CWA Local 1103

What's New at CWA 1103

New Labor Secretary Has History of Strong Support

Updated On: Jan 04, 2009 (08:16:00)

CWA members in southern California know first hand that Rep. Hilda Solis, President-elect Barack Obama's choice for U.S. secretary of labor, is a long-standing champion of workers' organizing and bargaining rights.

Solis stood with the workers at the Chinese Daily News in Los Angeles who were abused, harassed and illegally fired by their employer when they voted for representation by The Newspaper Guild-CWA in 2001, and she continues to support their fight for justice, CWA President Larry Cohen noted in applauding the nomination.

And when 400 CWA-representated court interpreters in Los Angeles County were forced to strike in 2007, Rep. Solis was on their side, not only in backing their fight for salary fairness but in supporting their cause of ensuring that non-English-speaking citizens receive qualified interpreting services in the court system.

"Finally, after eight years of Labor Department leadership that routinely followed big business interests and ignored the rights and safety of American workers, a woman with a long history of standing up for workers will be working to restore the department to its original mission," Cohen stated after the nomination was announced.

The five-term congresswoman representing East Los Angeles is a staunch backer of the Employee Free Choice Act and she sits on the board of the worker advocacy group American Rights at Work. Solis also is known as a longtime advocate of promoting "green manufacturing" to create jobs and move the country toward energy independence – a key issue for CWA and for the Obama administration in planning for economic recovery.

A Story of Seniority

Updated On: Jan 04, 2009 (08:40:00)
“Scarcely a day passes that I do not find myself involved in an argument about seniority. The young people argue that it holds them back, that it is only for the good of the old folks, that they pay the same dues, but don't get the good jobs Read More...

NYS Budget: Homeowner Benefit Falls Victim

Posted On: Dec 22, 2008 (18:39:51)

While the wealthy continue to benefit from an unfair NYS tax system, Governor Patterson wants to save $1.4 Billion by eliminating the STAR rebate tax program that homeowners get each fall to offset NYS’s high property tax.

FACT: NYS used to have 14 tax brackets. Back then NY’s wealthiest paid 15.375% in income taxes. Now New York’s Millionaires pay the same 6.85% that the Middle Working Class pays. The difference is we can lest afford the property tax increases and new surcharges that will be appearing due to the $14 billion budget deficit. Those who profited from our hard work should pay their fair share. It’s time for fairness in the NYS income tax code.

NYS Budget:Save the Middle Class

Posted On: Dec 21, 2008 (16:59:09)

For three decades, NY Sate has been lowering taxes for the Wealthy by systematically removing tax brackets of over $250,000. New York’s ultra wealthy have seen their taxes go down by 50%. And now, once again, the Middle Class will bear the burden of making up shortfalls in our budget. However, our legislators can dramatically reduce the burden we are under by putting in place a Progressive Income Tax (PIT) that reinstates the upper tax brackets on income of a Quarter Million dollars or more a year.

To find out how many live in CWA 1103’s Members districts that would be affected by PIT, check out the chart below:

Senate District
Senator
Total Numbers of Tax Filers
Tax Filers Affected (Above $250k)
> $1Million
$500K - $1M
$250k-$500k
Total Affected
Tax Filers Not Affected (Below $250K)
35
Steward- Cousins
125,764
471
914
3,063
4,448
121,316
36
Hassell-Thompson
138,517
N/A
12
76
88
138,426
37
Oppenheimer
149,228
3,849
4,516
8,937
17,302
131,926
38
Morahan
140,871
419
913
3,031
4,363
136,508
39
Larkin
132,397
130
256
1,073
1,459
130,938
40
Leibell
143,087
1,165
1,632
4,797
7,594
135,493
41
Saland
132,502
203
399
1,388
1,990
130,512
42
Bonacic
129,647
110
212
794
1,116
128,531

Need to know what area your Senate district has, just look below:

Steward-Cousins – Most of the City of Yonkers, Mount Pleasant & Greenburg

Hassell-Thomas- Parts of Bronx, MT Veron

Oppenheimer- Ossining, New Castle, North Castle, City of White Plains, Rye, Harrison, Scarsdale, Rye, Mamaroneck, Most of New Rochelle

Leibell – Westchester (Poundridge, Mt Kisco, Lewisboro, North Salem, Somers, Yorktown, Cortlandt

Morahan- Rockland, Orange(Warwick, Tuxedo)

Larkin- Most of Orange, Parts of Ulster

Saland- Half of Dutchess, Ulster

Bonacic – Ulster, Sullivan, Delaware

Fairness in NYS Taxes PIT Reform

Updated On: Dec 22, 2008 (18:50:00)
NYS will have a shortfall of over 14 Billion dollars this year and Governor Patterson has introduced a budget that will cost Working Middle Class New Yorkers big time. The Governor wants to impose 88 new fees and taxes targeted at consumers rather than overhaul a tax system that favors the ultra-wealthy in NY Read More...

HELP NEEDED: ACT TODAY

Updated On: Dec 20, 2008 (13:56:00)
CWA is leading a powerful movement to make sure that Congress is ready to move forward on The Employee Free Choice Act - a crucial bill that will allow workers to organize free of any employer intimidation. You can make a difference by calling your Senators and urge them to support the Employee Free Choice Act Read More...

Substance Abuse: Help During the Holidays

Updated On: Dec 21, 2008 (17:28:00)
Read More...

Important Message to Members who use Verizon Online Services

Updated On: Aug 31, 2008 (12:27:00)

Verizon’s Online anti-spam system is picking up cwa1103.org e-mails as spam and stopping delivery to you. As a subscriber to Verizon Online you may visit http://www2.verizon.net/micro/whitelist/request_form.asp?id=member and request that Verizon allow our e-mail messages be delivered to you.