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Get Involved: CWA Broadband Town Hall
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Join CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. for a virtual town hall on Tuesday, February 17, at 8pm ET to discuss the importance of state and federal oversight of broadband and how CWAers across the country can fight for a reliable and resilient telecommunications infrastructure.
As five state legislatures across the country are considering legislation to establish state oversight of broadband, CWA members are leading the charge to ensure reliable high-speed internet, protect good union jobs, and build political power in our communities.
AT&T Midwest and Mobility Bargaining Updates
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CWA District 4 Reaches TA with AT&T Midwest
On January 25, the CWA District 4 Bargaining Team reached a tentative agreement with AT&T Midwest.
The agreement, which covered approximately 4,400 CWA members, provides a robust compensation package with wage increases of 14.5% (15.3% compounded) over the four-year agreement, a $1,000 ratification bonus if ratified before March 12, improved retirement benefits, and a new healthcare plan with more options, all while maintaining a cost share that keeps more earnings in members’ pockets.
"This Tentative Agreement takes a major step forward in improving the lives of every member it covers,” said CWA District 4 Vice President Linda L. Hinton. “Just as importantly, it protects and secures language hard-won through decades of collective bargaining and solidarity in action. The Bargaining Team did an excellent job bringing this agreement home for CWA District 4."
CWA District 4 local presidents attended an explanation meeting on February 5, and explanation meetings are currently being held for members. The ratification vote will be held next week.
Pictured, left to right: CWA District 4 Bargaining Team Members include Greg Tennyson (CWA Local 4603 President), Jay Walther (CWA Local 4320 President), Tim Strong (CWA Local 4900 President), Jake Vick (CWA Local 4034 Vice President), Mike Schulte (CWA District 4 Staff Representative), Mike Handley (CWA District 4 Administrative Director), and Curt Hess (CWA District 4 Assistant to the Vice President).
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CWA AT&T Orange Mobility Update
CWA members covered by the AT&T Orange Mobility Contract will see it expire February 13 if another contract is not in place. As of February 6, the bargaining committee reported that negotiations are ongoing. The company has rejected some of our most critical proposals, and the committee is still waiting for several information requests to be filled.
Critical issues include those related to scheduling, FirstNet, commissions, and quality of life needs.
In a statement, the committee wrote, “The contract expiration date is rapidly approaching, so we hope AT&T gets serious about doing the right thing by their employees. The company knows you are mobilized and standing behind us; keep it up!”
CWA and Labor Allies Win Political Victories Across Texas
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Earlier this month, in a stunning victory for working people in the state, Taylor Rehmet of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) won a special runoff election for Texas Senate District 9 against a heavily favored, billionaire-backed opponent.
Despite his refusal to take campaign donations from special interest groups and fighting for a seat in a deeply red district that President Donald Trump won by 17 points in 2024, Rehmet defeated his opponent by a 14-point margin. Polling data shows that, while turnout was high for both political parties, those voting as Independents, and a considerable number of registered Republicans, favored the Democrat over his Republican adversary. This swing came, in large part, due to organizing and mobilization by union members, including a tremendous effort by CWA activists. Rehmet’s campaign was powered by working people, union households, and a labor movement that showed up to win.
In a letter to members, CWA District 6, Local leaders, and IUE-CWA leadership wrote, “Our union members organized early and stayed on it. We ran phone banks, sent mailers, hosted block walks, and ran text banks, working shoulder-to-shoulder with our labor allies to turn out union households and everyday voters. We kept it simple: dignity on the job, strong public schools, and an economy that works for regular Texans, not just the rich and powerful. We are proud of the role we played. This is what building power looks like: members leading and workers winning.”
CWA members and allies, including the United Steelworkers; the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; and the American Federation of Teachers, also won primary races across the state, setting the stage for pro-worker, pro-people wins come November. These wins will ensure that strong, worker-friendly voices have a say in lawmaking and oversight and that worker voices are heard.
Congratulations to the winners and to the state of Texas.
Against Cuts at The Post, NewsGuild-CWA Members Push Back
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Last week, in a devastating move, management at the Washington Post (The Post) announced layoffs of nearly a third of staff, including foreign correspondents in places like Ukraine. In response, members of the Washington Post Guild and the Washington Post Tech Guild, both part of the Washington-Baltimore News Guild-CWA Local 32035, picketed outside The Post headquarters on February 5 with over 1,000 supporters. NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss and AFA-CWA International President Sara Nelson spoke. CWA Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam also attended to show her solidarity.
This latest round of layoffs follows a pattern of cuts and attacks by billionaires as they buy, slash, and refocus news outlets to serve the powerful instead of holding power to account. Under the ownership of Jeff Bezos, whose net worth is estimated at roughly $244 billion, The Post underwent the loss of nearly 200,000 readers in 2024 when he directed the paper to withhold its endorsement of then-presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
Members of The Post Guild wrote in a statement, “The Post Guild vehemently opposes any more staff reductions. Now is the time to stand in solidarity with our laid-off colleagues and with those who remain, who will now be asked to do more with less.”
There is still time to save The Post. Members are asked to send letters of disapproval to the newspaper’s leadership.
Post Guild members ended their statement with a warning to the owner, writing, “If Jeff Bezos is no longer willing to invest in the mission that has defined this paper for generations and serve the millions who depend on Post journalism, then The Post deserves a steward who will.”
Click here to support your union siblings facing job cuts at The Post.
Click here to watch highlights from the rally.
At a picket held on February 5, members of the Washington Post Guild and the Washington Post Tech Guild rallied outside of the Washington Post headquarters, calling for an end to mass layoffs. Supporters included AFA-CWA International President Sara Nelson and CWA Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam. This came after management announced layoffs impacting nearly a third of staff at the newspaper. At the rally, Melissa Lang (center), a former local enterprise reporter for The Post and organizer with the Washington-Baltimore News Guild, spoke to the crowd.
AFL-CIO Honors CWA Member for Black History Month
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Every February, we celebrate the many contributions of African-Americans to the tapestry of culture here in the United States. This year, marking the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, the AFL-CIO has selected CWA Local 4603 Secretary-Treasurer Kwami Barnes to spotlight.
Barnes is a 25-year member of CWA and is active nationally on the CWA Human Rights/Civil Rights and Equity Committees and regionally with the CWA District 4 Human Rights Committee. A dedicated advocate for digital equity, Barnes serves on CWA’s Broadband Brigade and the Wisconsin Governor’s Task Force on Broadband Access. He also contributes locally through the Milwaukee Area Labor Council Civil Rights Committee.
Click here to read more profiles of Black labor leaders making history.
Click here to learn more about Carter G. Woodson, the founder of Black History Month.
CWA Broadband Brigade Holds the Line on Reliable Internet as Billionaires Backpedal on Satellite Speeds
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Last year, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick pressured states to allocate a higher share of funds from the Infrastructure Act’s Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program to technologically inferior satellite and fixed wireless services instead of building fiber networks. This was a big disappointment to CWA members, who fought hard for states to prioritize fiber networks, which have the highest download and upload speeds, are scalable for future technological demands, and remain the most efficient, resilient, and sustainable broadband technology.
Billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos stand to gain massively from this upheaval, but they are now backpedaling on promises because their technology may not be up to the standards of the BEAD program. Musk’s company, SpaceX, sent letters to state broadband offices last month requesting exemptions from certain BEAD performance and reporting requirements to ease compliance standards so that SpaceX’s Starlink satellite service would qualify for BEAD funding. Despite loosening the rules, the Commerce Department is against this and advised states not to fulfill SpaceX’s exemption requests.
Members of CWA’s Broadband Brigade are continuing to advocate for the build-out of reliable, high-speed fiber networks and will be fighting to hold satellite providers accountable.
CWA Librarians Ratify First Contract
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CWA Local 1085 members pictured are (left to right) Library Assistant Kathy Lemanowicz, Librarian Brittany Jones, Library Assistants Ava Grow, Stacee Waller and Dana Jordan, and Library Associate Luke Walters.
Congratulations to our CWA Local 1085 members at the Monroe Public Library in Gloucester County, N.J., who voted unanimously last week to ratify their first union contract. The new contract includes significant salary increases and more affordable, quality health benefits.
Georgia CWA Political Activist Bootcamp Participants Skill Up for Legislative Session
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Pictured left to right: CWA members Tesia Sharpe, Ben Marshall, Tonia Searcy, Ebony Rush, Wanda Lewis, Tony Tilley, Lisa Maria Forde, Rashaun Harrisson, Dawayne Mc Knight, Avis Chambers, and Alison Mccolley participated in the CWA Political Activist Bootcamp in Georgia.
Last week, members of CWA Locals 3204 and 3250 in Georgia participated in the CWA Political Activist Bootcamp, where they learned about CWA’s legislative and political program and honed their political organizing skills. The activists will spend the next two months raising money for the Political Action Fund and mobilizing their union siblings during the Georgia legislative session.