Nov 7, 2024 - CWA Members Win Elections Across the Country

CWA Members Win Elections Across the Country

CWA’s Central Region At-Large Executive Board member and President of CWA Local 4319, Erika White, won her election to represent Ohio’s 41st District in the Ohio House of Representatives. She defeated Republican challenger Josiah Leinbach. In an interview with the Toledo Blade, White pledged to continue knocking on doors to meet constituents so she can be a voice for their concerns.

In New York, CWA Local 1123 President Chris Ryan holds a slim lead in the race for the New York State Senate’s 50th District. The close margin will likely trigger an automatic recount. Ryan wants to improve job opportunities, healthcare, and housing, especially in light of the new semiconductor manufacturing plant that is slated to be built with CHIPS and Science Act funds in his region.

Several CWA members in District 7 racked up wins on election night. UCW-CWA member Priya Sunderashan successfully defended her Arizona State Senate seat while UCW-CWA member Lauren Kuby, who had previously served as a councilmember and vice mayor in Tempe, joined her as a senator representing Arizona Legislative District 8. In Minnesota, AFA-CWA member Kaela Berg won re-election to the Minnesota State House.

Other CWA member wins include former Newsguild-CWA President Linda Foley, who was reelected to the Maryland House of Delegates, and CWA Local 3204 member Nikki Merritt, who protected her Georgia Senate seat.

###

CWAers Decisively Win Denver Bargaining Rights on the Ballot!

CWA members, as part of a coalition of labor activists, won a major victory in Denver, Colo. this election. A ballot city charter amendment on public worker collective bargaining received overwhelming support from voters, paving the way for over 7,000 city workers, such as librarians, social workers, and sanitation workers, to secure the same negotiating rights as teachers, firefighters, and police officers in the Mile High City.

CWA District 7 members with Local 7799, Local 7777, and the Denver NewsGuild (TNG-CWA Local 37074) collected over 20,000 signatures and successfully organized the entire Denver City Council to put the matter to public vote. When the measure goes into effect, over 700 library workers can move forward with plans to form a union with CWA.

The Stronger Denver coalition was formed by CWA and included members from Teamsters, Denver Area Labor Federation, Colorado Working Families Party, Denver DSA, SEIU, AFSCME and CEA. Organizers knocked over 35,000 doors to build support with voters for the issue. Their ambitious and aggressive campaign paid off, with nearly 65 percent of voters agreeing that public workers deserve to have a union voice as of current reporting.

Learn more about the campaign here.

 
CWA members joined other union activists in an aggressive, months-long campaign for public service worker collective bargaining rights in Denver, Colo. The ballot measure received wide support, paving the way for city and county employees to join unions and begin negotiating contracts.

###

Be sure to check out next week’s newsletter for news on U.S. Senate, House, and other races as they are finalized.

Times Tech Guild members who power the technology behind mobile push alerts and app and website maintenance at the New York Times walked off the job earlier this week in an ongoing unfair labor practice strike. The strike is the first NewsGuild-CWA work stoppage to coincide with a presidential election day in 60 years and the largest strike of tech workers in modern U.S. history.

Despite being notified of a potential Tech Guild ULP strike months in advance, Times management has failed to meaningfully address tech workers’ key concerns, including remote/hybrid work protections, “just cause” job protections, limits on subcontracting, and pay equity/fair pay. Times management has engaged in numerous labor law violations throughout bargaining, including implementing return-to-office mandates without bargaining and attempting to intimidate members through interrogations about their strike intentions, for which the NewsGuild of New York (TNG-CWA Local 31003) has filed unfair labor practices.

“Our union members and bargaining committee have done everything possible to avoid this ULP strike,” said Kathy Zhang, a Senior Analytics Manager at The New York Times and unit chair of the Tech Guild. “They have left us no choice but to demonstrate the power of our labor on the picket line. Nevertheless, we stand ready to bargain and get this contract across the finish line.”

Tech Guild workers are asking readers to honor the digital picket line and not play popular NYT games such as Wordle and Connections, as well as not use the NYT cooking app. You can play strike-friendly versions of Connections, Wordle, and other games here, as well as check out some recipes. Supporters can donate to their strike fund here.

Last month, CWA members from Locals 9415 and 9588 participated in seven, day-long, intensive training sessions hosted by the National Mobilization Committee. In all, over 100 members and elected union officials took part in thought-provoking discussions and interactive assignments designed to inspire a critical examination of their roles within the union. The sessions were led by Charles Elgart, Chad Hefner, and Carson Turnquist.

The training also spurred new member contributions to the Political Action Fund.

Over 75 CWA Local 9588 members have expressed interest in future training classes, many of them encouraged by their union siblings who’ve already completed the training. “Many members shared that, for the first time, they felt like an integral part of the union,’” said CWA Local 9588 Executive Vice President Thomas Ham. “Every member who attended expressed a willingness to help mobilize—some even joined committees or signed up to be stewards. It’s been a great experience, and we’re already planning for our next event.”

Interested in bringing this transformative training to your local? Reach out to Charles Elgart at chck191@gmail.com to book your session with the National Mobilization Committee (NMC). Let’s empower our members together!

 
CWA members from Locals 9588 and 9415 took part in interactive training where they learned more about the roles members play in moving our union forward.

The CWA Joe Beirne Foundation will award 16 college scholarships of $4,000 each for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 academic years. CWA members, their spouses, children, and grandchildren are eligible for the scholarships, including the dependents of retired, laid-off, or deceased members.

Applications are only available online at the Foundation's website. The final deadline for the 2025-2026 school year is 11:59 p.m., EDT, April 30, 2025.

The Beirne Scholarship Program is made possible by funding from CWA locals. Read more about the program here.

 
PHOTO CREDIT: Alexandra Wimley, Pittsburgh Union Progress, member of TNG-CWA Local 38061.

Name: Rob Joesbury
Local: The Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, TNG-CWA Local 38061
Workplace: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Job Title: Associate Sports Editor
Experience: 30 years, seven at the P-G
Strike Time: 2 years
Quote: “I think it's important to stand up for what's right because I'm setting an example for my daughters (ages 9 and 6). Especially, as journalists, we are obligated to hold power to account, and that's what we are doing.”
Inspiration: “My family, which provides me with unconditional love, and my fellow strikers, many of whom I know are struggling financially and, yet, continue to fight the good fight against a company with seemingly unlimited resources.”

To support striking workers and families, you can do any of these three things today:

1. Donate to the strike fund that's used to pay for rent, utility bills, car repairs, groceries, and to keep their pets alive and well.
    
2. Order a T-shirt repping their strike publication, the Pittsburgh Union Progress. All proceeds go to the same strike fund.
    
3. Subscribe to the Pittsburgh Union Progress for free news on the strike, the lives of working people in Western PA and beyond, and more.