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2008 Proceedings

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2008 Proceedings Proceedings and Index of the 70th Annual Convention Communications Workers of America Las Vegas Hilton Hotel & Resort Las Vegas, Nevada June 23-25, 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS MONDAY MORNING June 23, 2008 Call to Order - Temporary Chair Charles Benway, President, CWA Local 9413 1 Invocation - Rev. Thomas Montelaro, New Hope Hospice, Las Vegas 2 Greetings - Danny Thompson, Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Nevada AFL-CIO 2 Opening Ceremonies - Presentation of Colors, National Anthems 2 Welcome by District 9 Vice President Tony Bixler 4 Address by District 2 Vice President Pete Catucci 5 President's Address - CWA President Larry Cohen 7 Use of Microphones, Introduction of Parliamentarians and Platform Committee 16 Credentials Committee - Preliminary Report 18 Convention Rules - Hours of Convention 20 Retired Members' Council Report 23 Remarks by Retiring Secretary-Treasurer - Barbara Easterling 26 Resolutions Committee Report 70A-08-1 - Honoring Barbara J. Easterling's Inspiring Career 30 70A-08-2 - Barack Obama for President 32 Announcements 36 Recess 37 MONDAY AFTERNOON Credentials Committee - Supplemental Report 38 Address by U.S. Senator Barack Obama, Democratic Presidential Nominee 39 Election Procedures - Steve Raeder, CPA, The Calibre Group 40 Nominations and Elections - Executive Officers 42 Sector Vice Presidents 47 At-Large Diversity Board Members 51 Recess 56 TUESDAY MORNING June 24, 2008 Invocation - Rev. Cletus Kiley, President, Faith & Politics Institute, Washington, DC 57 Election Results - District Vice Presidents 58 Installation of Officers - President Emeritus Morton Bahr, Installing Officer 59 Secretary-Treasurer's Report by Jeff Rechenbach 65 Finance Committee Report (also see Addendum) 72 Constitution Committee Report 77 Defense Fund Oversight Committee Report 81 National Women's Committee Report 96 Announcements 106 Recess 106 i TABLE OF CONTENTS TUESDAY AFTERNOON Remarks by AFA-CWA Vice President Pat Friend Re: Delta/Northwest Airlines merger 107 Guest Speakers - Paul Tanner and Shawn Fivecoat National Committee on Equity Report 109 Address by Philip Jennings, General Secretary, UNI Global Union 120 Address by Francisco Hernandez Juarez, General Secretary, STRM, Mexico 125 Organizing Program - Video Presentation - Organizing Success at Bay Area News, San Francisco 127 Guest Speaker Roger Reece - Verizon Business, New York 128 Guest Speaker Tixoc Munoz, AZCOPS, Arizona 130 Organizing Awards 130 President's Annual Award for Organizing Excellence 133 Remarks by 3rd District Vice President Noah Savant 134 In Memoriam 135 Pediatric AIDS Foundation Presentation and Awards - Remarks by Pam Barnes, President/CEO 137 Resolutions Committee (continued): 70A-08-4 - Stop Trade Agreements with Countries that Violate Labor Rights 139 70A-08-5 - Promoting CWA's Print Sector Label 142 70A-08-6 - Greening the Economy: A Climate Change & Jobs Strategy that Works for All 144 Announcements 147 Recess 148 WEDNESDAY MORNING June 25, 2008 Invocation - Rabbi Hershel Brooks, Bet Knesset Bamidbar, Las Vegas 149 Resolutions Committee (continued): 70A-08-3 - Million Member March for Employee Free Choice 150 Address by Ron Gettelfinger, President, United Auto Workers 153 30-Year Member Awards Presentation 157 Appeals Committee Report - Appeals 1 thru 7 158 Recess 180 WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON Appeals Committee (cont.) - Appeal 9 181 Resolutions Committee (continued): 70A-08-7 - Organize Cable & Satellite Industries Now 186 70A-08-8 - CWA Taking the Lead in National Health Care Reform 187 70A-08-9 - Working for Peace and Labor Rights in Iraq 192 COPE Report and Awards - Presented by Executive Vice President Annie Hill - 197 Newsletter Awards - Presented by Printing Sector Vice President Bill Boarman 202 Good & Welfare 204 Closing Remarks by President Cohen 207 Adjournment, sine die 209 ii MONDAY MORNING SESSION June 23, 2008 The 70th Annual Convention of the Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO, CLC, meeting at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel & Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, convened at 9:00 a.m., Charles "Chuck" Benway, President, CWA Local 9413, Temporary Chair, presiding. TEMPORARY CHAIR BENWAY: Good morning, delegates and guests. We have a very full agenda this morning, so please take your seats. I ask all delegates to take their seats so that we can begin. The official clock here in Las Vegas indicates that it is now 9:00 a.m. I ask everyone to please be seated as I call the 70th Annual Convention of the Communications Workers of America to order. (Applause) We have very important business to take up over our three days together, so again I ask that everyone be seated so that we can get underway. I am Chuck Benway, President of CWA Local 9413, in Sparks, Nevada. For those of you-- (applause). My compadrés in District 9. For those of you who don't venture outside of Las Vegas, Sparks is just north of Reno. My local represents about 2,000 active and retired members in telecom, law enforcement, public service, and other sectors. I'm proud of my members and proud to be with my CWA brothers and sisters today. It is my honor to serve as Temporary Chair of this Convention of our great union. On behalf of the officers and members of CWA District 9, and especially the members of my own local here in Nevada, I welcome you to Las Vegas and the 70th Annual Convention of the Communications Workers of America. (Applause) As we always do, we will open our Convention with a prayer. It is my privilege to call upon Reverend Thomas Montelaro for today's invocation. Father Tom is a longtime parish priest who provides care and comfort to terminally ill patients and their families at the New Hope Hospice here in Las Vegas. Following the invocation, please remain standing for the presentation of the Colors and the singing of the National Anthems. Now please join me in welcoming Reverend Thomas Montelaro. (Applause) REVEREND THOMAS MONTELARO (New Hope Hospice, Las Vegas): Good morning. I wish to thank the members of the Communications Workers of America for inviting me to be here this morning with all of you. It is truly a pleasure for me to open your Convention with a prayer. We have the need for God's assistance and we need to ask Him to be with us and to bless us in all we endeavor to do. With that said, let us bow our heads and pray. Heavenly Father, we wish to thank you for gathering us here today so that we may conduct the important business of the Communications Workers of America that we have come here to accomplish. We ask You to bless, guide and direct each and every member of our organization. Help us to listen to one another, share our ideas, acknowledge our creativity, our knowledge. Let us always strive to communicate truth, uphold justice, and seek right so that the members of the CWA will truly become leaders in promoting and supporting the type of communications that will bring about peace and understanding within our organization, our nation, and our world. 1 We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You in union with the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. TEMPORARY CHAIR BENWAY: Thank you, Father Tom. Please stand as we prepare for the presentation of the Colors and the singing of the National Anthems of the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Our Colors will be presented this morning by the Clark High School Naval Junior ROTC, led by Master Sergeant James Coltrain. Silvia Barden, President of the California Federation of Interpreters, part of TNG-CWA Local 39521, will sing the National Anthem of the United States; Scott Edmonds, Vice President of CWA/SCA Local 30213, will sing the National Anthem of Canada; and Luis Quintana, Vice President of TNG-CWA Local 33225, UPAGRA, will sing the National Anthem of Puerto Rico. The delegates arose as the Colors were presented by the Clark High School Naval Junior ROTC, followed by the singing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" by Silvia Barden, TNG-CWA Local 39521, "O' Canada" by Scott Edmonds, CWA/SCA Local 30213, and "La Borinqueña," the National Anthem of Puerto Rico, by Luis Quintana, TNG-CWA Local 33225 . (Applause and cheers) TEMPORARY CHAIR BENWAY: Thanks again to our singers for their inspiring renditions of the National Anthems. Please give them another round of applause. And please remain standing as the Colors are retired. Applause as the Colors was retired . TEMPORARY CHAIR BENWAY: Now I am very pleased to introduce our next speaker. Danny Thompson has led the Nevada State AFL-CIO for nearly ten years. He was first elected Executive Secretary-Treasurer in 1999. Over those years, the Nevada labor movement has grown to represent more than 200,000 workers in 120 locals, and we are still growing. Danny is a big part of that. He is also a good friend of CWA. Most recently, Danny played a big role in helping the Clark County District Court bailiffs and marshals here in Las Vegas win CWA recognition. They are the newest members of our District 9 COPS (applause)-- yes, welcome-- that's the California Organization of Police and Sheriffs. Whether we're working together to make sure that public servants get a fair pay raise and have workplace rights, or lobbying the state legislature, or improving service to communities, CWAers know we can count on Danny. We're lucky to have him leading the Nevada AFL-CIO and we're very pleased to have him with us this morning. Please join me in giving Danny Thompson a big welcome. (Applause) DANNY THOMPSON (Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Nevada AFL-CIO): Thanks, Chuck. Good morning. The delegates responded with "Good morning" . BROTHER THOMPSON: And welcome to Las Vegas. You know, I got to do this twice this week with different conferences with CWA, so if you've heard this before, just please excuse me.
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