News | Page 2 | CWA Local 7019

Protecting Our Democracy and Ending the Filibuster
On Wednesday, in the latest of a series of protests, CWAers, coalition partners, and other activists rallied in front of the White House to demand action on voting rights. The recent surge in anti-voter laws emerging from state legislatures around the country is a full fledged attack on our democracy and the freedom to vote. The Biden Administration must step up its commitment to voters and work with the Senate to secure the votes necessary to pass meaningful voting rights legislation. To demonstrate the significance of this issue, several activists at the protest, including CWA Secretary-Treasurer Sara Steffens, CWA District 6 Vice President Claude Cummings, Jr., and PHEW-CWA Vice President Margaret Cook, participated in civil disobedience by getting arrested. Last month, delegates to the 78th CWA Convention voted overwhelmingly to pass a resolution to end the filibuster and save our democracy. We will continue to show up at the White House, in the halls of Congress, and take to the streets to make our voices heard and fight to ensure all Americans have the freedom to vote. CWA Secretary-Treasurer Sara Steffens, CWA District 6 Vice President Claude Cummings, Jr., and PHEW-CWA Vice President Margaret Cook (below) were arrested at a protest in front of the White House demanding meaningful federal voting rights protections. — Nov 18
Advocating for Aviation Security and Worker Safety
On Tuesday, AFA-CWA International President Sara Nelson testified before the House Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security in a hearing entitled, “On the Frontlines in Turbulent Times: Workforce Perspectives on the State of Transportation Security.” Nelson’s testimony centered on the increase in unruly passenger incidents, which is currently one of the major threats to aviation security and workers on the frontlines. “Dealing with a disruptive passenger used to be a rare event and a really bad day at work. But today, Flight Attendants and other aviation workers are aware before every trip, every shift, and our families are too, that when we put on our uniforms we are donning a target for abuse, harassment, and violence,” said President Nelson. “We cannot accept this as the new normal.” President Nelson’s testimony also included several recommendations to protect frontline workers and maintain aviation security including swift and public prosecutions of violations by the Department of Justice, banning to-go alcohol in airports, creating a centralized list of violators who will be denied the freedom of flight on all airlines, increased staffing at the gate and on planes, crewmember self defense training, and more. — Nov 18
Strike Victory! CWA and Catholic Health Reach Groundbreaking Agreement
Over the weekend, after a year of difficult negotiations and a month-long strike, healthcare workers at Catholic Health’s Mercy, St. Joseph’s, and Kenmore Mercy hospitals overwhelmingly voted by a margin of 94% to 6% to ratify a new four-year contract. This contract was the result of a powerful 5-week strike by 2,000 healthcare workers and members of CWA Local 1133, who stood out on the picket line from 5 a.m. to midnight each day demanding safe staffing, competitive wages and no concessions on benefits. Faced with the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic, the workers stayed united and determined while encouraged by an outpouring of support from community members, elected officials, and other union members. They picketed in harsh weather, stood toe-to-toe with scabs, shared their stories with the media, and engaged elected officials and the public to win this groundbreaking contract that has set a higher standard for healthcare workers. The new contract, covering workers at all three Catholic Health hospitals, includes across the board wage increases with no worker starting below $15/hr, a historic breakthrough in staffing ratios that make it safer for the workers and improve quality of care for patients, and no concessions on health care and pension plans. Click here to learn more. — Nov 11
2021 CWA Awards Ceremony: Honoring CWA Locals for Outstanding Achievements in Organizing, Political Action, Mobilizing, and More
At last week's virtual 2021 CWA Awards Ceremony, hosted by CWA Secretary-Treasurer Sara Steffens, locals and activists were honored for their extraordinary work organizing, mobilizing, engaging in political action, and more. The Hat Award for outstanding achievements in organizing is named in honor of CWA's founding president, Joe Beirne, who would pass his hat at each organizing meeting to collect the funds he needed to cover travel costs of getting to the next group of telephone workers he was to visit. It is CWA's highest honor. This year, CWA President Chris Shelton presented the Hat Award to CWA Canada, CWA Local 2336, CWA Local 1400 (Alphabet Workers Union), NABET-CWA Local 52031, CWA Local 1101, TNG-CWA Local 31222, and CWA Local 9410. These locals have brought more than 2,000 new high tech workers into CWA from established tech platforms to Silicon Valley startups, from media tech workers to digital ads and communication firms. President Shelton stressed the need to organize and build worker power in the tech industry and called on Congress, state, and federal regulators to reign in the power of Big Tech. President Shelton also presented the Morton Bahr CWA STRONG Award to CWA Local 1180 President Gloria Middleton for her local’s tireless efforts, over 20 years, to win representation rights at New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation and CWA Local 9400 President Maurice Washington, for effectively doubling the existing membership at the San Manuel Resort and Casino. As he presented the award, Shelton noted former President Bahr’s long term vision and strategy to embrace mobilizing and political action to make our union strong. Since the 2019 CWA convention, CWA locals from around the country have brought in nearly 15,000 new members through external organizing campaigns. Locals that have successfully supported at least 100 workers in gaining formal recognition for a voice at work during this time period received a $1,000 organizing subsidy as well as a plaque for the current year. Locals who have won this award 5, 10, or 15 times received $5,000. The full list of locals is available here. During the ceremony, President Shelton announced that locals 1031, 1032, 1033, 1036, 1037, 1038, 1040, 1101, 1180, 1400, 31003, 32035, 34071, 7799, 9400, and 39213 had donated their awards to the Catholic Health workers who were on strike in Buffalo. Watch this amazing video featuring some of the 15,000 new members who have joined CWA over the past two years. In addition to the organizing awards, locals were recognized for their support for CWA's Political Action Fund (view list of honor locals) and for fund-raising on behalf of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. The Awards Ceremony also highlighted the history and importance of CWA’s Eduardo Diaz Union-To-Union International Solidarity Fund and our efforts to build international solidarity with AT&T call center workers in Mexico and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) workers in the Philippines. Learn more by watching the video put together by members of the BPO Employees Industry Network (BIEN). To watch the full 2021 CWA Awards Ceremony click here. — Nov 11
Worker Power Update
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Last Friday, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), historic bipartisan legislation that will provide funds for much needed improvements to America’s transportation, broadband, and utility infrastructure and create good-paying union jobs. CWA members have mobilized over the past few months to ensure that key priorities remained in the legislation including provisions that protect good telecom jobs by prioritizing distribution of broadband funding to projects from responsible employers with high labor standards, and closing the loopholes in and providing more transparency into our domestic procurement laws, helping to ensure that our tax dollars are supporting American jobs. ### Build Back Better Act An expected vote on the Build Back Better Act was postponed until the week of November 15 due to objections by a handful of Members of Congress. Click here to call your Member of Congress to tell them that working people and retirees can’t afford to wait any longer for affordable child care, lower prescription drug prices, and protections when they speak out at work to improve their wages and working conditions. — Nov 11