News

Earlier this week, nearly 100 CWA leaders from 26 states came to Washington, D.C. for the first-ever Legislative University. The Legislative Political Action Teams focused on sharpening their grassroots organizing skills and learning better ways to move members of Congress. On the first day of the gathering, the group heard from Rep. Donna Edwards, a Maryland Democrat elected in 2008. Edwards discussed the importance of letters and phone calls flooding into Congress, noting that members track every single communication their offices receive. Sometimes, she said, all it takes is ten phone calls to make her take a stance on an issue.

CWA's first-ever "Legislative University" drew 100 activists and staff to Washington, D.C., this week to learn how to get the ear of lawmakers, build coalitions and create effective plans to combat attacks on workers in Congress and statehouses around the country.

The Senate's failure to change the way it operates was a big disappointment, because the opportunity has been lost, at least for now, to end partisan gridlock and obstructionism in the U.S. Senate.

Giving in to pressure from businesses, OSHA has halted plans to restore a rule requiring employers to keep a record of job-related ergonomic injuries by simply checking a box on a form they already fill out.

In the aftermath of the November 2010 elections, which saw more than 800 state legislative seats flip from Democrat to Republican-held, the anticipated assault on workers at the state level has begun. CWA is monitoring, and in some cases organizing against, hundreds of anti-worker bills and initiatives in a number of states.