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MINUTES OF THE

TNG-CWA Human Rights and Equity Committee

July 7, 2006

Minutes of the first three meetings of the TNG-CWA Human Rights and Equity Committee held in Las Vegas on Friday, July 7, 2006 and Saturday, July 8, 2006 at 08:30 and 15:45.  This is a consolidated record of the three initial meeting of the committee struck at the Sector Conference in Las Vegas.

Friday, July 7, 2006

Participants:

Debbie Thomas, TNG-CWA Director of Human Rights

Committee members:

Sheila Lindsay, Washington/Baltimore
Datejie Green, Canadian Media Guild
Matthew Harper, St. Louis
Carl Younger, Boston
Richard Peery, Northeast Ohio
Randye Gilliam, New York
Michael D’Souza, Canadian Media Guild
Yoko Kuromoto-Eidsmoe, Pacific Northwest (Absent)

TNG-CWA Executives:

Arnold Amber
Lucy Witeck
Scott Stephens

Others:

Andale Gross, Northeast Ohio
Domenico Serri, II, Northeast Ohio
Rachel Dissell, Northeast Ohio
James R. Heinrich, Pittsburgh
Barbara Saxberg, CMG
Jocelyn Faniel-Heard, Detroit
Lillian Covarrubias, Toledo
Jane Fortune, Portland
Marilyn Kennedy, Memphis
Koskiko Exum, Buffalo
Linda Moore, Memphis

Proceedings:

Debbie Thomas told the meeting about the reasons the committee was struck and how it fit into the TNG-CWA. The first order of business was picking a name. After considerable discussion the committee agreed to call itself

the TNG-CWA Human Rights and Equity Committee.

Ms. Thomas called for volunteers to chair the committe. Michael D’Souza volunteered. That was accepted by the committee.

Debbie Thomas presented the committee with a draft mission statement.

After considerable discussion the committee finally agreed the mission statement would state:

The goal of the TNG-CWA Human Rights and Equity Committee is to increase the participation of visible minorities, people of color, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, gays, lesbians and women at all levels of the union and in all leadership position at the Local, National and International levels and as delegates to the District Council, Representative Councils and the Sector Conference. We will strive to achieve a diversity of leadership that reflects our communities.

The committee also set goals and objectives.

They include:

Structure of the committee

Outreach at the local, district council and community levels

Mentoring program

Survey of membership

Establish a network

Create literature to attract new activists

Double the number of minority convention attendees by next year

Human Rights program at every District Council and Canadian Representative Council at least once a year

Training

Workshops

The committee adjourned and agreed to meet again the next morning, Saturday, July 8, at 8:30. 

MINUTES OF THE

TNG-CWA Human Rights and Equity Committee

July 8, 2006

Saturday, July 8, 2006 at 8:30 am.

Participants:

Debbie Thomas, TNG-CWA Director of Human Rights

Committee members:

Sheila Lindsay, Washington/Baltimore
Datejie Green, Canadian Media Guild
Matthew Harper, St. Louis
Carl Younger, Boston
Richard Peery, Northeast Ohio
Randye Gilliam, New York
Michael D’Souza, Canadian Media Guild (chair)
Yoko Kuromoto-Eidsmoe, Pacific Northwest (Absent)

Proceedings:

Matthew Harper agreed to serve as the committee’s secretary.

The committee reviewed its mission statement and agreed to make it more inclusive. The list of groups (visible minorities, people of color, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, gays, lesbians and women) was replaced by the term equity seeking groups. The revised statement reads:

The TNG-CWA Human Rights and Equity Committee will increase the participation of equity seeking groups at all levels of the union and in all leadership positions at the Local, National and International levels and as delegates to the District Councils, Representative Councils and the Sector Conferences. It will strive to achieve a diversity of leadership to reflect our communities.

The committee also discussed its goals and objectives and revised. the new statement reads.

Goals and Objectives

Outreach at the local, district and community level.

Establish a mentoring program.

Survey the representation of  members of equity seeking groups in the membership

Establish a network

Create literature to attract new activists and inform members of their rights.

Translate all literature into Spanish in the U.S., French in Canada and other languages on request.

Establish a web page and other internet communications.

Double the number of members of equity seeking groups at conventions

Establish Human Rights programs at every District Council and Canadian Representative Council at least once a year.

The committee adjourned and agreed to hold a telephone conference on Saturday, September 9 at noon eastern. Debbie Thomas will organize the conference.

Saturday, July 8, 2006 at 3:45 pm

Participants:

Debbie Thomas, TNG-CWA Director of Human Rights

Committee members:

Sheila Lindsay, Washington/Baltimore
Datejie Green, Canadian Media Guild
Matthew Harper, St. Louis (Secretary)
Carl Younger, Boston
Richard Peery, Northeast Ohio
Randye Gilliam, New York
Michael D’Souza, Canadian Media Guild (Chair)
Yoko Kuromoto-Eidsmoe, Pacific Northwest (Absent)

TNG-CWA Executives:

Arnold Amber
Lucy Witeck
Scott Stephens

The HR & E committee met with members of the TNG-CWA Executive Council after the Sector Conference to talk about the committees activities and brief the executive council about the immediate plans. The executive council assured the committee that financial and other resources would be available for the committee to do its job.

The committee chose Datejie Green as its vice chair.

The committee adjourned until its next meeting on Saturday September 9, 2006. That will be a telephone conference at noon eastern. 

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