving federal grants and would require them to disclose the physical location of their center at the beginning of each call. The bill would also give callers the right to be transferred to a U.S. call center."

CWA based its campaign, in part on polling results that show how broad and deep is support for legislation like Bishop's. The findings include:

• Overall, 78% of voters rate overseas call centers negatively.
• 53% of voters are less likely to vote for their representative if voters learn that he or she voted against relevant legislation proposed in Congress.
• Voters showed between 75% and 90% support for proposals that would end tax breaks, grants and loans to companies that offshore jobs, and another proposal that would give consumers the right to be transferred to a customer service agent in the United States.

CWA's campaign efforts also will target over 50 members of Congress to identify both supporters of, and opponents to, call center legislation. And, as CWA said, "Additionally, the CWA campaign will include major grassroots actions and an online and social media push on behalf of call center legislation."

Union campaigns to bring call centers back to US (The Hill, Aug. 14, 2012)

Poll Shows Popularity of Addressing Call Center Off-Shoring; CWA Unveils Campaign to Spotlight Topic (CWA news release, Aug. 14, 2012)