Feb 19, 2026 - Mersen IUE-CWA Members Protest Layoffs

Join the CWA Human Rights Committee on February 25 at 7pm ET for a town hall honoring the critical role Black CWAers have played in shaping our union’s strength, justice work, and the movement for equity. The town hall will also include a discussion on the future of Black leadership and advocacy within CWA, as well as a look at historical photos from CWA’s archives.

Participants will hear from CWA President Claude Cummings Jr., CWA Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam, IUE-CWA Industrial Division President Carl Kennebrew, and At-Large Diversity Executive Board Members Vera Mikell, Gloria Middleton, and Reginald Small.

Click here to register to attend this in-depth look at CWA history.

On February 6, members of IUE-CWA at the Mersen advanced materials plant in Columbia, Tenn., held an informational picket outside the plant in opposition to the company's decision to lay off or relocate workers. The recent decision could impact members starting February 27. Union members accuse the company of using this latest threat of layoffs as a thinly veiled attempt at union busting. This marks the third round of proposed layoffs since workers voted to form their union in 2024.

The company received a grant from the City of Columbia for over $500,000 to expand operations and also recently secured a $10 million contract from the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency. "We’re fighting to protect Tennessee jobs for us and future generations and to hold this company to the promises it made when it took our public money," said IUE-CWA member Ricky Frierson.

Members thwarted a similar attempt on their jobs just months ago ahead of the 2025 holiday season. They are demanding that the company work with them to keep jobs in Columbia, and to secure a fair labor contract.

Read the full press release here.

 
IUE-CWA members at Mersen held an informational picket to protest job cuts in Columbia, Tenn., on February 6.

Members and retirees of CWA Local 1180 are rallying around the son of member Margaret Manolis, Elias, who was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease before birth. Elias turned 13 in November and has spent his entire life managing Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).

Doctors have now determined that Elias will need a kidney transplant, with his medical team strongly recommending a living donor due to his young age.

“I’ve had multiple surgeries to keep my kidneys from getting worse, but now I need a kidney transplant,” Elias said. “I’m still young, and a living kidney donor would change my entire life and help me be healthier.”

Click here to read more about Elias’s journey.

The family has been unable to find a match for Elias and are widening their search nationally, including within our CWA family.

“We’re just hoping for one person,” Manolis says. “We only need one. There are so many success stories of strangers donating a kidney to help someone live a long, productive life without dialysis. It’s a beautiful thing. I wish I could do it myself.”

If you’d like to learn more about becoming a living donor or wish to be screened as a potential match for Elias, please fill out this form.

Last month, in collaboration with the Greater Western Arizona Chapter of the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW), members of CWA Local 7000 hosted the first Labor Town Hall meeting for Pima County union members and the Tucson, Ariz., community. They were joined by members and retirees from CWA Locals 7019 and 7050.

The event featured a panel of strong women leaders, including Tucson City Council Members Selina Barajas and Miranda Schubert, as well as U.S. Representative Adelita S. Grijalva (D-Ariz.). Schubert is a member of United Campus Workers-CWA Local 7065. Panelists discussed issues impacting Arizona residents and how to bridge the gap between community, labor, and legislators.

CWA Local 7050 President Tayqwoiseceyon Akins, also serving as president of the Arizona CLUW Chapter, gave a special thank you to CWA Local 7000 President Linda Hatfield for hosting the event and making participants feel welcome. Akins accepted a Certificate of Recognition from Senator Ruben Gallego for the creation of the Greater Western Arizona CLUW Chapter, alongside Ariz. CLUW Vice President Vonda Wilkins (CWA Local 7019 Vice President) and Ariz. CLUW Delegate Desi Navarro (PHEW-CWA Local 7000 Vice President). The unexpected honor arrived from Senator Gallego’s office in Washington, D.C.

Town hall participants included several candidates for elected office eager to engage with union members to solve issues affecting residents of Arizona.

 
CWAers accepted a Certificate of Recognition from the office of Sen. Gallego (D-Ariz.) on behalf of the Arizona CLUW Chapter. Pictured left to right: Ariz. CLUW Vice President Vonda Wilkins (Vice President of CWA Local 7019), Ariz. CLUW Delegate Desi Navarro (a Vice President of PHEW-CWA Local 7000), Aid to Senator Gallego Jordan-Isaiah Toyos, Ariz. CLUW President Tayqwoiseceyon Akins (President of CWA Local 7050) and Aid to Senator Gallego Humberto Ibarra took part in the award ceremony.

CWA members represented by Locals 9412 and 7901 have overwhelmingly ratified a second contract with Beneficial State Bank, covering bankers, consumer loan servicing representatives, loan processors, underwriters, file clerks, and custodial staff based in California, Oregon, and Washington.

In 2021, workers ratified a first contract after the industry went 40 years without any new collective bargaining agreements. With this new contract, members secured an average 9 percent general wage increase in 2026, won a new $2.50 wage differential for Spanish-language workers, and added a one-time average lump sum bonus of $4,805 for most members in the bargaining unit.

“Ratifying a second contract is a huge win for us. In a time when so many workers are facing uncertainty, we’re proud that we secured continued improvements to our wages and benefits with no givebacks,” said CWA Local 9412 bargaining committee member and Beneficial State Bank Commercial Banking Associate Michele Hunt. “Our contract has helped us hold Beneficial State Bank accountable to the workers who keep this bank running.”

Earlier this month, AFA-CWA International President Sara Nelson and Flight Attendants for Delta Air Lines met with members of the Congressional Labor Caucus. Nelson provided details on the state of the airline industry and earnings, pointing out high profits for United Airlines and Delta. United management has delayed finalizing a new contract with Flight Attendants whose pay lags behind that of colleagues at other carriers. Flight Attendants at Delta, with no contract or union protections, gave caucus members an update on their efforts to form a union and the intensification of interference from the company.

Click here to read more about AFA-CWA on Capitol Hill.

Last month, staffers at The Columbus Dispatch in Columbus, Ohio, voted 33-5 to form a union with the NewsGuild-CWA. Newsroom staff sent a clear message of overwhelming solidarity to management at the USA TODAY Co., formerly called Gannett, the largest daily newspaper chain in the country. Their union, the Dispatch News Guild, is represented by the Northeast Ohio NewsGuild-CWA Local 34001. They join several other NewsGuild newsrooms owned by the same company.

By forming a union, journalists are fighting for equitable pay, protections from layoffs, and the future of journalism in central Ohio. Members are calling on the USA TODAY Co. to immediately begin bargaining with the union. They are also demanding their employer cease blocking two of their colleagues from joining the union. USA TODAY Co. leadership and their attorney have argued that a grant-funded reporter and the newsroom assistant should not be allowed to join the union, despite being valued members of the newsroom. The Dispatch News Guild will continue to fight for their colleagues’ inclusion.

“The employees of The Dispatch are seizing this moment to fight for a work culture and the job benefits that we deserve,” said Adam Cairns, a Dispatch photojournalist who celebrated 20 years with the company last month. “We can no longer afford to sit back and wait for these changes to happen on their own.”

Congratulations to the members of the Dispatch News Guild!