A Song and Dance Caricature of African-Americans
"Jump Jim Crow"

The Jim Crow laws (named after "Jump Jim Crow") were state and local laws enacted in the Southern and Border States of the United States and enforced between 1876 and 1965. They mandated "separate but equal" status for Black Americans.

In reality, this led to treatment and accommodations that were almost always inferior to those provided white Americans. The most important laws required that public schools, public places and public transportation have separate buildings, toilets, and restaurants for whites and blacks.

Jim Crow laws were a product of the solidly Democratic South. Conservative Southern Democrats, exploiting racial fear and attacking the corruption (real or perceived) of Reconstruction Republican governments, took over state governments in the South in the 1870’s and dominated them for nearly 100 years.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 immediately annulled Jim Crow laws that segregated restaurants, hotels and theaters. These facilities (with rare exceptions) immediately dropped racial segregation. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 ended discrimination in voting for all federal, state and local elections.

 "This bus isn’t the only thing passing you by," say bus ads that are rolling throughout the District. "Verizon is bringing high-speed Internet to the suburbs—Not to DC."

"Verizon has moved over a third of its jobs from the District to the suburbs in the past three years to bring high-speed internet to the suburbs while leaving DC residents with increasingly poor phone service," says CWA Local 2336 President Jim Pappas. "My members (Verizon technicians) tell me that many customers have service trouble every time it rains, and the troubles end up getting left so long that the sun dries out the cable only to disappear—until the next rain."

The Connect-DC campaign has been conducting surveys of DC residents on Verizon’s quality of service. "From our surveys it’s clear that Verizon has not been able to meet existing service quality standards for regulated phone services," said Mackenzie Baris, lead organizer with DC Jobs with Justice.

Organizations under Michaelle Fleisher and George Haynes have a need to reduce force and intend to offer EISP. Packages were mailed to impacted employees on February 5, 2008. The volunteer period will begin on February 12, 2008. Volunteers whose applications are accepted will have an off payroll date of March 23, 2008.

Under Fleisher the titles that are impacted is Manager’s Clerk and Special Clerk—the locations impacted are 30 E Street SW and 935 V Street NE. Under Haynes the title that is impacted is Central Office Technician—the location impacted is 2055 L Street NW.

The first meeting with the Company has been scheduled for Wednesday, February 27, 2008. The bargaining committee is led by CWA District Representative Jimmy Tarlau and the Local’s Secretary/Treasurer Brenda Savoy.

Upon completion of the last bargaining session on Friday, February 1, 2008, the parties remained still very far apart. There has been no positive movement as UPO continue their efforts to take us backwards. Our bargaining committee is working very hard to assure that we can obtain a contract worthy of our productive work at UPO.

The Common Interest Forum convened on Thursday, January 31, 2008. Vice President Darryl Wallace along with Stewards Bonnie Barrett, Cortez Avery and Stuart Phillips sat with Share management and discussed the following items:

• Productivity Bonus
• Monitoring
• Materials and equipment
• Mistreatment of fundraisers
• Smoking
• Conduct in garage area
• Home caller inclusion
• Campaign assignment team
• Dollars per hour
• Callback feature

It is important that all of our members know and realize that our discussions in these CIF sessions is a joint effort in addressing the significant changes and developments in our work environment that will hopefully generate recommendations working toward improvement of wages, working conditions and employment security for our members at Share.

The meeting that was initially scheduled for Friday, February 8, 2008, with the purpose of communicating the results of the executive level discussions that continued after January 24^th between CWA and PIW, has changed.

This meeting has been re-scheduled to take place on Wednesday, February 13, 2008. The time of the meeting will be from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the place will be the Hoffman auditorium at PIW.

At this meeting, another ratification vote will be conducted. It is important that all members remember that this is a purely democratic process—and in a democracy, it is those who participate, that decide.

On Tuesday, February 19, 2008, there will be an advanced steward training session held at the Local office on 5321 1^st Place NE, Washington, D.C. beginning promptly at 6:30 p.m.

On Tuesday, February 12, 2008, the state of Maryland will hold its Primary Election. A good friend of all CWA members needs our help that day—Congressman Albert Wynn of the 4^th Congressional District of Maryland.

Our relationship with Congressman Wynn has been strong and steadfast dating back to his time in the Maryland State House of Delegates. In both governmental bodies, on every committee he has ever served, Al has always championed the causes of working people.

Congressman Wynn’s present assignment on the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee put him front and center on a myriad of issues that affect our members. Al not only considers our views, but has often sought our position and counsel on issues that may affect our members.

Congressman Wynn needs and deserves our support on Primary Day. Please make your "VOICE" and "VOTE" heard so Al can continue to be our "VOICE" and "VOTE".