Search News
For the Media
For media inquiries, call CWA Communications at 202-434-1168 or email comms@cwa-union.org. To read about CWA Members, Leadership or Industries, visit our About page.
CWA, Ready for the Future
The following is the full text of Resolution #1
Throughout our great history, the Communications Workers of America has always been both proud of our traditions and capable of changing to address new challenges. We have continued to thrive through difficult times by this ability to adapt and grow.
In the last 20 years, CWA has undergone an incredible transformation. Once almost entirely composed of telephone workers, our union has continued to diversify and grow. The telecommunications industry has become the major component of the information industry and will transform itself to include the media/entertainment industry in the next few years. We are poised to represent this entire industry through mergers with telecom and broadcast unions. Through other organizing victories and mergers, we are now a union that represents workers from virtually every walk of life. Today, in addition to telephone workers, we represent workers in the public sector, newspapers and broadcasting, customer service, airlines, health care, manufacturing and information technology.
The economy, a hostile legislative environment, and corporate mergers and restructurings, have affected nearly all CWA members. To address these changes, we have developed innovative strategies: bargaining to organize through card check and neutrality agreements, building labor/community coalitions and leveraging collective bargaining strategies based on grassroots membership mobilization programs. Using the CWA triangle, we connect political action to building the union through organizing and workplace representation.
Yet today, at this milestone moment in the life of CWA, we are confronted with one of the most serious challenges in our history. The percentage of organized labor is declining. It is below 8 percent in the U.S. private sector, and is higher, but still declining, in Canada. The political power of anti-worker politicians is destroying the communities and living standards of working families. CWA is not immune from this crisis. Both the international union and our locals are faced with increasing problems and declining resources.
To address these pressing issues, we need to examine the structures and activities of our union at all levels, and we need to imagine our future together. We believe it will take the collective wisdom of every member to help us determine what is best for the future. It will require thought and discussion at every level of the union. These discussions should be farranging, creative, and visionary. It is anticipated that such discussions might include, but would not be limited to: the structure of the union as it relates to national, multi-district employers; the relationship of members and bargaining units to districts and sectors; the roles and responsibilities of locals; the structure of union assets and resources; ways to engage greater participation by all union members, with special emphasis on our newer members; ways to more effectively deploy resources; and structures to represent industries new to the union, such as cable and wireless.
No part of this union can or should be left out of the discussion, and every level of the union should be examined, including national, district and sector levels, councils, committees, conventions, meetings and locals. We must not be afraid to examine our union thoroughly and thoughtfully from top to bottom in order to best represent our members. In this far reaching review, there are no sacred cows. We must acknowledge the accomplishments of the past and be prepared to embrace the future. That will only happen if we are willing to engage in a forthright debate about what makes CWA relevant and important to the members now and in the future.
Resolved: The 67th Annual Convention of the Communications Workers of America commits to embarking upon a process that will include the following:
Throughout our great history, the Communications Workers of America has always been both proud of our traditions and capable of changing to address new challenges. We have continued to thrive through difficult times by this ability to adapt and grow.
In the last 20 years, CWA has undergone an incredible transformation. Once almost entirely composed of telephone workers, our union has continued to diversify and grow. The telecommunications industry has become the major component of the information industry and will transform itself to include the media/entertainment industry in the next few years. We are poised to represent this entire industry through mergers with telecom and broadcast unions. Through other organizing victories and mergers, we are now a union that represents workers from virtually every walk of life. Today, in addition to telephone workers, we represent workers in the public sector, newspapers and broadcasting, customer service, airlines, health care, manufacturing and information technology.
The economy, a hostile legislative environment, and corporate mergers and restructurings, have affected nearly all CWA members. To address these changes, we have developed innovative strategies: bargaining to organize through card check and neutrality agreements, building labor/community coalitions and leveraging collective bargaining strategies based on grassroots membership mobilization programs. Using the CWA triangle, we connect political action to building the union through organizing and workplace representation.
Yet today, at this milestone moment in the life of CWA, we are confronted with one of the most serious challenges in our history. The percentage of organized labor is declining. It is below 8 percent in the U.S. private sector, and is higher, but still declining, in Canada. The political power of anti-worker politicians is destroying the communities and living standards of working families. CWA is not immune from this crisis. Both the international union and our locals are faced with increasing problems and declining resources.
To address these pressing issues, we need to examine the structures and activities of our union at all levels, and we need to imagine our future together. We believe it will take the collective wisdom of every member to help us determine what is best for the future. It will require thought and discussion at every level of the union. These discussions should be farranging, creative, and visionary. It is anticipated that such discussions might include, but would not be limited to: the structure of the union as it relates to national, multi-district employers; the relationship of members and bargaining units to districts and sectors; the roles and responsibilities of locals; the structure of union assets and resources; ways to engage greater participation by all union members, with special emphasis on our newer members; ways to more effectively deploy resources; and structures to represent industries new to the union, such as cable and wireless.
No part of this union can or should be left out of the discussion, and every level of the union should be examined, including national, district and sector levels, councils, committees, conventions, meetings and locals. We must not be afraid to examine our union thoroughly and thoughtfully from top to bottom in order to best represent our members. In this far reaching review, there are no sacred cows. We must acknowledge the accomplishments of the past and be prepared to embrace the future. That will only happen if we are willing to engage in a forthright debate about what makes CWA relevant and important to the members now and in the future.
Resolved: The 67th Annual Convention of the Communications Workers of America commits to embarking upon a process that will include the following:
- Between now and March 31, 2006, each local will hold discussions at executive board and membership meetings on ideas for structure, strategies and activities to meet the challenges of the present and future. Ideas for change, both at the local and international level, should be discussed. All ideas should be discussed and considered with the goal of improving our union and our ability to represent our members. We must not shy away from discussion of internal structural changes within CWA both on a local and national level. Options for mergers and consolidations throughout the organization should be considered. We must take a hard look at our finances and what our priorities should be in this regard.
- The CWA international will prepare a "discussion guide" for locals to be available by December 1, 2005, as well as a process for collecting local ideas.
- CWA will create a website for discussion of these issues where local unions can post their progress with opportunities for members to have input.
- Between now and May 1, 2006, each district or sector meeting will include a discussion of ideas for structures and activities to meet the challenges of the present and future. Each district and sector should create a process involving local officers working with the district to prepare options for change. Each district or sector should submit their ideas to the CWA Executive Board through its vice president.
- The CWA Executive Board will develop a draft "The CWA Strategic Plan for the Future" by June 1, 2006. The plan will include any constitutional changes and convention resolutions necessary to implement the plan. The plan will be posted on the website, in addition to the usual communications with local presidents. The 2006 convention will provide the opportunity for debate and adoption of changes.