by Mike Hall, May 20, 2008

Law enforcement officers in Iowa, wireless sales workers in Idaho and print shop employees in Minnesota are the latest workers to choose a voice at work with the Communications Workers of America (CWA).

In Sioux City, Iowa, 100 detention officers and 39 deputy sheriffs in the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Department voted to affiliate with the CWA. The officers were part of an independent association but sought a strong voice to deal with their concerns over pay, intimidation by management and job security—issues especially important to the detention workers who—unlike deputies—are at-will employees, meaning they can be fired for any reason and have no due process rights.

As CWA representative Midge Slater says, law enforcement officers looked to the CWA because without a union,

workers find that it is extremely difficult when they attempt to exercise their right to organize, or engage in concerted activity.

Also this month, 75 workers gained CWA representation at AT&T Mobility retail stores in Idaho. The workers formed their union under an agreement between AT&T and CWA that the company will remain neutral and will recognize the union once a majority of employees signs union authorization cards. Majority sign-up is one of the central provisions of the Employee Free Choice Act now before the U.S. Congress—click here to read more.

And in Hibbing, Minn., 38 mail room workers at SPC Printing voted for union representation with Hibbing-Virginia Typographical Union 727/CWA Local 14726.

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