Feb 10, 2022 - Biden Administration Continues Unprecedented Push for Workers and other news

Council Bluffs Schools

Public sector employees at Council Bluffs (Iowa) Schools, members of CWA Local 7103, ratified a new multi-year agreement that was approved by the Council Bluffs School District Board of Education. The unit includes close to 300 paraeducators, preschool teacher assistants, office workers and health, library, and technology associates. Under the agreement, all employees will receive an immediate jump in wages – a 15 percent increase for special education paraeducators and a seven percent increase for all other employees.

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Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald

After two years of organizing for a fair contract, workers at the Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald, members of the One Herald Guild (CWA Local 3108), have ramped up their mobilization in response to the increased workload and understaffing at the paper. They have made progress on some issues, but remain stagnant on key areas, including pay equity between English and Spanish-language journalists, layoff protections, severance pay, and their 401(k) plans. The workers are asking McClatchy, which owns the publications, to take them seriously and finish negotiating a fair contract.

Supporting Pro-Worker Candidates

Texas

Last Thursday, CWA District 6 held a virtual Texas Primary Election Kick-off event to start getting out the vote and energize members for the 2022 primary elections. The event featured three CWA endorsed candidates: Rep. Alex Dominguez, candidate for State Senate District 27; Jessica Cisneros, candidate for Congressional District 28; and Councilman Greg Casar, candidate for Congressional District 35. After hearing from the candidates, members participated in a phone bank to ask fellow CWAers to support the endorsed candidates.

CWA District 6 members participated in a virtual Texas Primary Election Kick-off event.

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New Jersey

Last Friday, CWA District 1 announced endorsements for the 2022 congressional races in New Jersey. Endorsements include eight sitting Democratic Members of Congress: Bonnie Watson Coleman, Andy Kim, Donald Norcross, Tom Malinowski, Frank Pallone, Bill Pascrell, Donald Payne, Jr., and Mikie Sherrill. Additionally, the union is endorsing Rob Menendez for Congress in the Democratic Primary for the 8th Congressional District.

“Each and every day, these members of Congress fight for working families and democracy down in Washington, D.C.,” said Dennis Trainor, Vice President for CWA District 1. “They have a strong record, and we’re proud to continue supporting them in these all-important midterm elections. We are also proud to support Rob Menendez to join their ranks.”

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CWA Endorsed Candidates

Click here to view all CWA endorsed candidates for upcoming elections around the country. The list will be updated periodically.

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Biden Administration Continues Unprecedented Push for Worker Organizing and Collective Bargaining

President Biden continues to fulfill his pledge to be the “most pro-union president leading the most pro-union administration in American history.”

This week, the Presidential Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment, chaired by Vice President Kamala Harris and co-chaired by Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, released a report that provides a roadmap for federal agencies to leverage the authority of the executive branch in order to build worker power. In preparation for the report, Vice President Harris and Secretary Walsh held listening sessions across the country, giving workers, including CWA members, an opportunity to provide input to help guide the recommendations.

CWA members and workers organizing with CWA will directly benefit from many of these recommendations, including supporting the creation of broadband jobs with strong labor standards, implementing President Biden’s “Made in America” Executive Order, strengthening compliance and enforcement of laws protecting federal contract employees, increasing opportunities for unions to receive grants for training and other services, ensuring that the voices of union members are included on federal advisory committees, and more.

Since the passage of the National Labor Relations Act, corporate America has been engaged in a relentless, successful, decades-long campaign to prevent workers from building power through union membership and collective bargaining. This campaign was abetted by, as the report puts it, a United States government that “failed to fully use its authority to promote collective bargaining, and failed to update labor law in the face of economic and technological change, which incentivized employment practices that disfavored workers.” The 70 recommendations in the Task Force report, when implemented, will serve as a historic course correction and provide a model for state and local governments, private sector employers, and others to follow.

NABET-CWA members are on the ground in Los Angeles this week preparing for this weekend’s Super Bowl broadcast. Approximately 150 members will be involved in the television production of game-day coverage, and another 150 members will be working at the Super Bowl producing coverage for other NBC Shows: Football Night in America, NBC News, Telemundo programming, and more.

The crew is one of the premier technical crews in television sports broadcasting and will be operating more than 100 cameras, lighting, sound, instant replay, and graphics. These talented and hardworking NABET-CWA crew members play an instrumental role in broadcasting the big game for football fans everywhere.

NABET-CWA crew members getting ready for Super Bowl LVI.

Last week, call center workers at federal contractor Maximus won their campaign for lower health care costs. The sky-high deductible of $4,500 for Maximus’ core plan was cut almost in half, to $2,500, and premiums for several plans were decreased, leaving more money in workers’ paychecks.

This win follows a report released by CWA that clearly shows how the very workers who the federal government trusts to help millions of Americans access affordable healthcare are struggling to afford their own.

Maximus workers, who are organizing with the CWA to win better working conditions and a voice on the job, say there is more to be done. Workers are calling for Maximus to stop campaigning against their union, to end all anti-union portions of new-hire trainings, and to meet with their union organizing committee.

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