2024 CWA Presidents’ Meeting and Legislative and Political Conference Recap

Earlier this week, CWA members and retirees from across the country gathered in Washington, D.C., for two events: the Presidents’ Meeting and the Legislative and Political Conference.

CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. presided over the Presidents’ Meeting, which was attended by delegates and members of the Executive Board. Participants joined together in a show of solidarity with members who are bargaining contracts at AT&T West, AT&T Southeast, United Airlines, Piedmont Airlines, and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, where workers have been on strike since October 2022. Following the meeting, Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam delivered an in-depth financial update and outlined the measures the Secretary-Treasurer’s office has taken to streamline spending and make every dollar work for CWA members.

Members of the CWA Executive Board and Delegates to the Presidents’ Meeting showed their support for members who are bargaining contracts across the country.

The CWA Retired Members Council National Board met in Washington, D.C., prior to the Legislative and Political Conference.

The next day, President Cummings opened the two-day Legislative and Political Conference which featured a host of notable speakers including Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su, Ambassador Katherine Tai, Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.), and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) addressed the gathering via video message, where he spoke highly of President Cummings and urged members to continue to support President Joe Biden.

During his opening remarks, President Cummings focused on the importance of re-electing President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and pro-worker U.S. House and Senate candidates. “We, as a union and as a nation, need to be looking forward to a brighter future our children will inherit. That future doesn’t arrive packaged neatly with a bow on top. It’s the result of the struggles and victories we create today. I’m not interested in going back. There’s no time in the past I can think of that is better than the promise of what we have in our future,” Cummings said. He also debuted a new video, which features CWA members discussing how they are working side-by-side with President Biden and his pro-union, pro-worker Administration to create good union jobs, and read a letter from President Biden.

CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. opened the conference with a rousing speech, pointing the way to a brighter future for CWA and the nation.

CWA Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam led an inspiring panel discussion titled “Fighting Back Against Attempts to Divide Us.” The panel included representatives of partner organizations CASA in Action, Pride at Work, and the NAACP speaking on issues affecting Latino, LGBTQ+, and Black communities. They tackled questions such as, “How has your community felt the impact of Trump’s presidency?” and “How does targeting vulnerable communities affect workers?”

CWA Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam (left) moderated the “Fighting Back Against Attempts to Divide Us” panel discussion with representatives from the NAACP, CASA in Action, and Pride at Work.

Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su spoke at length about the many ways the Biden Administration has stepped up to protect and promote the rights of workers. “We know the right thing to do. We know that unions make America strong. We know that what you are doing is what this country needs. Keep on organizing, keep on building power, and know that we will always have your back.”

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries returned to this year’s Legislative and Political conference and, again, delivered an uplifting speech, this time focused on both his commitment to the labor movement and reiterating the Biden Administration’s many accomplishments. “It’s been an honor to stand with organized labor, with CWA, and I will be honored to stand with you as House Leader in the future.” Jeffries went on to say, “We know that, in America, when you work hard and play by the rules, you should be able to afford a comfortable life. That’s the American Dream, and no one has done more to promote the great American Dream than organized Labor.”

Leader Jeffries has made the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act and the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act a central part of the Democratic legislative agenda this session.

Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su (left) and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) (right).

Ambassador Katherine Tai, who serves as the United States Trade Representative (USTR), made history earlier this year when she took legal action, for the first time in the history of USTR, to protect federal call center workers from having their jobs shipped overseas. She made history again as the first USTR to speak at a CWA Legislative and Political Conference. “You are the reason why we are the most competitive, resilient, and innovative economy in the world. It’s our mission to make sure our trade policy creates good-paying union jobs and prevent jobs from being shipped overseas. Empowering you is at the heart of everything we do as an Administration.”

Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) addressed the challenges facing working people in America. “Every person in this country is entitled to fundamental economic rights. It is not radical to say that people deserve decent wages, decent benefits, decent healthcare, decent educational opportunities for their kids. Not only is that not radical, it exists in countries throughout the world! It is not radical to say that everyone is entitled to a decent standard of living, not three people owning more wealth than the bottom half of American society.”

Ambassador Katherine Tai (left) and Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) (right).

Representative Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), who served as Chair of the January 6 Select Committee, spoke plainly, saying, “I’m the ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee. I can tell you that there are bad people all over this world who are trying to harm us as Americans. But I can tell you that there is no more clear and present danger to this country than Donald Trump.” Representative Thompson urged members to continue to support President Biden and to vote in November.

Representative and U.S. Senate candidate Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) noted that “the problem today isn’t that people aren’t working. It’s that people are working but can’t get by.” He pledged to continue to support the rights of workers to join together in unions and collectively bargain to improve their working conditions. “Right now, corporate America knows that they can violate labor laws as they can get away with it. This is why I’m gonna go to the U.S. Senate and fight for the PRO Act.”

Representative Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) (left) and Representative Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) (right).

CWA District 4 Vice President Linda L. Hinton moderated a panel discussion on Building Worker Power at the State Level. The discussion touched on strategies to help identify and promote worker-friendly candidates who would both defend and support legislation designed to create and maintain good-paying union jobs. Other panel discussions included “Building the Skills to Win,” during which members who have participated in the Political Bootcamp shared how they translated the knowledge and skills they learned into stronger political action teams and political wins, and “Building Broadband for All,” which featured members of the Broadband Brigade speaking about the work they’ve done to ensure national broadband projects create high-road, union jobs with adequate safety and pay.

Attendees also heard from Rep. Chris DeLuzio (D-Pa.), Rep. Val Hoyle (D-Ore.), and Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.), all with competitive races and all staunch champions of organized labor. Volunteers mailed over 3,000 handwritten postcards in support of Angela Alsobrooks in Maryland, our endorsed candidate for U.S. Senate.

Rank and file members also shared their personal stories of how politics and policy have impacted their lives and how being active members of CWA and the Biden Administration’s actions have helped them.

Videos from the conference will be added to the playlist at cwa.org/2024-lp-videos as they become available.

We are also adding photos from the conference to our Instagram feed at www.instagram.com/cwaunion.

Last week, bargaining began for both AT&T Southeast and AT&T Utility Operations workers. CWA District 3, under the leadership of Vice President Richard Honeycutt, has been preparing for bargaining for months. You can read more about those preparations here.

Vice President Honeycutt, in his opening statement, said, “During these negotiations, this bargaining team and all of the CWA members working under this contract have an expectation that you, AT&T, will recognize them and the vital role they play in making AT&T the company it is today. While we acknowledge that good leadership is an important part of any company’s success, we do not believe that AT&T would have the success it has had if it were not for CWA members. CWA members are the face of AT&T, the representatives to the public, the ones who are in direct contact with the customers.”

Vice President Honeycutt was joined by CWA Retired Members Council President Emeritus James Starr, who spoke on behalf of retired CWA workers.

The bargaining team is focused on several key issues, including increasing pay, job security, and improving work-life balance.

CWA members across District 3 are encouraged to support their bargaining team through mobilizations and visibility actions.

Vice President Honeycutt also presided over the opening of Utilities bargaining, noting that “CEOs come and go, but it is our members who have been and remain loyal to this company and deserve to be properly compensated. We demand job security, more jobs, fewer contractors, improved work rules, and a better work-life balance.”

The Utilities bargaining team is ready to “Fight for More in 2024!”

CWA members across District 3 are encouraged to support their bargaining teams through mobilizations and visibility actions. Bargaining updates will be posted on the CWA District 3 website.

Bargaining continues at AT&T West. Updates are available here.

Above: The CWA District 3 Southeast bargaining team is ready to fight for a fair contract.
Below: The CWA District 3 Utility Operations bargaining team is ready to “Fight for More in 2024!”

Last week, the CWA District 3 DirecTV Southeast Field Services bargaining team kicked off contract negotiations with an aggressive spate of proposals, including wage increases, additional paid holidays, overtime, and restricting the contracting of work.

The new contract will cover CWA District 3 members currently employed by DirecTV in the Wire Technician, Warehouse Assistant, Office Coordinator, and Administrative Support Assistant job titles.

The bargaining team appreciates all the support and solidarity from members from CWA District 3 and across the country.

Last week, members of the AFA-CWA Alaska Negotiating Committee reached a tentative agreement with Alaska Airlines. The deal comes at the end of nearly two years of bargaining overseen by the National Mediation Board, which holds jurisdiction over critical industries such as air travel and railroads.

Members of the bargaining team attribute much of their success to the mobilization tactics of Flight Attendants at Alaska and solidarity actions at other airlines. The 99.48 percent strike vote, pop-up pickets, worldwide days of action, and the unprecedented participation in the Financial Security Survey all helped apply and maintain pressure on airline negotiators and executives.

The agreement will now go before the AFA-CWA Alaska Master Executive Council for review before the full agreement goes to the membership for a vote.

Last week, members of CWA-ZeniMax Workers United (CWA-ZWU) made history yet again, securing an agreement with parent company Microsoft to recognize Juneteenth and allow workers to take the day off. This was a win not just for CWA-ZWU workers but for all ZeniMax workers globally, showing yet again that the union tide lifts all boats.

To celebrate Juneteenth, CWA President Claude Cummings Jr., CWA Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam, CWA Telecommunications and Technologies Vice President Lisa Bolton, CWA Chief of Staff Sylvia J. Ramos, and members, retirees, and leaders from CWA Locals 2100 and 2108 attended a rally hosted by CWA-ZWU in Rockville, Md. The Austin, Texas, worksite (CWA-ZWU Local 6215) also held a celebration in recognition of this victory and to honor the legacy of Juneteenth.

In addition to securing Juneteenth as a holiday for the global ZeniMax workforce, workers have also secured the reinstatement of Christmas Eve (December 24) as a paid holiday for members of the union.

“Recognizing Juneteenth as a holiday was a priority for our union members, and we are proud that our efforts resulted in this positive change for all ZeniMax employees. That’s what having a union is all about: taking collective action to improve our workplace. We are continuing to negotiate with the company on other issues and look forward to finalizing our first union contract soon,” said Veronica Martinez, Contract QA Tester and member of CWA-ZeniMax Workers United.

CWA President Claude Cummings Jr., CWA Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam, CWA Telecommunications and Technologies Vice President Lisa Bolton, CWA Chief of Staff Sylvia J. Ramos, and members, retirees, and leaders from CWA Locals 2100 and 2108 attended a rally hosted by CWA-ZWU in Rockville, Md., to celebrate winning recognition of the Juneteenth holiday.

Last week, in a 5-0 ruling, members of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) found that Lumen’s CenturyLink violated Minnesota service quality rules and must quickly rehabilitate its network statewide. “We have enough evidence in the record showing a violation,” said MPUC Chair Katie Sieben. Pointing to multiple photos of CenturyLink equipment in disrepair, Sieben added, “The company should have to repair equipment that looks like it’s a disaster.” Additionally, the MPUC required the carrier to halve its repair appointment windows from 8 hours to 4 hours and implement a preventative “plant pride” program proposed by CWA.

“Plant Pride” is a program piloted at CWA-represented Verizon locations in 2018. The program was assessed as a success in 2022, resulting in a reduction in maintenance costs, outages, trouble tickets, and an increase in customer satisfaction, as reported by both CWA units and Verizon management. Key elements of the program include mechanisms for technicians to report maintenance and repair issues, a coordinated oversight mechanism between the union and the company, and an internal communications strategy to inform plant workers of the program.

CWA Local 7201 President Christy Kuehn, who testified about the company’s failure to meet its service requirements, said of the ruling, “I’m pleased with the Commission’s decision. I look forward to a strong Plant Pride program in Minnesota that will improve service to Lumen customers across the state.” She added, “We hope that Lumen will hire a sufficient number of technicians to finally meet the service quality standards.”

Last week, members of the Oxford University Press (NewsGuild-CWA Local 31222) walked off the job for 24 hours, protesting unfair labor practices. The workers formed their union in 2021 and have yet to reach a first contract with the company. Oxford University Press signaled it would have a serious proposal for consideration but, after a meeting with executives across the pond, was unable to strike a deal.

This comes after three years of negotiations and multiple unlawful labor practice charges filed against the company, including the illegal and retaliatory layoff of Unit Chair Scott Morales without previously bargaining with the Guild about that decision as required by U.S. labor law. The company has, in multiple instances, replaced union members who left with workers outside of Guild jurisdiction.

In a show of solidarity, dozens of NewsGuild-CWA workers joined the picket line virtually.

Members of NewsGuild-CWA Local 31222 at the Oxford University Press walked out for 24 hours in protest of unfair labor practices.

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Another NewsGuild-CWA unit adopted the same tactic against employer Carpenter Media Group. Workers at the Everett Herald (NewsGuild-CWA Local 37082) also went on a short strike to protest the proposed layoffs of half the newsroom, which is illegal while workers are bargaining for a new contract. 100% of the newsroom struck for two days this week.

Workers are also pushing back against the company’s secretive quota system, which executives used to rate journalists not on the quality of their work but on their story count and page views.

Oxford University Press and the Everett Herald are the 31st and 32nd NewsGuild-CWA units, respectively, to go on strike this year.

Name: Steve Rotstein
Local: The Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, TNG-CWA Local 38061
Workplace: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Title: Sports reporter
Experience: 5.5 years
Strike Time: 1.5 years
Quote: “I’ve been on strike for a year and a half because my employer refuses to acknowledge our rights as workers.”
Inspiration: “I’m inspired by my fellow strikers who have sacrificed their time, money, and well-being to stand up for what’s right and make sure we win this fight.”

Support the striking workers at cwa.org/support-striking-pittsburgh-post-gazette-workers.