CWA Members Demand Frontier Bargain in Good Faith

Last week, CWA members working for Frontier Communications in California held two rallies in support of their bargaining team. These rallies come after weeks of workplace mobilizations across CWA District 9, demanding Frontier bargain in good faith. Members working for Frontier Communications in Connecticut ratified a contract with the company late last month.

CWA Local 9586 hosted a rally on September 26 in Whittier, Calif. Speakers included CWA District 9 Vice President Frank Arce, California Federation of Labor Unions President Lorena Gonzalez, CWA Local 9586 President Rick Ibarra, and Senator Bob Archuleta's Labor Representative Danny Andalon.

“We Frontier California workers have been here working hard,” said CWA Local 9586 President Rick Ibarra. “We worked through the 2016 Verizon to Frontier acquisition. We worked for months through Frontier's unstable network. We endured the Frontier bankruptcy and the COVID pandemic, despite times when Frontier did not have any PPE to give to the customer-facing members and while watching Frontier executives give themselves big bonuses. Frontier should not forget who worked hard and has been maintaining the network all this time. We deserve a fair contract NOW!"

On September 28, members of CWA Local 9588 hosted their own rally in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., repeating the call for Frontier to bargain in good faith. Speakers there included Arce, CWA Local 9588 President Jimi Brubaker, and Inland Empire Labor Council Executive Secretary-Treasurer Ricardo Cisneros.

“CWA District 9 has been committed to supporting Verizon in the acquisition of Frontier and we are dedicated to ensuring career longevity for our Frontier members," said Arce. "However, Frontier is submitting proposals that are completely unacceptable, as if they’re trying to sabotage the acquisition. We will not settle for anything less than meaningful improvements for our members, and we are prepared to fight one day longer than the company to secure a fair and just contract.”

Click here to see pictures of member mobilizations in cities across California.

 
CWA District 9 Vice President Frank Arce (left of center) joined members of CWA Local 9588 (pictured) in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., and members of CWA Local 9586 in Whittier, Calif., to demand Frontier Communications bargains in good faith.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.