CWA members defeat attempt to weaken Colorado Public Utilities Commission

CWA members, along with other unions and allies, successfully beat back an attempt by state legislators to split the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and diminish its authority.

Sandra Parker Murray, a member of CWA Local 7777 and a telecommunications worker for 22 years at AT&T, Lucent Technologies, and Avaya, testified before the Colorado Senate Transportation Committee on the need to restore the strength, autonomy, and authority to the PUC on telecommunications matters.

“Please take a stand to ensure that telecommunications functions for the common good, not solely corporate profits,” Parker Murray urged. “The PUC's oversight of telecom retail service rates, terms and conditions and service availability and quality was substantially reduced by the legislature in 2014. We want to see those powers restored to make a stronger PUC.”

CWA members still have a big fight in future legislative sessions to restore telecommunications authority to the PUC, but stopping the further weakening of the Commission this week was a major victory.

Links:

CWAers Defeat Attempt to Weaken Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CWA, Apr. 18, 2019)