CWA President Chris Shelton: We Must Win Elections

In his keynote address to CWA's Virtual Legislative-Political Conference on Monday, CWA President Chris Shelton discussed our national economic, health, and racial justice crises and the importance of this fall's elections.

"CWA needs you to fight as you never have before over the next five months," Shelton urged members. "The future of our union and our jobs depends on it. The future of our families depends on it. The future of our country – and the future of our planet – depend on it."

Shelton also reviewed the need for a strong congressional response to the COVID-19 crisis. "I fear that tens of thousands more layoffs lie ahead – especially if Congress doesn't act to provide funds to keep vital public services in the states functioning and continue critical assistance. This pandemic has demonstrated that every worker needs the freedom to join a union so that they can protect themselves from the abuse of corporate power."

Watch a video of the speech here.

The conference, which concludes tomorrow, included presentations and panels featuring CWA activists, with sessions on taking back the Senate and electing Joe Biden, as well as discussions on universal broadband access, and building power to dismantle racism. Anna Flemings, a Maximus worker and member of CWA's Call Center Workers United national organizing committee, participated in a joint event with the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center that examined the way corporations are putting workers' lives at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. CWA Secretary-Treasurer Sara Steffens will close out the conference tomorrow with a panel on the policies that are necessary to protect working people as we recover from the economic crisis caused by COVID-19.

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