Proceedings and Index of the 73rd Annual Convention Communications Workers of America Las Vegas Hilton Las Vegas, Nevada July 11-13, 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS MONDAY MORNING July 11, 2011 Page Call to Order - Temporary Chair James P. Burrell, President, CWA Local 9413 1 Invocation - Douglas Thomas, Executive Vice President, CWA Local 9586 1 Opening Ceremonies - Presentation of Colors, National Anthems 2 Greetings - Jim Weitkamp, Vice President, CWA District 9 2 Guest Speaker - Hon. George Miller, Member of Congress (D-CA, 7th District) 4 President's Address - CWA President Larry Cohen 9 Recognition of Retiring Vice Presidents 9 Use of Microphones, Introduction of Parliamentarians and Platform Observers 18 Credentials Committee - Preliminary Report - Marge Kruger, Chair 19 Convention Rules & Hours of Convention 21 Constitution Committee Report - Amendments 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 22 Defense Fund Oversight Committee Report (also see Exhibit D) 38 Announcements 43 Recess 43 MONDAY AFTERNOON Call to Order 44 National Women's Committee Report 44 Election Rules 51 Nominations & Elections 54 Recess 67 TUESDAY MORNING July 12, 2011 Call to Order 68 Invocation - Gene Leedy, President, Local 2276 68 District Election Results 68 Video Greeting - Barack Obama, President of the United States 69 Remarks by Retiring Secretary-Treasurer Jeff Rechenbach 70 Finance Committee Report - (also see Appendix A) 76 Resolutions Committee Report - 73A-11-1 - Strategic Industry Fund Distribution to Strengthen Our Union 80 73A-11-2 - Protect Medicare and Strengthen Social Security 89 Installation of Officers - President Emeritus Morton Bahr 93 Secretary-Treasurer's Report - Annie Hill 96 Resolutions Committee Report (continued) - 73A-11-3 - Oppose Voter Suppression Laws That Weaken Our Democracy 103 73A-11-4 - Oppose Colombia Free Trade Agreement 106 73A-11-5 - State Campaigns and Movement Building 109 Recess 114 i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page TUESDAY AFTERNOON Call to Order 115 Organizing Program - Remarks by AFA-CWA Vice President Veda Shook 115 Remarks by District 1 Vice President Chris Shelton 117 Organizing Awards - Presented by Vice Presidents Seth Rosen & Bernie Lunzer 120 President's Annual Award for Organizing Excellence 122 Remarks by Abdur Bilal - Piedmont Airlines 124 National Civil Rights & Equity Committee Report - Vice President Brooks Sunkett 125 Next Generation Committee Report 139 Pediatric AIDS Foundation Presentation - by Secretary-Treasurer Annie Hill 148 Remarks by Christina Pena 149 Awards - presented by Vice President Madelyn Elder 151 Recess 153 WEDNESDAY MORNING July 13, 2011 Call to Order 154 Invocation - Judy Lugo, Local 6186 154 Retired Members' Council Report - Ray Myers, Council President 155 List of RMC Chapters (see Appendix B) State & Regional election announcements 158 In Memoriam 159 Recognition of 30-Year Members 162 Appeals Committee Report - Appeal Nos. 1 thru 6 164 Roll Call Vote Results - Appeal No. 6 (also see Appendix E) 177 COPE Awards (also see Exhibit C) 177 Announcements 181 Points of Personal Privilege 182 President's Closing Remarks 183 Adjournment, sine die 185 Exhibits: A - Finance Committee Report B - List of RMC Chapters C - COPE Honor Locals D - Defense Fund Oversight Committee Report E - Appeal #6 Roll Call Vote Result ii MONDAY MORNING SESSION July 11, 2011 The 73rd Annual Convention of the Communications Workers of America, meeting July 11-13, 2011, at the Las Vegas Hilton, Las Vegas, Nevada, convened at 9:00 a.m., James P. Burrell, President, CWA Local 9413, Temporary Chair, presiding. TEMPORARY CHAIR BURRELL: Good morning, CWA delegates, friends, and family. Please take your seats. The official clock here in Las Vegas, Nevada, indicates that it's 9:00 a.m., and that means it's time for us to begin our work. I ask everyone to please be seated as I call the 73rd Convention of the Communications Workers of America to order. We have a lot of business to take care of over the next three days. So again, I ask that everyone be seated so that we can get underway. My name is Jim Burrell. I am President of CWA Local 9413 in Sparks, Nevada, which is about 450 miles northwest of here near Reno. (Applause) These are challenging times for working families and for our union, but I am proud that CWA and my local have continued to help workers organize and get the bargaining rights they deserve. In nearby Henderson and other parts of the state, Local 9110, the Nevada Association of Public Safety Officers- CWA, has added 1,200 new members in less than three years. (Applause) My local has been organizing more unions at St. Mary's Hospital in Reno with another 800 workers over the past three years getting a union voice and for the contracts. (Applause) That's how we keep our union strong. On behalf of Local 9413 and all of CWA District 9, I welcome you to Las Vegas. (Applause) We will open our Convention as we traditionally do with a prayer this morning. We will be led by Douglas Thomas, Executive Vice President of Local 9586. Brother Thomas says he proudly wears two hats. He has been an active CWA member for 33 years and also serves as youth pastor at Living Water Fellowship in Inglewood, California. Please join me in welcoming Pastor Thomas. (Applause) DELEGATE DOUGLAS THOMAS (Local 9586): Good morning. I'm going to ask that we will stand in reverence to the opening prayer of the Convention. Father God, before we ask anything, we just want to take time out to say thank You. Thank You, Father, for your loving kindness and most of all your tender mercy. Father, we thank You for the dawning of a new day that You have allowed us to be a part of. You have given us this day the activities of not only our limbs but of our minds, in that we may be able to conduct the business of this union when it comes to our great workers. Father, as we open this 73rd CWA Convention, we ask that You bless this gathering of your people. Father, bless each leader that is represented in this Convention today, from our President Larry Cohen to each one that holds a position or title in this great union. Father, crown them with wisdom and knowledge on how to lead such a great mass of workers. Father, in your Word, You have instructed us to go into the vineyards and work, and whatsoever is right you will pay. We ask that those words will penetrate within the hearts and souls of the employers as well as the management, to do not only the just, but the right thing when it applies to wages and benefits for the workers, not only here but all over the world. 3 In closing, Father, I pray that unity and hope prevails in this Convention this week. I pray You will allow all business that needs to be done and completed be accomplished this week. And, Father, for these blessings, we will be so grateful to give You the praise and the honor that You so rightfully deserve. Amen. TEMPORARY CHAIR BURRELL: Thank you, Pastor Thomas. Please remain standing for the presentation of the Colors, followed by the National Anthems of the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Eleven of our flag bearers and singers are CWA members. Presenting the American flag is Tim Ng of IUE-CWA Local 89118. Carmel Smyth, President of the Canadian Media Guild, CWA Local 30213, will present Canada's flag. And José Ortega, President of UPAGRA-CWA, Local 33225, will present Puerto Rico's flag. "The Star Spangled Banner" will be sung by Jeanette Spoor, President of Local 1103's Retired Members Council. Scott Edmonds, Vice President of the CWA/SCA, Canada West, will sing the Canadian anthem. And Luis Benitez-Burgos, Secretary-Treasurer of CWA Local 3010, will sing the National Anthem of Puerto Rico. The delegates arose for the presentation of the Colors and National Anthems . (Applause and cheers) TEMPORARY CHAIR BURRELL: Thank you, Jeanette, Scott, Luis, and our CWA Honor Guard. Will the delegates and others please remain standing as the Colors are retired. The delegates remained standing . TEMPORARY CHAIR BURRELL: Now, I am proud to be able to introduce a true champion for our local and the members in District 9, our Vice President, Jim Weitkamp. Jim has been part of CWA since he first started work at Pacific Bell in 1977 and joined Local 9505. Jim's leadership is a constant for us. We know that whether he is in the middle of a state budget fight or standing up for good jobs in our district, or organizing to build our bargaining power, that he's got our backs. Jim energizes us, encourages us, and makes things happen. He is exactly the leader we need in District 9 for these tough times, because Jim is even tougher. DISTRICT 9 VICE PRESIDENT JIM WEITKAMP: Thank you. Thank you. (Applause and cheers) Sisters and brothers, welcome to Nevada and welcome to District 9. We are always glad to host our brothers and sisters. It's my honor now to introduce our President, Larry Cohen. There is no stronger or more effective voice for working families than Larry Cohen. That's true whether he is standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, and raising the call that we come together as one nation, or standing with public workers in New Jersey and the far too many other states who are in the fights of their lives. Larry led the call for One Nation last October because he knew that all of us working together-- unions and civil rights groups and environmentalists and other progressive organizations-- can accomplish what none of us can do alone.