Aug 21, 2025 - Telecom Techs Picket for Fair Wages

Last month, CWA-represented technicians at telecommunications company TDS held informational pickets as they continued to bargain for their first contract. Primarily broadband and warehouse techs, the workers have been in negotiations since January 2025.

TDS wage proposals have fallen short and failed to keep up with the rising cost of living. TDS technicians take pride in their work and care about delivering quality service. However, without fair wages, it becomes difficult to stay in the jobs they love. They are calling on the company to offer a fair contract, fair wages that meet the drastic rise in the cost of living, and invest in the workers who maintain their telecommunications infrastructure.

With workers in St. George, Cedar City, and Mesquite, Utah, members held pickets outside three TDS locations, including a corporate office and a retail store in St. George and another corporate office in Cedar City. CWA members at Lumen joined the pickets in solidarity and helped share flyers, hold conversations, and encourage people to sign the workers’ petition.

 
CWA technicians with TDS in Utah held informational pickets to encourage the company to pay its workers a fair wage that keeps pace with the cost of living.

Last week, nearly 180 cinematics, animation, narrative, and archival workers at Blizzard Entertainment voted to join CWA Local 9510, joining over 3,000 workers at Microsoft-owned studios who have organized across the video game industry. The latest video game organizing update comes days after CWA members at Raven Software secured a historic first contract with Microsoft.

“Our department has some of the most talented and dedicated people I’ve ever worked with. I’m excited that we have joined together in forming a union to protect my colleagues from things like misguided policies and instability as a result of layoffs,” said cinematic producer and CWA Local 9510 organizing committee member John Giarratana. “People at our studio love working here, and I think that organizing gives us an opportunity to make our workplace better and safer.”

Read the full press release here.

Earlier this week, CWA filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board against Concentrix Corp., a multinational call center outsourcing firm, for illegally firing two workers who spoke out about their working conditions.

The workers were quoted in an article about the impact of AI monitoring on their work and the increased potential for abuse by customers who mistake human call center workers for AI.

On the day the article was published, management at Concentrix placed both workers on administrative leave and, shortly thereafter, terminated their employment, despite the fact that the National Labor Relations Act protects the right of workers to speak to the media about their working conditions.

“Jessica and Seth bravely told the truth about what it’s like to work for Concentrix—and I believe they were fired for it,” said CWA Organizing Coordinator Christina Ronk. “That’s not just wrong: it’s illegal. Their experiences shared in the Bloomberg article shine a light on a growing crisis in call centers: workers are being treated like machines, monitored like machines, and now—thanks to rigid scripts and AI integration—mistaken for machines by customers.”

Click here to read our full press release.

AFA-CWA Flight Attendants (FAs) working for PSA Airlines held a Day of Action earlier this week with pickets at five airports, including Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), James M. Cox Dayton International Airport (DAY), and Philadelphia International Airport (PHL).

The FAs are calling on PSA Airlines, a regional operator of American Airlines, to negotiate a living wage for regional flight attendants who are paid approximately 45 percent less for the same work. “We’ve faced operational meltdowns, gut-wrenching tragedy, and an impossible cost of living—while American Airlines celebrates record profits,” Sean Griffin, President of AFA-CWA Local 23075, told The Charlotte Post. “It’s time for a real contract with real pay.”

 
PSA Flight Attendants held a Day of Action at multiple airports across the country including (pictured from top, left to right) Charlotte Douglas International Airport, James M. Cox Dayton International Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport where AFA-CWA International President Sara Nelson (third from left) participated, and at the Philadelphia International Airport where CWA District 2-13 Vice President Mike Davis (far left) and AFA-CWA International Vice President Keturah Johnson (third from the left in red hat) participated.

Last month, CWA District 4 Staff Representative Diane Bailey, in her role as President of the Central Ohio Labor Council, co-hosted a roundtable discussion with Ohio Congresswoman Joyce Beatty at the congresswoman’s offices. The dialogue focused on how labor unions can prepare for and mitigate harm caused by the Trump Administration’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” which cuts healthcare coverage to millions of American workers and hands major tax breaks to corporations and their billionaire owners.

Members of CWA Locals 4320 and 4502 and other labor unions joined in the discussion. Tim Burga, President of the Ohio AFL-CIO and Samantha Trueblood, a Senior Representative with the National AFL-CIO, also participated.

Concerns raised included the bill’s effects on clean energy jobs, closures of rural hospitals, weakening of federal mediation and conciliation services, crumbling rail and transportation infrastructure, and attacks on public sector unions, including Social Security Administration and Postal Service workers.

Congresswoman Beatty offered advice on where and how to focus unified messaging and to keep up public pressure through direct action. She addressed specific concerns voiced during the meeting and thanked those in attendance for the new information they provided to help shape her own advocacy. Beatty requested more frequent listening sessions to stay abreast of worker concerns.

Several CWA sectors and divisions met in Pittsburgh, Pa., prior to the CWA Convention. The Retired Members’ Council also held their annual meeting.

TNG-CWA

CWA District 2-13 Vice President Mike Davis gave rousing remarks to help open the 2025 NewsGuild-CWA Sector Conference, followed by delivery of the organizing report and a powerful video highlighting the work of NewsGuild-CWA members across North America fighting for their communities and better workplaces. NewsGuild President Jon Schleuss celebrated two years of record growth and organizing, crediting members for leading strikes, settling first contracts, and passing historic legislation to support journalism jobs. He pointed to the resilience of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette strikers in the longest-running strike in America and warned of escalating attacks from employers and the Trump administration.

Click here to read a detailed account of the TNG-CWA Sector Conference.

IUE-CWA

IUE-CWA Industrial Division President Carl Kennebrew opened the division meeting with his State of the Union address, focusing primarily on why solidarity is essential at this moment and emphasizing the meeting’s theme, “Solidarity Begins With Us.” CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. and CWA Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam were guest speakers. CWA District 2-13 Vice President Mike Davis welcomed the IUE-CWA delegates to his district and NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss reported on the Post-Gazette strike.

IUE-CWA delegates re-elected John Lewis as the Chairperson of their National Trustees and to serve as their sector representative on the Defense Fund Organizing Committee. IUE-CWA Local 89118 Secretary-Treasurer Megan Johnson and IUE-CWA Local 81266 President Antoine Marshall were also elected as National Trustees. IUE-CWA Local 84755 President Mike Gross, Local 86787 President Corne Jones, and Local 81408 Member Jose Taveras were re-elected to the IUE-CWA Executive Council.

NABET-CWA

At the Joint Regional Advisory Board meeting for NABET-CWA Regions 2 and 6, leaders covered issues of interest to the smaller “independent” locals that have contracts with individual stations in smaller cities.

New officers also attended a training covering everything from the history and structure of CWA and NABET-CWA to the duties of officers, properly conducting local elections, navigating the membership dues system, and local recordkeeping, as well as bargaining representational strategies.

CWA Retired Members Council

The CWA Retired Members Council (RMC), chaired by RMC National President Gwen Parker, met to discuss topics impacting our union’s veteran members, including healthcare, pensions, future CWA initiatives, current CWA contracts, and COPE.

CWA District 2-13 Vice President Mike Davis provided the opening remarks and focused on healthcare and threats to Verizon retiree’s healthcare caps. Almost every District or Sector Vice President, along with Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam, visited the meeting to show support. President Cummings and his staff attended the RMC Board Meeting the day prior.

A highlight of the meeting was the establishment of the Addie Brinkley Memorial Scholarship Fund for RMC members and their families. This award can be used for college and trade school tuition. In two days, RMC members raised over $3,000 by selling raffle tickets for two gift baskets at the CWA Convention. They also collected $3,500 in direct donations to the fund.

CWA District 4 RMC President Marcy Gregory stepped down from the Board after many years of exemplary service not only to her district but also to the entire RMC. Mark Pattison, RMC Media Sector Vice President, accepted a pin in recognition of 40 years of service by the NewsGuild-CWA at its sector conference.

In other convention news, CWA celebrated the work and lives of members who have passed since our last convention, including those who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Following adjournment of the convention, CWA members, as well as CWA President Cummings, CWA District 2-13 Vice President Mike Davis, CWA District 3 Vice President Richard Honeycutt, and NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss, rallied with striking Pittsburgh Post-Gazette workers. Speaking to Post-Gazette strikers, Cummings said, “You have my commitment that we are going to continue to do everything we can to support you.”

 
CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. (second from right) stood with striking Pittsburgh Post-Gazette workers during the convention and joined them at a rally directly following adjournment. Photo credit to Alexandra Wimley/Pittsburgh Union Progress.

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