Com munications Workers Of Am erica AFL-CIO Local 1022

ForImmediateRelease:June20,2013 Contact:SethHahn,(732)3067729

CWAHailsPassageofSaveNewJerseyCallCenterJobsAct byStateAssembly LaunchesAdvertisingBlitztoPersuadeGovernorChristietoBarCompanies thatShipNJJobsOverseasfromReceivingStateTaxBreaks

TRENTONTheCommunicationsWorkersofAmericahailedtodaythepassageoftheSaveNew JerseyCallCenterJobsAct(A3775,sponsoredbyAssemblymembersConnieWagner,Timothy Eustace,WayneDeAngeloandDanielBenson)bythefullStateAssemblybyavoteof51to23. Theunionalsoannouncedapubliceducationcampaignaboutthebill,whichwouldprevent companiesthatshipNewJerseyjobsoverseasfromreceivingtaxbreaksandsubsidiesfromthe StateofNewJersey.HavingalreadypassedtheSenate2211,thebillnowheadstoGovernor Christieforsigning. SethHahn,NewJerseypoliticalandlegislativedirectoroftheCWA,said,Theideabehindthis billissimple:CompaniesthatreceivetaxpayermoneyhavearesponsibilitytocreatejobsinNew Jersey,notshipjobsoverseas.SpeakerOliverandtheAssemblyvotedtodayforsimplecommon sense. NewJerseyranks44thnationwideinprivatesectorjobgrowthsinceFebruary2010,and47thin economicgrowthinthattime.NewJerseylost30,400callcenterjobsfrom20062011,a staggering22%ofallcallcenterjobsinthestate.GovernorChristieneedstoact.Signing A.3775/S.2188wouldhelpprotectthe105,900NJcallcenterjobsindangerofbeingshipped overseas. SharonAdamo,PresidentofCWALocal1023added,Werepresent725callcenterworkers now,butourlocalhad3,000workerstenyearsago.Thepeoplewerepresentworkveryhard anditcanbeverydifficultwork,alldayonthephoneandnobreakbetweencalls.Butitsstilla goodmiddleclassjobforpeopletohaveandbeabletoraisetheirfamilies.Wesee unemploymentandpeoplewithoutjobsinNewJerseyanditjustdoesntmakesensethat companiesdoingworkforthestateandreceivingmoneyfromthestatedonthavetocreate jobshere.CWALocal1023represents725VerizoncallcenterworkersinNorthernNewJersey. 1

BethCornwall,PresidentofCWALocal1022,whichrepresents450Verizoncallcenterworkers inSouthernNewJersey,said,Ourmemberssimplycantunderstandwhyacompanymaking billionsofdollarsinprofitanddoingthismuchbusinessinNewJerseysaystheycantaffordto hireworkersinAmericaandtheyneedtosendthecallcenterworkoverseas. DougGrant,BusinessAgentofCWALocal1101,whichrepresents600AT&Tcallcenterworkers inParamus,said,Workersareworriedabouttheirjobs.Theyfeellikeoutsourcingisamajor problem.TheyfeellikesomanyotherworkersinAmericatodaydo:thatthecompanydoesnt careaboutitsworkforceoritscommunity,solongastheyaremakingaprofit.Wesupportthis billbecauseweneedtoaddresstheissueofjobsinourcountryandinourstate.Andwhere qualityisconcerned,Americanworkersjustdoabetterjob.Period. ThebillwouldaffectcompanieslikeVerizon,whichmade$65.8billioninprofitsoverthepastsix yearsyears,andpaidtopfiveexecutives$349millionfrom20072011.Verizonhasreceived $113millionfromNewJerseyinsubsidiessince1998moresubsidiesthanfromanyother statewiththepromiseofcreatingjobs.ButVerizonhascutthenumberofNewJerseycall centerjobsinhalfoverthepastdecadeandhassentthousandsofDSLcallcenterjobsto countrieslikeIndia. ###