Democratic Platform Backs Employee Free Choice, High Speed Internet

Two of CWA's key policy goals – Employee Free Choice and a national broadband strategy – are part of the Democratic platform that will be presented to next week's national party convention in Denver.

In the plank devoted to "Good Jobs with Good Pay," the central point is the right to organize and bargain collectively:  "We know that when unions are allowed to do their job of making sure that workers get their fair share, they pull people out of poverty and create a stronger middle class."  The platform pledges:  "We will strengthen the ability of workers to organize unions and fight to pass the Employee Free Choice Act."

The platform also commits the party to fight to ban the permanent replacement of strikers, vigorously oppose "right to work" laws and ballot initiatives to weaken union political programs, and restore the role of the U.S. Labor Department and OSHA to that of protecting workers rather than aiding employers.

In a section calling for "A Connected America," the platform backs the goals of CWA's Speed Matters campaign for a national program to spur development of high speed broadband networks as "part of the solution to many of our most important challenges:  job creation, economic growth, energy, health care and education."  It pledges Democratic leaders to "implement a national broadband strategy (especially in rural areas and our reservations and territories) that enables every American household, school, library and hospital to connect to world-class communications."

CWA members testified at DNC platform committee field hearings on job and organizing issues and Speed Matters.