CWA Delegates Enthusiastically Back Obama

Endorsement among Nine Resolutions Passed at Annual Convention

Delegates to the CWA convention this summer heartily endorsed Barack Obama for president, applauding what they called a "hopeful, spirited campaign" that is championing the Employee Free Choice Act, universal health care and other issues critical to working Americans.

"From the early days of his career as a community organizer on the streets of Chicago, Senator Obama has proved to be a representative of the people and not the corporate special interests," said CWA Local 4217 President Bob Mayberry of Obama's home state of Illinois, speaking in support of the resolution to endorse him.

It was one of nine resolutions passed by the 2,500 delegates during the three-day convention in Las Vegas. Others focused on CWA's health care campaign, the Million Member Mobilization for the Employee Free Choice Act and fair trade.

The Obama resolution detailed the vast gulf in philosophy and policy proposals between Obama and Republican nominee John McCain.

"Our choice is between fundamental changes to improve the lives of working Americans or four more years of policies that favor the rich, that ship jobs overseas, that thwart the rights of workers to organize and bargain contracts, that leave health care decisions to insurance companies, that attempt, again, to privatize Social Security. And the list goes on," the resolution stated.

Further, it praised the candidate for running a campaign that "has invigorated a new generation of voters and touched Americans of all ages — even many Republicans — who have felt discouraged and hopeless over the last 71/2 years… His historic presidency will be a victory for every American."

Speaking to delegates via satellite from the campaign trail in New Mexico, Obama thanked CWA members for their support and their pledge to work tirelessly to elect him and a pro-worker House and Senate in November. (See separate story with excerpts of his speech.)

In other resolutions delegates:

• Honored the trailblazing 57-year career of now-retired CWA Secretary-Treasurer Barbara Easterling, whose commitment to workers' rights, women's rights and human rights has earned her international respect.
• Resolved that CWA locals and their members nationwide will play a vital role in the labor movement's Million Member Mobilization to pass the Employee Free Choice Act, beginning with electing Obama and pro-worker lawmakers who will pass the bill.
• Resolved to put political pressure on lawmakers and the White House to stop trade agreements with countries such as Colombia that systematically violate labor and human rights.
• Resolved to promote CWA's own Print Sector label, a union "bug" identifying print shops that employ CWA members. 
• Resolved to support "green" legislation and policies that address climate change issues while protecting good jobs and creating new opportunities for displaced workers. 
• Resolved to organize the largely unorganized cable and satellite industries, whose nonunion, lower-paid workforce is undercutting competition for bundled services from CWA-represented telecom companies. 
• Resolved to continue building on CWA's national campaign for health care reform, which calls for a cost-controlled strategy to provide univeral, affordable health care for all Americans. 
• Encouraged CWA locals to unite with other unions that are calling for an end to the Iraq war and genuine support for the troops through long-term medical care and other benefits; also calls for solidarity with Iraqi trade unionists who are fighting to restore their rights.

Vea página 8 para la traducción en español de esta historia. (Click here for Spanish translation of this story.)