May 18, 2023 - Apple Retail Union-CWA Members Kick Off Historic Bargaining for a First Contract and other news

IUE-CWA Members Win Historic Agreement for More Union Jobs at GE

In a historic milestone in their ongoing campaign to grow union jobs at General Electric (GE), IUE-CWA members have secured a breakthrough agreement that will make it easier for workers to organize into a union, without retaliation or interference, at two potential GE offshore wind factories in New York State.

This is the first time GE has signed such an agreement with a labor union in the U.S. It is a testament to the hard-fought campaign by IUE-CWA members at GE, who have been calling on the company to bring union wind manufacturing jobs to the U.S. for the last several years.

If GE wins the bid to supply offshore turbines and blades for the next phase of New York State’s offshore wind development, it has promised to build two factories in the Port of Coeymans. If constructed, these facilities will be among the first off-shore wind factories in the U.S., creating hundreds of jobs and establishing an American foothold in this critical green manufacturing sector.

In a statement in response to the news, President Joe Biden said, "We are creating good-paying jobs that Americans can raise a family on, and the opportunity to join a union will help ensure hard working Americans continue to get paid what they deserve, and boost our local economies." Biden also commended IUE-CWA and GE "for working toward a future where unions help build the middle class again, and the middle class rebuilds America." Read more here.

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Maximus

As part of their ongoing campaign to organize a union with CWA, Maximus workers held a gathering outside of the company’s Riverview location in Florida to build support for their union, Call Center Workers United-CWA, and discuss the important goals they aim to achieve together, such as being able to take time off to care for their families without fear of losing their jobs or being disciplined.

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CWA District 7 is Organizing Strong

Last week, organizers from across CWA District 7 participated in the 2023 District 7 CWA Strong Internal Organizing training in Denver, Colo., to improve their skills, build power, and strategize how to better support workers who are increasingly coming together to form unions and join CWA.

Apple

On Monday, Apple Retail Union-CWA members in Oklahoma City, Okla., kicked off bargaining for their first union contract, representing a significant milestone for Apple retail workers organizing across the country. This marks the first time Apple retail employees who have formed a union with CWA will be coming together to negotiate with the world’s most profitable corporation.

Last October, the Oklahoma City workers became the second Apple store to win their National Labor Relations Board union election. Workers were motivated to form their union in order to ensure greater transparency regarding hiring, pay, and job assignments. As workers enter into bargaining with the trillion-dollar corporate giant, they hope to secure seniority-based language regarding pay raises, improved vacation policies, and commitments from Apple to address job vacancies. Read more here.

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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Members of the Toledo NewsGuild-CWA (TNG-CWA Local 34043), who are currently fighting for a new contract, showed solidarity with striking workers at their sister paper, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, last Saturday by posting signs around town in an effort to bring the strike to the forefront of Toledoans’ attentions. The workers at both papers are committed to keep supporting each other in their fight for better working conditions and a fair contract.

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International Game Technology (IGT)

CWA Local 1101 members at International Game Technology (IGT), a company that services slot machines and other gambling technology in New York, ratified a new three-year contract last week with big improvements, including significant wage increases, carry over vacation time, and a clear wage progression. Their contract victory is the result of months-long bargaining, incredible mobilization by the members, which included mass public demonstrations, and the solidarity other CWAers and allies built with IGT workers.

CWA New Jersey Healthcare Workers Rally for Safe Staffing

Last Thursday, CWA healthcare workers in New Jersey joined a coalition of other union healthcare workers in the state to rally at the State House in Trenton to demand safe staffing and push legislators to pass a law that mandates enforceable nurse staffing levels in hospitals. The workers, who were joined by elected officials and community supporters, expressed their concern about the understaffing that is driving the healthcare system to the brink of collapse and needlessly threatening patient care, and shared their experiences of how short staffing is causing the healthcare workforce to leave their profession in record numbers.

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CWA Activists in Ohio Fight for Democracy

Last week, CWA members from across Ohio, along with coalition partners from 240 bipartisan organizations, spoke out against the efforts of antidemocratic lawmakers to eliminate the sacred principle of “one person, one vote” in citizen-initiated constitutional amendment ballot issues. Ballot issues are one of the few ways everyday Ohioans can hold legislators accountable. Proposed legislation would undermine their ability to do so by adding further restrictions to the ballot initiative process that would make it harder for citizens to exercise their voice at the ballot box.

The activists flooded the state legislature in opposition to this harmful measure that would give special interests, lobbyists, and anti-worker politicians more power to pursue their agenda. Despite the activists' mobilization, the resolution passed, but the activists immediately launched the Vote No in August campaign to continue their fight to protect their voting rights and democracy.

A group of members from CWA Local 1170 in Rochester, N.Y., participated in the 2023 United Way Day of Caring last week by volunteering to assist members of their community with everyday chores, spring clean up, and other essential tasks ahead of the summer season. 6,000 volunteers from 200 workplaces across 6 counties in the region participated in this year’s day of caring organized by the United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes. The CWA Local 1170 United Way committee members have been participating in this day of volunteering for the last 20 years. They also organize a United Way fundraising campaign in their workplace every year.