In Sympathy
COVID-19 Funeral Assistance
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought overwhelming grief to many FEMA, our mission is to help people before, during and after disasters. We are dedicated to helping ease some of the financial stress and burden caused by the virus.
Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, FEMA is providing financial assistance for COVID-19 related funeral expenses incurred on or after January 20, 2020.
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Organizing Update
- Monday - July 24, 2023
Caring Across Generations
Last month, workers at Caring Across Generations, a non-profit organization that advocates to transform and improve the long-term care system, won voluntary recognition to join CWA Local 1180. Their union, Caring Across Staff Union, received recognition from the leadership of the organization after a supermajority of the workers signed cards in favor of forming a union. The workers are looking forward to negotiating their first collective bargaining agreement that ensures they are valued for the important work that they do and have a voice on the job.
UPTE-CWA Healthcare Workers Fight for Adequate Staffing
- Monday - July 24, 2023
Healthcare workers at University of California, Irvine Medical Center, members of UPTE (University of Professional and Technical Employees)/CWA Local 9119 held a rally outside their workplace on Monday to demand adequate staffing levels. During the rally, the workers and their supporters spoke out about the harmful impacts of chronic staff shortages coupled with low pay in the hospital’s rehabilitation department, including burnout of workers, increased vacancies, and longer wait times for patients to receive care. The workers also raised concerns about being denied time off and not being able to spend time with their families due to the high rate of staff turnover and shortage. In addition to improving their working conditions, the workers are also fighting to ensure that patients, who need their assistance at a vulnerable time in their lives, receive timely access to well-staffed rehabilitation services.
CWA Stands in Solidarity with Striking SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America Members
- Monday - July 24, 2023
Last week, hundreds of thousands of members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), went on strike to demand a fair and equitable contract. SAG-AFTRA members, along with the nearly 12,000 members of the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) and Writers Guild of America West (WGAW), who have been on strike for over 70 days, are courageously standing up against the greed of the Hollywood studios to secure a better future and stronger protections for workers in a rapidly changing industry.
CWA members participated in pickets in New York and California last week to show their solidarity with the striking workers. Our members, including those in the media, broadcast, and entertainment sectors, will continue to show our unwavering support and commitment to help build the power these brave workers need to achieve a strong victory. Read CWA’s statement here.
For more information on upcoming SAG-AFTRA pickets click here. For more information on upcoming WGA pickets click here.
Communications Workers of America Applauds Introduction of No Robot Bosses Act
- Monday - July 24, 2023
Yesterday, U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced the No Robot Bosses Act, legislation to protect workers from employers using automated decision systems to make employment decisions.
The Communications Workers of America issued the following statement:
The No Robot Bosses Act creates important guardrails to protect workers and job applicants from the harms of automated decision systems, which employers are increasingly relying on when hiring, firing, and disciplining workers.
The algorithms these systems use can entrench patterns of discrimination, and workers, especially those without the safeguard of a union contract, often have very little recourse if they are unjustly fired or disciplined.
Our members have worked with artificial intelligence programs and have experienced the stressful and dehumanizing impacts of poorly-designed AI systems in the workplace. The misuse of artificial intelligence in the workplace undervalues human connection, intuition and creativity. While companies continue to develop and incorporate AI tools into the workplace, critical employment decisions must not be left to unregulated algorithms and workers must have a meaningful say in how that technology is used in the workplace.
We applaud the proposed creation of a new Technology and Worker Protection Division in the U.S. Department of Labor to enforce and regulate the use of these novel technologies in the workplace. The No Robot Bosses Act is an important step in protecting the rights and dignities of working Americans from untested, novel technologies.
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CWA Statement on Lead Exposure Testing for Telecommunications Workers
- Monday - July 24, 2023
Today, AT&T, after consultation with union leadership, announced a policy that will allow employees who may have been exposed to lead as part of their work to receive paid time off in order to be tested for lead levels.
While this is a voluntary program, we strongly encourage CWA members to participate in this testing. We have worked with the company to ensure that no employee will be penalized in any way as a result of undergoing testing.
CWA will be closely monitoring this program. AT&T’s commitment to addressing our members’ exposure to lead must go beyond point-in-time testing of blood lead levels and incorporate proper follow up including treatment, addressing past exposures and long term effects, and implementing precautions and training to reduce the health impacts of working with lead clad cable.
We are in discussions with Verizon and Lumen on these issues and will be engaging with our other telecommunications employers in the coming days.
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CODE-CWA Members from TCGplayer and SEGA Visit the White House
- Monday - July 24, 2023
TCG Union-CWA member Briana Thomas and Allied Employees Guild Improving SEGA (AEGIS)-CWA member Mohammad Saman.
On Monday, CODE-CWA members from the video game industry went to the White House for a roundtable discussion on worker organizing. TCG Union-CWA member Briana Thomas and Allied Employees Guild Improving SEGA (AEGIS)-CWA member Mohammad Saman met with President Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), along with other administration officials, and shared their experience of forming a union and the importance of securing union contracts.
In March, workers at eBay-owned TCGplayer won their union election and became the first group of eBay workers to win union representation. Since their union election victory, management has engaged in delay tactics and a union-busting campaign in an attempt to deny workers the opportunity to bargain a fair first contract.
“Workers in the video game industry care deeply about our work—and a union contract gives us the leverage to negotiate to make this a sustainable career. Winning our union election was only the first step—the real victory comes when we secure our first union contract,” said Saman. Saman and his co-workers at SEGA won their union election earlier this month.
The roundtable, convened by Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su, included key administration officials such as Director of the White House National Economic Council, Lael Brainard, and Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and former Labor Secretary, Tom Perez. Read more here.
CODE-CWA members attended a roundtable discussion on worker organizing at the White House.
In an Historic Vote, CWA Elects Claude Cummings Jr. President and Ameenah Salaam Secretary-Treasurer
- Monday - July 17, 2023
St. Louis, Mo. – In an historic election, Claude Cummings Jr. was elected as president of the Communications Workers of America by delegates to the union’s 79th convention and Ameenah Salaam was elected Secretary-Treasurer. Cummings is the first Black man elected as CWA President. Salaam, who was elected by acclamation, is the first Black woman to serve as Secretary-Treasurer.
Cummings succeeds Chris Shelton who stepped down after serving as president for eight years and spending 55 years mobilizing, representing and organizing with CWA.
Since 2011, Cummings has served as vice president of CWA District 6, representing more than 45,000 members in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas.
A Houston, Tex., native, Cummings started his union career when he went to work for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company (now AT&T) in 1973 and worked as a Frame Attendant and Communications Technician, maintaining systems for NASA, among other corporate customers. Prior to his election to District 6 Vice President he was President of CWA Local 6222 representing more than 8,000 members, having served previously in other leadership positions in the local, including Vice President. Cummings was the first Black man elected to all of these positions.
More information about Claude Cummings Jr.
A native of Wilmington, Delaware, Salaam started her union career when she went to work for Diamond State Telephone in 1991 as a customer service representative. She was elected as a CWA Local 13100 steward and served as Vice President of the local until September 1997 when she joined the CWA national staff. As an assistant to outgoing CWA President Chris Shelton, she has played critical leading roles in organizing, bargaining and mobilization campaigns, supporting staff and pushing CWA's core mission forward with effective strategic planning and fiscal responsibility.
More information about Ameenah Salaam.
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About CWA: The Communications Workers of America represents working people in telecommunications, customer service, media, airlines, health care, public service and education, manufacturing, tech, and other fields.
cwa-union.org @cwaunion
In an Historic Vote, CWA Convention Delegates Elect New National and District Leaders
- Monday - July 17, 2023
In an historic election, Claude Cummings Jr. was elected CWA president by delegates to the union's 79th convention in St. Louis, Mo. Ameenah Salaam was elected CWA Secretary-Treasurer. Cummings and Salaam are, respectively, the first Black man and first Black woman to serve in these roles at CWA.
“Our values of unity and solidarity are the foundation of our strength as a union. Which is why at this very moment we all have to commit to coming together as one union, one family, and together fight for what we collectively believe in,” said Cummings, who has been serving as Vice President of CWA District 6 since 2011. Watch a video of Cumming's full remarks here.
Cummings succeeds Chris Shelton, who stepped down after serving as President for 8 years and spending over 55 years in CWA.
A Houston, Texas, native, Cummings started his union career when he went to work for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company (now AT&T) in 1973 and worked as a Frame Attendant and Communications Technician, maintaining systems for NASA, among other corporate customers. Prior to his election as CWA District 6 Vice President, he was President of CWA Local 6222, representing more than 8,000 members, having served previously in other leadership positions in the local, including Vice President. Cummings was the first Black man elected to all of these positions.
Salaam, a native of Wilmington, Del., started her union career when she went to work for Diamond State Telephone in 1991 as a customer service representative. She was elected as a CWA Local 13100 steward and served as Vice President of the local until September 1997, when she joined the CWA national staff. As an assistant to outgoing CWA President Chris Shelton, she has played critical leading roles in organizing, bargaining, and mobilization campaigns, supporting staff, and pushing CWA's core mission forward with effective strategic planning and fiscal responsibility.
Read the full press release here.
Elections were also held for sector and district Vice President positions, along with elections for at-large diversity members of the Executive Board.
View all of the election results here.
Delegates to the 2023 CWA Convention elected new national, district, and sector leaders to the CWA National Executive Board.
Shelton’s Farewell: “Seize the Moment”
- Monday - July 17, 2023
At the 2023 CWA Convention in St. Louis, Mo., CWA members from every sector and district came together to discuss and make decisions about the union's future and how to make our union stronger, held national and district elections, recognized and celebrated each other's accomplishments, and much more.
In his final Convention kick-off address, President Emeritus Chris Shelton shared a heartfelt thank you to all CWA members for their trust and confidence in his leadership and all the work they do to make our union strong. “I want to thank each and every one of you, the local officers and local leaders of our union. You are the backbone of the union. You are the lifeblood of our union. You are in the trenches every single day, dealing with grievances, fighting for good contracts, walking on picket lines, lobbying and campaigning for elected officials, organizing new members into the union. You fight for our members every single day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Without all of you, there is no union. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for everything you do,” said Shelton.
He also took the opportunity to reflect on the lessons he has learned from the last five decades in CWA and clearly articulated his vision for the future of CWA, as well as emphasized the important roles our members and leaders play in strengthening the union and the labor movement. Shelton called on CWA members to “fight smart” by coming together to constantly mobilize. He encouraged all CWAers to continue to organize and grow our union. In addition, he urged CWA members to actively engage in building political power.
Watch a video of Shelton's full remarks here.
CWA delegates and guests of the Convention also heard from President Joe Biden, who sent a video message, and other guest speakers, including Missouri Congresswoman Cori Bush, State Senator and CWA Local 6300 member, Karla May, and the mayor of St. Louis, Tishaura Jones.
In addition, the delegates and guests participated in district and sector meetings, wrote postcards in support of pro-worker candidates, signed petitions to advocate for increased broadband access, contributed to the Political Action Fund and CWA’s Eduardo Diaz Union-To-Union International Solidarity Fund, signed up for Building an Anti-Racist Union and Gender Justice Trainings, joined the CWA Pride Caucus, and much more. See photos from the convention here.
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