Sep 24, 2026 - CWA Passenger Service Members Hold Convening

Help CWA Journalists Laid Off by McClatchy

Last week, McClatchy laid off 30 percent of its union-represented workers. Over 90 journalists and media workers across 17 publications lost their jobs.

Workers at some of the affected outlets are raising money to support their laid-off colleagues.

Click here for more information and to support your CWA siblings.

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CWA Social Media Training!

Not sure which social media platforms are right for your campaign? Interested in posting more content but not sure how to start? Want to learn how to take the best photos for social media?

Please join our CWA Social Media Training on September 29 at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT!

Click here to learn more and RSVP.

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CWA 2026 Elections National Phonebanks!

Election day is coming up on November 3, and so much is at stake. Please join us for CWA national phonebanks to help elect pro-worker candidates!

Never attended a phonebank before? No problem! We'll get you trained up. You just need a phone and a computer.

Click here to help elect a union champion!

On Friday, in another unprecedented move from President Trump, journalists from news outlets CNN, MS NOW, and Politico were barred from the White House. Trump explained his rationale, simply calling the outlets “fake news.”

On Saturday, the Politico and E&E News (PEN) Guild, alongside their local, the Washington-Baltimore News Guild (TNG-CWA Local 32035), released a statement, saying, “This morning, Secret Service barred our own PEN Guild member Cheyenne Haslett from the White House simply for doing her job.

“Press access cannot be weaponized against journalists for their reporting. An attack on one outlet’s ability to cover the White House is an attack on a free press for all of us. We stand with our members and every journalist targeted for doing their job.”

On Monday morning, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico sued the Trump administration for the blatant violation of the First Amendment. This morning, a federal judge ordered the restoration of the journalists' access, but the situation continues to develop.

In a show of solidarity, five major news networks, including Fox, ABC, CBS, CNN, and NBC, have agreed to suspend pooled coverage of Trump in defense of the constitutionally protected freedoms of the press, designed to protect those who investigate and hold to account people in positions of political power.

Donald Trump has a long history as president of attacking the press, ranging from vaguely disparaging statements to direct insults aimed at individual journalists. Trump made waves in 2025, for example, when he told Bloomberg News reporter Catherine Lucey, "Quiet, piggy," in response to a question about the Epstein files.

CWA Passenger Service members ended August in Las Vegas, Nev., at the second Passenger Services Convening. CWA Passenger Service Agents across American Airlines, Piedmont Airlines, and Envoy Airlines convened to celebrate victories and plan for future successes. The gathering, hosted by CWA Passenger Services Director Thomas Gunning, sported the theme, “Reaching New Heights Through Unity and Progress!”

After an introduction by CWA District 9 Vice President Frank Arce, CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. addressed the crowd, saying, “We are a stronger union today than before Passenger Service members joined, and that strength has played out through settlement and contract negotiations.” Prior to the convening, members received news of a $2 million settlement to be paid to workers for wages owed. This is one of the largest settlements in CWA history, thanks in large part to the tremendous efforts of CWA Chief of Staff Sylvia J. Ramos.

Passenger Service members also heard from CWA District 3 Vice President and Deputy Director of Passenger Services Richard Honeycutt, CWA District 4 Vice President Linda L. Hinton, CWA District 6 Vice President Derrick Osobase, CWA District 7 Vice President Susie McAllister, CWA Central Region At-Large Diversity Executive Board Member Reginald Small, CWA Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam, CWA Chief of Staff Sylvia J. Ramos, and CWA Retired Members Council President Gwen Parker.

Members were able to further their union education with several workshop opportunities, including “How Workers Can Shape the Future of Artificial Intelligence,” “Building Power at Work: for Union and Non-Union Workers,” and an in-depth look at the Railway Labor Act.

Last week, members of CWA Local 4302 working for the Stark Metro Housing Authority in Canton, Ohio, voted overwhelmingly in favor of ratifying a three-year contract, marking a major win for the public sector unit.

Members faced an uphill battle to address wages, healthcare benefits, and other issues due to cuts to federal and state funding. Despite a persistent headwind, members remained unified, and the bargaining committee was able to secure a contract that addressed many of their issues.

Congratulations to our CWA Local 4302 public sector workers for a well-earned victory at the bargaining table!

States are finally beginning to receive funds allocated by the Biden-era Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for the Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program, and CWA members are holding state agencies accountable to ensure the funds go toward the programs they are intended for.

Before President Trump’s second term began, billions in federal funding were set to deliver reliable high-speed internet service to every corner of America through the BEAD program. Instead, the current administration imposed conditions favorable to Trump’s billionaire backers by reallocating funds from future-proof fiber technology to less reliable satellite and wireless, thereby prioritizing their interests over those of families, students, and small businesses.

In California, Condition 50, one of the terms imposed by the Commerce Department agency that advises the president on broadband—the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)—would prevent the state from enforcing utility-style regulation, net neutrality, and affordable pricing terms, among others.

“At minimum, Condition 50 is an explicit effort to undo California's historic net neutrality laws,” CWA District 9 officials wrote in a letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom. “At worst, broadband providers will attempt to twist the language of Condition 50 to shirk non-discrimination laws, thereby leaving vulnerable communities without equal access to quality service.”

CWA District 9 also signed on to an additional letter to Gov. Newsom and the California Public Utility Commission, urging them to vote “No” on Condition 50.

Earlier this month, CWAers across the country celebrated Labor Day, marking the victories working people have won, including the 8-hour workday and labor laws barring children from factory floors and other dangerous jobs.

This year, in CWA District 6, District Vice President Derrick Osobase had a simple message for workers everywhere: “It’s time to take back our power!” He put these words into action at a Labor Day celebration in North Texas alongside James Talarico, candidate for U.S. Senate, as well as Gina Hinojosa, candidate for Governor of Texas.

The “Contract with Texas’s Working Class,” created by a coalition of labor organizations including SEIU, AFT, Unite HERE!, and the Texas State AFL-CIO, grew from lessons learned through thousands of conversations with working people at their homes and worksites. It lays out an agenda driven by working-class Texans and makes clear their demands of politicians to deliver on their issues—lowering costs, affordable healthcare, and ending corruption—rather than the agenda of corporations and billionaires.

Hundreds of union members, including dozens of CWA members and leaders, witnessed Talarico and Hinojosa not only sign the contract but also commit to carrying these issues forward on the campaign trail and, more importantly, into office if elected in November.

 
Candidate for U.S. Senate James Talarico (top right and bottom left) and gubernatorial candidate for Texas Gina Hinojosa (bottom right) signed the “Contract with Texas’s Working Class” during Labor Day festivities last month.

CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. spoke last week at the North Carolina State AFL-CIO Meeting in Cary, N.C. He met with N.C. Governor Josh Stein (above), who also spoke. Other presenters included N.C. Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls, former governor and U.S. Senate candidate Roy Cooper, and AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond. Several CWA elected officials also participated in the meeting, including CWA Local 3645 President Donielle Prophete and CWA North Carolina Legislative-Political Director Grant Welch.

President Cummings said, “The current storm will not last forever. Like every tempest, it will blow itself out, and the sun will shine again. A friendly administration, a pro-labor NLRB, an empowered Occupational Safety and Health Administration—these things will come again. We’re doing our part to bring an end to the war on workers. And when that day comes, we must be ready.”

In July and August, members and retirees from CWA Locals 13000 and 13500 and the CWA District 2-13 Pittsburgh office delivered nearly 100 backpacks, duffel bags, and other pieces of luggage to A Second Chance, Inc. (ASCI) during the District’s “No Child Gets Left Behind” initiative. Donations went to shelters, foster care agencies, and transitional homes within the District so that children in need are able to move their belongings with dignity. CWA District 2-13’s Human Rights and Women’s Committee Representative and CWA Local 2336 President Melissa Smith-Kupihea led the initiative.

ASCI is a nonprofit corporation with a mission to “provide a safe, secure, and nurturing environment for children in the care of relatives or close family friends.”

CWA District 2-13 Vice President Mike Davis enthusiastically supported the project. “Kids should never be made to feel insignificant. Our CWA District 2-13 Human Rights and Women’s Committee, as well as all the members and staff who came together for these children, showed a great deal of dedication. Kindness can be powerful. Together, we can truly make a difference.”

Kyla Nichols, Executive Director of the First Presbyterian Church Hope Center in Charleston, W.Va., thanked participating CWA members and leadership for their donations. Nichols wrote, “The ‘No Child Gets Left Behind’ donation has already made a meaningful difference for the young adults we serve. While a suitcase or backpack may seem like a simple item, for a young person experiencing a major life transition, it can represent something much bigger—dignity, stability, and the feeling that someone cares about what happens next.

“The very next day after receiving the donation, one of our young adult participants was able to move from an emergency shelter into permanent housing. Instead of having to carry her belongings in a trash bag, she was able to take her things to her new home in a suitcase. It was a small but incredibly meaningful change that helped her feel a greater sense of dignity as she took an important step toward stability.”

In another testimonial, Daymark Executive Director Beth Scohy expressed her thanks, writing, “At the time we received the luggage and backpacks, we had two young adults headed for college. One has since left us to go to a dorm room at Marshall, and the other will be leaving for Morgantown very soon. To have suitcases in which to pack their belongings and new backpacks for their first days of class was a huge benefit for them.

“Other youth in our organizations will be headed to school in a few days and are grateful for the new backpacks. We appreciate having your initiative help us get them ready for their first days, wherever they are going!”

 
Left to right: CWA Local 13500 President Cindy Neumeyer, CWA Local 13500 Western Division Secretary/Treasurer Jen Gromack, CWA D2-13 Support Staffer Shayna Morford, CWA Local 13500 Executive Secretary-Treasurer Kathy Short, CWA Local 13000 Western Region Vice President Gregg Bialek, CWA Local 13500 Executive Vice President Jenn Szpara, and CWA District 2-13 Staff Representative Jon Remington helped deliver luggage and backpacks to children in need during the CWA District 2-13 “No Child Gets Left Behind” donation drive.

From September 15 to October 15, we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, honoring the contributions of workers of Hispanic descent to the rich tapestry of the United States. This year, the AFL-CIO has chosen to profile CWA Local 7777 Vice President Marlene Jimenez. She also serves on the CWA Executive Board representing the Western Region.

Congratulations to Vice President Jimenez!

Click here to read more about Hispanic union members making a difference.