S-T Talk April 2026

Prior issues of S-T Talk are available on our website. Just visit cwa.org/s-t-talk

2026 PRESIDENTS’ MEETING AND LEGISLATIVE/POLITICAL CONFERENCE:
You can now register online for the 2026 Presidents’ Meeting and the Legislative-Political Conference. Both will be held at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill, located at 400 New Jersey Avenue NW Washington, DC. The room block is open for reservations at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill. The hotel cutoff date is May 9, 2026.

The Presidents’ Meeting will begin at 11 a.m. on Monday, June 1, 2026, and will continue until business is concluded. Online registration is open now!

The Legislative-Political Conference will begin at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, and continue through Wednesday, June 3, 2026. Please plan to stay for the entire Legislative/Political Conference, due to the critical importance of the upcoming elections. If you are visiting elected officials during the L-P conference, kindly schedule appointments after 1:00 pm ET so you are able to participate in the full conference agenda.

We look forward to seeing you and your delegates at both of these important meetings in June. Don't forget to bring your CWA lanyard and help reduce landfill waste.

QUARTERLY LOCAL S-T TOWNHALL ZOOMS:
Please join us on May 26th, from 3pm - 4pm ET for the S-T Townhall Zoom meeting. Please click here to register to attend the Zoom meeting. Mark your calendars for August 25th and November 24th, from 3pm - 4pm ET, to ensure that you do not miss any of the S-T Townhalls in 2026.

We are always looking for topics to cover that are of interest to you, so please email stoffice@cwa-union.org and let me know what is of interest to you.

APTIFY SERIES: DID YOU KNOW?
Microsoft Excel training:
Unlock the full power of your membership data with our virtual, beginner-friendly Microsoft Excel training—designed specifically for working with files exported from Aptify!

In this interactive session, you’ll learn how to:

• Use formulas and constant values with confidence
• Format worksheets for clarity and impact
• Easily modify columns and rows
• Prepare and print polished worksheets

By the end, you’ll have practical skills to transform your Aptify data into meaningful, actionable insights. Click here to sign up for an upcoming training session.

We’re here to help—reach out to us anytime at aptifysupport@cwa-union.org.

COPE-COMPLIANCE:
990 Copies
If you have not already done so, please email a copy of your local’s 2025 IRS 990 report to cwamail@cwa-union.org.

Locals must not implement any bylaws changes without completing the full approval and filing process. All proposed bylaw amendments must be submitted through the proper channels. For guidance on amending Local Bylaws, please use the guide in the UOPM. When your Local adopts new Bylaws, an MLO-110 form must be completed and submitted to your District office for Vice President review and approval. Once approved, the District office will send the approval form to CWA’s Compliance office to go in the Local’s permanent record, and the District will return a copy to the Local.

When amendments are made, copies MUST be uploaded with your Local’s annual LM filing online with the Department of Labor. If your local has forgotten to include them with the LM report, you may upload them at any time. We’ve prepared instructions for you in case you are unsure where to go on the Department of Labor’s website.

Please take a moment to review when your Local last amended its bylaws, whether Compliance has the most up to date copy, and when your Local last updated the Department of Labor. To contact Compliance, please email cwamail@cwa-union.org.

DUES:
New Per Cap/Billing Process Rolled Out 4/7/2026 for Top-Down Units!
These new billings are created automatically as we close the dues calendar for each unit.

Processing has been slow since then, as we are double checking amounts, verifying statuses, etc. as we go. We have found some programming things that need to be tweaked, and we anticipate those updates will be released by Monday, April 20th at the latest.

This means settlement may be smaller than usual on the 15th, with lots of local pay instead of dues. We will catch up with things, but we want the processing to be correct and not create additional errors that we have to fix later.

One of the current issues is that emails are not being sent to locals as we process, so please check the Open Invoices and Billing People by Order ID reports often until you see these new emails start to hit your inbox!

Also, as a reminder, we are still processing the manual adjustments and billings for Oct 2025 - Feb 2026. Oct 2025 is in process this week. Although the billings for these will show on the Open Invoices report, the detail will *NOT* show on the Billing People by Order ID report because the process was done manually. Please refer to the Excel files emailed to you for the details. The process for requesting PC refunds and statuses changes is the same as described above.

We appreciate your patience as we work through this new process.

FINANCE:
End of the Fiscal Year Deadline - May 21, 2026
Just a reminder that we are fast approaching the end of the fiscal year.

All general fund expenses, excluding SIF and Growth fund charges, that need to be paid during this fiscal budget year must be submitted into Business Central no later than Thursday, May 21, 2026, in order to ensure that they are paid by May 31, 2026. Anything received after May 21, 2026, will be charged to the 2026-2027 budget.

Please feel free to share this information with anyone in your District, Sector, Division or Department who handles expenses and invoices. If you have any questions, please contact the Secretary-Treasurer's office at SToffice@cwa-union.org.

Reimbursement Deadline
Locals please remember that all reimbursements need to be submitted to CWA and processed within 90 days of the event.

MEMBER COMMUNICATIONS:
Images on Your Website Could Put Your Local at Risk
Photographers and media companies have gotten increasingly sophisticated about identifying their images that are being used improperly. CWA has received several notices flagging images that have been improperly used, resulting in significant fines. Our union has a strict policy against the improper use of copyrighted material of any kind.

The use of copyrighted material is of particular concern when posting photos and other images to websites and social media or sending them via email. Many people assume that they can use any image they find online. This is not true. Most photos and images available online are subject to copyright protections.

To be safe, you should use photos and images that you or your members have created. We recommend that you do not use images found on other websites. If you do, be very cautious. Many websites that claim to be “royalty free” have strict requirements for attribution. If you don’t follow those requirements exactly, you can face fines.

Company Logos on Websites & Other Communications
Whether or not you need permission to use a company's logo on websites or other communications depends on how the logo is used. This includes logos that may be altered as satire or parody. Context, brand management and trademark issues need to be considered. Before using a company logo, it is best to seek advice from CWA's legal department via your staff rep.

Because of the increased scrutiny of copyrighted images online, especially photos, we recommend that you do a thorough review of your website and remove any images that might be subject to copyright. If you have any questions or need help removing images from a Union Hall site, please submit a support request to the Communications Department.

ICYMI (In Case You Missed It):
Changes to Per Capita Dues:
Dues Resolution at 80th Convention: Delegates approved a resolution requiring CWA International to collect Per Capita membership dues on an “actual” basis rather than an “anticipated” basis for members who do not pay dues. According to the CWA Constitution, Article VI, Section 2, locals are required to pay Per Capita dues, which are the portion of the member’s dues that is paid to the CWA International. This includes the fifty cents per member to the Defense Fund or the quarter hour to the Members’ Relief fund. All members are required to pay dues.

Under the new Resolution, the CWA International will no longer deduct the Per Capita, Defense Fund, and Members’ Relief Fund monies for any member who has no dues collected. Instead, the remaining amount for those paying dues will be sent to Locals via settlement check. The CWA International will now invoice Locals at the time of processing for the Per Capita, Defense Fund, or Member’s Relief Fund, for those in the unit not paying dues.

To learn more about how this will affect the locals, please use the links below to listen to our Special Meeting and Townhall Call on the Per Capita dues:

January 27, 2026, Special Townhall Call – Click here

February 24, 2026, S-T Townhall on Per Capita Billing Video – Click here

February 24, 2026, S-T Townhall Per Capita PowerPoint – Click here

2026 CWA Annual Training Schedule: Level Up Your Skills!
Our 2026 training calendar is now available with packed sessions designed to make your work smoother and your skills sharper! Whether you’re new to Aptify or just need a refresher, we’ve got you covered.

Aptify & Dues Process | 3 hours
New to Aptify? This comprehensive session will teach you the ropes and guide you through the dues process with confidence.
     May 15, 2026 - 12pm ET
     July 10, 2026 - 12pm ET
     September 18, 2026 - 12pm ET
     November 6, 2026 - 12pm ET

Bottom-Up Dues Process Refresher | 1.5 hours
For those who already know Aptify—this refresher is designed for users familiar with our bottom-up dues structure. Get a solid review to keep things running smoothly!
     July 17, 2026 - 12pm ET
     October 23, 2026 - 2pm ET

New! Grievance Management Module | 2 hours
Discover our latest addition: the Aptify Grievance Management Module! This new tool will simplify the grievance process, from filing to resolution. With easy, web-based access, you can handle collective bargaining agreements, deadlines, and documents all in one place. Perfect for local, district, and sector users!

LOCALS (Stewards/Local Rep/Local Officers) - Grievance Management module training sessions
     June 5, 2026 - 12pm ET
     August 7, 2026 - 12pm ET
     October 16, 2026 - 12pm ET

DISTRICT/SECTORS Reps - Grievance Management module training sessions
     April 17, 2026 - 12pm ET
     June 26, 2026 - 12pm ET
     August 21, 2026 - 12pm ET
     October 20, 2026 - 12pm ET

Microsoft Excel Tips for Aptify Data | 1.5 hours
Want to get the most out of your Aptify data? Join us for an Excel crash course! You’ll learn the best tips and tricks for navigating and optimizing your data like a pro.
     May 8, 2026 - 12pm ET
     August 28, 2026 - 12pm ET
     November 20, 2026 - 12pm ET

To sign up for one of our training sessions, please complete and submit this form. If you have any questions, email us at AptifySupport@cwa-union.org.

Free downloadable CWA Materials items available in the CWA Learning Lab!
You now have the opportunity to browse and download select CWA Materials resources for free! This option helps you save on printing and shipping costs while giving you instant access to materials you can easily share with your members.

To get started, log into Aptify and click CWA Learning Lab in the top navigation menu. Then, click on the CWA Materials Downloadable Items module to view the full list of available resources. You can read more details HERE and reach out to AptifySupport@cwa-union.org with any questions.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Local Officers Resources and Information:
CWA Union Operating Procedures Manual (UOPM)- This comprehensive manual is a great guide to help Local officers in navigating our Union’s policies and procedures. It includes topics like the organizational structure, Constitution, Local Officer duties and responsibilities, organizing, Local Finances, Federal reporting, Local meetings, membership database, dues processing, Local bylaws, records retention, strike manual and so much more. Click here to view the UOPM.

For Locals- Another great online resource with reference materials, contract database, convention proceedings and biennial reports, online communications tools for Locals, forms, materials, databases, stewards training portal and Local directory. Click here to access information for CWA Locals.

Feeling the Financial Crunch? Don’t Fall Behind.
Union Plus offers a Free Credit Counseling session and program options for members who would like to work with a professional to review and provide solutions to assist in their current or future financial situation. Learn more here.

In Unity,

Ameenah Salaam
Secretary-Treasurer