Defending Our Democracy

CWA Calls for Corporations to Cease Contributions to Organizations that Promoted Riots

CWA issued a statement on Wednesday calling for corporations to demand refunds from and cease contributions to the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA), which played a key role in promoting last week's riots, and to cease all political support to groups like the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee (NRSCC), the Republican National Committee (RNC), their affiliated SuperPACs, and other political organizations that provide financial and campaign support to those 147 Republican Senators and Representatives.

CWA is also calling on corporate leaders to support H.R. 1, the For the People Act, to reform our democracy by making voting easier and more accessible, changing the role of money in politics, and eliminating partisan gerrymandering.

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NewsGuild-CWA and NABET-CWA Condemn Violence at the Capitol

In a statement issued last week, the NewsGuild-CWA and NABET-CWA condemned the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, calling it "a threat to our democracy and an assault on our country's press freedoms."

"Yesterday was an absolute embarrassment for the U.S.," said NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss. "It's the role of the free press in a democracy to report, give context, and inform the public, especially during times of chaos. The world witnessed the assault on our democracy thanks to the courageous work of journalists who put themselves in harm's way to report the news. I saw what the rest of the world saw – a deluded mob invading our house of democracy in an attempt to subvert an election."

"Physical assaults or attacks of any type against journalists, reporters, camera crews, and technicians are despicable, offensive, and unlawful. These incidents should be fully investigated, and offenders should be prosecuted with maximum impact," said NABET-CWA President Charles Braico.

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Pittsburgh, Toledo NewsGuild-CWA Locals Charge Owners with Manipulating News Coverage of Riot at the Capitol

The Pittsburgh and Toledo locals of The NewsGuild-CWA are charging their papers' owners with manipulating news coverage of Wednesday's riot at the Capitol to paint President Donald Trump in a positive light and to muddy the waters about who was responsible for the mayhem. The papers, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Toledo Blade, are owned by brothers John and Allan Block, and endorsed Trump for president in the 2020 election.

Blade Executive Editor Kurt Franck issued an edict to web staff telling them not to refer to rioters in Washington as Trump supporters, "despite the event being Donald Trump-branded, and one the president appeared at and encouraged,” the locals said in a press statement.

Nolan Rosenkrans, a Blade reporter and president the Toledo Newspaper Guild said, "There was a systemic effort by management at the Blade to downplay the forces at work yesterday for political purposes."

These events demonstrate the importance of the union, Rosenkrans said, because "they give us the power to speak out against unethical acts by ownership in a fight for ethical journalism."

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AFA-CWA Applauds Stricter Unruly Passenger Policy

Facing threats from unruly mobs in the wake of last week's attack on the U.S. Capitol, Flight Attendants have called for increased enforcement of safety regulations and for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the FBI to add "violent perpetrators" who participated in the Capitol riots to the federal No-Fly List.

Yesterday, Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Steve Dickson announced that the agency will immediately pursue legal enforcement against any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates, or interferes with airline crew members.

"First strike and you're out," said AFA-CWA International President Sara Nelson. "We applaud FAA Administrator Dickson for taking this clear stand for our safety and security. This will help serve as a deterrent to unruly passengers who had been bucking the rules of aviation safety. We continue to work with our airlines, the FAA, the TSA, and law enforcement to keep our skies safe."