Oct 29, 2026 - Three-Year Bargaining Battle Ends in Victory

Tribune Media Company

The Tribune company is refusing to include their own AI policy in union contracts at seven of their newspapers. This means that management alone would control how AI is used.

You can help Tribune workers by sending a letter to management asking for strong AI protection at the Orlando Sentinel, Hartford Courant, The Virginian-Pilot, The Morning Call, Suburban Chicago, Tribune Content Agency, and Design and Production Studio.

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No Contract, No Coffee: Boycott Starbucks!

Starbucks workers (IG: @sbworkersunited) have been battling for a fair contract for over five years, involving thousands of workers across hundreds of union stores.

Click here to learn why AFA-CWA International President Sara Nelson and Flight Attendants everywhere are joining the fight, and call on you to choose fair contracts over frozen cappuccinos.

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Need Help Voting? We Got You!

It can be hard to cut through the political noise, especially with billions of dollars in false advertising clouding the view. But CWA has endorsed candidates in races across multiple states.

Click here to learn more about pro-worker candidates running near you!

Earlier this month, CWA members, retirees, staff, and leadership met in San Antonio, Texas, for the CWA District 6 Annual Conference. Led by CWA District 6 Vice President Derrick Osobase, the conference was a chance for CWAers to network, share ideas, and learn new skills. Attendees included new leaders and seasoned veterans from across the District and sectors.

This year’s theme was “Solidarity Ignites Power,” which shone through during the powerful political panel highlighting the hard work our activists are doing to raise money, train volunteers, get out the vote, and elect unionists who share our values. The organizing panel shared details of the work happening right now to strengthen our internal structures and grow our Locals.

“Solidarity ignites power when we put it into action,” said CWA District 6 Vice President Derrick Osobase. “Every conversation with a coworker, every new member we organize, and every voter we turn out builds our strength. The challenge now is to take the energy from this conference back to our Locals and turn it into lasting power for working people across District 6.”

CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. remarked, “The entire labor movement is at an inflection point. The current war on workers means we cannot sit still. We must either grow or we will be swept away in the current storm. Your commitment to each other and our future is needed now more than ever.

“We survive by digging deeper, branching out, and bringing in new members. Across organizations, we are mobilizing in support of one another. We are opening doors to sustainable wages and safer working conditions for millions of workers, whether they are members or not.”

Other CWA leaders in attendance included CWA District 9 Vice President Frank Arce; CWA Telecommunications and Technologies Vice President Lisa Bolton; CWA Public, Healthcare and Education Workers Vice President Margaret Cook; CWA Southeastern Region Executive Board Member Vera Mikell; CWA Central Region Executive Board Member Reginald Small; and CWA Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam.

Notable guests included Senate candidate James Talarico and candidate for Texas governor Gina Hinojosa, both card-carrying members of CWA Local 6186, the Texas State Employees Union. Other elected officials included Adrian Reyna (Texas HD 125), Montserrat Garibay (Texas HD 49), and Texas State Senator José Menéndez. Labor advocate and Texas State AFL-CIO President Leonard Aguilar also shared his thoughts with those gathered.

Conference-goers attended sectoral breakout sessions for AT&T Southwest, the Airline Industry, the CWA Retired Members Council, AT&T Mobility, Telecommunications and Technologies, and Public Workers. Workshops included “Our People, Our Ballot” and “Growing Our Union—From the Inside and the Outside.”

 
Senate candidate James Talarico (center) joined CWA members, retirees, staff, and leaders at the 2026 CWA District 6 Conference. He is flanked by (left to right) CWA President Claude Cummings Jr.; CWA District 6 Vice President Derrick Osobase; CWA Telecommunications and Technologies Vice President Lisa Bolton; CWA Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam; CWA Southeastern Region Executive Board Member Vera Mikell; CWA District 9 Vice President Frank Arce; and CWA Public, Healthcare and Education Workers Vice President Margaret Cook. CWA Central Region Executive Board Member Reginald Small (not pictured) also attended.

On October 8, on the eve of the three-year anniversary of the union’s voluntary recognition, reporters, editors, designers, and photo staff of the Embarcadero Community News Guild, represented by the Pacific Media Workers Guild (TNG-CWA Local 39521), voted overwhelmingly to ratify a three-year contract.

Highlights from the deal include a median 10% wage increase, just cause security protections, vision coverage for the first time, and protections against having to use artificial intelligence in any manner that goes against their professional ethics, legal standards, or journalistic goals.

“Local news is more important than ever, and our contract protects the reporters, editors, designers, and photographers who form the backbone of our newsroom and keep our communities informed,” said bargaining committee member Riley Cooke, who reports for the Palo Alto Weekly.

Click here to read more about the contract.

Two weeks ago, members and elected officials from CWA Locals 3645 and 3641 demonstrated their solidarity alongside SEIU 32BJ union siblings at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). Members of SEIU 32BJ went out on a 24-hour strike on October 14 after the September 17 death of colleague Colleen Coates. According to her coworkers, Coates had complained of not feeling well for multiple days before collapsing on the jet bridge, possibly due to heat stress. Despite first-aid attempts, Coates could not be resuscitated.

SEIU 32BJ members at CLT are employed by ABM Industries, a facilities management company. Despite repeated attempts by workers, management has refused to acknowledge a signed petition detailing the workers’ demands.

Workers cited low pay, unclear paid time off policies, and inadequate workplace safety measures as reasons for the 24-hour work stoppage.

CWA passenger service members have been demanding these same kinds of provisions from American Airlines and Piedmont Airlines. CWA Local 3641 President Rebecca Brown has been heavily engaged in this fight, as well as CWA Local 3645 President Donielle Prophete.

Members of both CWA and SEIU 32BJ plan to keep the memories of their fallen coworkers alive through their fights for better pay and safer working conditions.

 
Members of both SEIU 32BJ and CWA plan to wear pins featuring Colleen Coates in protest of the unsafe working conditions that contributed to her passing. Our hearts go out to the family, friends, and colleagues left to mourn her.

In the runup to this year’s crucial midterm elections, where the direction of our democracy will be decided, CWA political activists are firing on all pistons to turn out union voters and elect champions for working people.

On Tuesday, CWAers joined the CWA District 3 phonebank for former North Carolina governor Roy Cooper, currently running for U.S. Senate. This included the newest crop of N.C. Political Activist Bootcamp participants, who collectively made over 10,000 phone calls. Approximately 78% of those contacted supported Cooper, with only 6% against.

During the course of the phonebank, an additional 62 members indicated they would like to volunteer and get plugged into upcoming electoral events.

Last week, members and retirees from CWA District 7 and beyond joined a phonebank for Arizona gubernatorial incumbent Katie Hobbs. Together, they made over 12,600 calls with respondents showing support for Hobbs at a ratio of ten to one. Pictured above, Hobbs addressed the volunteers, including CWA Legislative and Political Field Director Curtis Hierro, CWA District 7 Campaign Lead and 25-year broadband technician Fernando Roman, CWA District 7 Vice President Susie McAllister, and CWA President Claude Cummings Jr.

In CWA District 1 last week, members of the CWA Local 1033 Retired Members Council came together to complete postcards to potential union voters urging them to vote in favor of pro-worker candidates.

Thanks to all of you for your hard work. With the election only a few days away, CWA is in the fight and not backing down!