CWA District 3 Hosts Annual Meeting

Last week, CWA District 3 held its annual meeting, bringing together worker activists and leaders from across the South and Puerto Rico. CWA Local 3310, based in Louisville, Ky., and led by President Diogenes Miller, hosted the event, which included breakout sessions, committee meetings, and workshops on topics including “Situational Arbitration” and “Weingarten Rights.”

CWA District 3 Vice President Richard Honeycutt welcomed members to the conference and shared some of the victories and hard work happening across the region. His remarks focused on the growing sense of unity and the accomplishments we can achieve by working together. “I am happy to see the unity within the District and the willingness to help our Brothers and Sisters in their fights, even if they do not work for the same employer,” said Honeycutt. “For those who haven't had the opportunity yet, we encourage you to share any potential opportunities you come across. We're here to support you. Let's continue to grow together, as there's no better time than now.”

CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. also attended the meeting and had high praise for the incredible work happening across the region. He also stressed the importance of unity and solidarity across the entire organization. “The simple truth: we will either succeed together or we won’t succeed at all. We can’t fight among ourselves, distrusting each other based on our job titles! That’s the boss’s game. They want to see us divided. That’s the truth. We may win a battle here or there going it alone, but, I assure you, we will not win the war unless we are united,” Cummings said.

CWA Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam took to the podium to extol the virtues of strong fiscal policy, saying, “This is an amazing time for the labor movement. To make the most of it, we must have a stable financial foundation so we can win strong contracts, help new members join our great union, and elect representatives who will fight FOR working families and NOT against us. That's what I am planning to do, with your help.”

Yolanda Cunningham, Vice President of CWA Local 3808, was honored with this year’s Karen J. Murphy Woman of the Year Award for her outstanding work and unwavering commitment to building worker power. On winning this award, Yolanda remarked, “I hope to inspire future women leaders of Local 3808 and be an example, as Debbie Sisco was an example for me.”

Attendees also heard from Assistant to the President Shane Larson; Public, Health Care and Education Workers Vice President Margaret Cook; NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss; Telecommunications and Technologies Staff Representative Brian Sawyer; Senior Director of Organizing Tom Smith; and other guest speakers.

 
Assistant to the Vice President Nick Hawkins (left) and CWA District 3 Vice President Richard Honeycutt (right) congratulated CWA Local 3808 Vice President Yolanda Cunningham, recipient of this year’s Karen J. Murphy Woman of the Year Award.