2017 Chief Steward Elections
Introduction
TU is an “organizing local” of CWA. An “organizing local” is a local that is just beginning to form and structure and populate itself. It does not yet have officers. Instead, it has a chair, appointed by the CWA Executive Board, who is responsible for all of the duties that officers like a President or Secretary would carry out. TU is governed by a national “Steering Committee,” both now and when its officers are eventually elected. The Steering Committee is composed of each qualifying work location’s Chief Steward, plus an at-large retail member and at-large call center member for those retail and call center locations that do not yet qualify for their own seat. For now, T-Mobile technicians at non-qualifying locations will be included among retail.
What is the election for?
The top governing board of TU is its national Steering Committee. The Steering Committee is made up of Chief Stewards. Each qualifying work location elects a chief steward. There are also two at-large chief stewards for non-qualifying work locations. This election is for these chief steward positions.
The qualifying locations that each elect their own Chief Steward are:
- Colorado Springs, Colorado (call center)
- Wichita, Kansas (call center)
- Springfield, Missouri (call center)
- Menaul, Albuquerque, New Mexico (call center)
- Texas (retail)
- At-large Retail
- At-large Call Center
All other retail locations together, along with technicians, will elect one at-large Retail Chief Steward.
All other call center locations together will elect one at-large Call Center Chief Steward.
After Chief Stewards are elected in this formal process, additional stewards may be elected or appointed in a more informal process.
More locations may eventually qualify for their own Chief Steward. For those later qualifying locations, elections will be held later.
The Chief Stewards shall take office upon certification of the election.
How will the election be conducted?
The election will be conducted via secret ballot and electronically. Eligible voters will receive voting instructions via U.S. mail explaining how to cast a vote over the web or via telephone. The election will be administered by a private, third-party vendor with an excellent record for maintaining the integrity of electronic elections.
What is the role of the TU Chair?
The TU Chair will oversee the election. He may delegate some of his duties to an election committee made up of TU members who volunteer to help. Together, they will ensure a fair election. Among other things, they will deal with balloting and voter eligibility issues. The TU Chair is Josh Coleman.
Who is eligible to vote in the election?
All TU members in good standing as of 2:00 pm EST on November 13, 2017, shall be eligible to vote in the election. To be a member in good standing, a person must be a T-Mobile employee who has signed and maintained a membership/authorization card, which may be done online at this website.
Do TU members have to pay dues to join and vote?
Until a collective bargaining agreement is reached, mandatory dues are not imposed. In other words, TU members need not pay dues. For those who want to pay voluntary dues in the meantime, there will be a system developed for doing so.
Who may run for Chief Steward?
Any TU member in good standing as of 2:00 pm EDT on November 3, 2017, may run for Chief Steward.
How do I run for Chief Steward? Or nominate someone for Chief Steward?
Candidates for Chief Steward may nominate themselves. They may also be nominated by a co-worker. If a person is nominated by a co-worker, the nominee must consent to the nomination. The Chair or his designee will reach out to the nominee to confirm. Nominations will be conducted via email. Simply send an email to TU Chair Josh Coleman at jcoleman@cwa-union.org with your nomination. All nominations must be received by 5:00 pm EDT on November 3, 2017.
How may candidates and their supporters campaign?
Candidates and their supporters may engage in campaign activity on their own time and in non-work areas, using their own resources. Campaigning may not be done with either union or employer resources, such as email accounts, computers, paper, or phones. If a candidate would like to send an email to eligible voters, TU will not supply the candidate with email addresses. A candidate may compile his or her own list of addresses. Alternatively, the candidate may request that TU send the email on his or her behalf. The cost of such a distribution will be charged to the candidate. The fee for each such email distribution will be $5.50. A candidate may request other reasonable distributions by inquiring with the TU Chair. Additionally, TU will attempt to obtain short bios or campaign statements from each candidate to be mailed with ballot instructions to eligible voters.
When is the election?
The election will be held from November 16, 2017, at 2:00 pm EST, until December 6, 2017, at 2:00 pm EST. During that time, the website, which will be provided on the mailed voting instructions, will be open for you to cast your vote.
How do I vote?
If you are a TU member in good standing as of 2:00 pm EST on November 13, 2017, you will receive ballot instructions via U.S. Mail at the address you provided on your membership/authorization card. Instructions will be mailed by the election vendor on or about November 16, 2017. The instructions will a website address and a passcode to use to login and cast your vote. Read the instructions carefully when they arrive.
What do I do if I don’t receive ballot instructions but think I’m eligible to vote or have any troubles voting?
You should contact TU Chair Josh Coleman at jcoleman@cwa-union.org. He and delegees will determine your eligibility and work with the election vendor to fix any problems you are having.
When will results be announced?
A time will be set with the vendor, shortly after voting closes, for the vendor to tabulate the results with the Chair, election committee, and any observers present. This is typically done over a secure webinar with the tabulation occurring live.
Are the ballots secret?
Yes. The election vendor has security protocols in place to ensure that how you voted is kept secret.
What happens if only one candidate is running in a particular race?
If only one candidate is running for a particular Chief Steward position, that candidate wins by acclimation. Ballots will not be mailed for that race, as balloting will be unnecessary.