News

CWA members at Frontier Communications in California participate in an unfair labor practice strike to protest the company’s retaliation against workers

After repeated incidents and multiple grievance filings, the members walked off the job in protest. As a result of the strike, the supervisor has been temporarily suspended.

QualTek tower climbers vote to join CWA

Dubbed “the most dangerous job in America,” tower climbing involves scaling towers to perform inspections and tests, handle repairs, and install equipment ranging from antennas, amplifiers, and fiber optic cable, to lighting systems. The major carriers who build and own the towers often farm out the maintenance work to contractors like Qualtek.

New report exposes Google Fiber contractors, reinforces union workers as the safest option

The report, “What Lies Beneath,” focuses on Google Fiber, a high-profile company that relies heavily on contractors, and offers a deep dive into contracted out work.

CWA celebrates the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

The $65 billion in the IIJA to support the expansion and affordability of broadband will help close the digital divide. And for the first time, the bill will prioritize broadband projects from employers who follow labor law.

Frontier, Lumen expand fiber deployments

Frontier Communications added 185,000 new fiber locations in 3Q 2021, with a year-to-date deployment of nearly 450,000 fiber passings. Lumen Technologies plans to expand its current 2.5 million fiber passings by an additional 1 million in 2021.

Biden nominates Jessica Rosenworcel for FCC Chair and Gigi Sohn for Commissioner

CWA: Biden’s nominees will champion the concerns of workers and consumers at the FCC.

CWA: It’s time to pass Build Back Better and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will fund high-speed internet networks that will be built by companies that adhere to high labor standards. The Build Back Better framework announced by President Biden will rein in corporations by increasing penalties for violating labor laws, implementing a corporate minimum tax, imposing a surcharge on stock buybacks, and ending tax advantages for corporations that ship jobs overseas.

California regulators recommend approval of Verizon’s acquisition of Tracfone with conditions

The California Public Utilities Commission’s proposed conditional approval follows Verizon’s August 2021 commitment to adopt conditions recommended by CWA and public interest allies.

Internet economy accounts for 12 percent of the US GDP, study finds

The Harvard Business School study found that the Internet economy grew seven times faster than the total US economy during the past four years.

AT&T to upgrade parts of its Louisiana plant to fiber after significant damage from Hurricane Ida

Hurricane Ida caused significant damage to AT&T’s copper cables and terminals, resulting in 338,115 customer outages.

California Governor vetoes bill that preempted local authority in small cell deployments

The legislation would have put worker safety at risk, especially if the work was done with low-wage contractors who might cut corners to save money.

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