S-T Talk October 2024

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

QUARTERLY LOCAL S-T TOWN HALL ZOOMS:

Time flies when you are having fun, sharing, and learning. Our last quarterly Local S-T Townhall Zoom for 2024 will be November 26, 2024, at 3 pm ET. Now that we have gone through a lot of the basics, we have gotten requests for more advanced topics that Secretary-Treasurer’s are facing. We will meet to plan our town hall topics for the 2025 calendar year. If you can’t make our November 26, 2024 town hall, please email SToffice@cwa-union.org on or before November 18, 2024, to provide topics you would like to see covered in our 2025 Town hall Zoom series. Be on the lookout for your town hall Zoom registration email on November 4, 2024.

DISASTER RELIEF INFORMATION
CWA Disaster Relief Fund

Members are eligible for an assistance grant if their home is damaged due to a FEMA-declared natural disaster. The National CWA program allows up to 6 months to submit the application for assistance. You can utilize this simple FEMA Declaration tool to see if your local resides in one of the areas affected and can share the benefit with your members. www.fema.gov/disaster/declarations

Please refer to the CWA Disaster Relief Fund Member Handbook. We want to make sure every eligible member has updated information to access financial assistance in the event of a FEMA-declared natural disaster. Members and their locals have six (6) months from the date of the disaster declaration to file the Disaster Relief Fund application with the District staff assigned to the Disaster Relief Fund.

Some CWA Districts and Sectors also provide hardship grants. Please promote the National program alongside these programs as members are not limited to just one source of support.

UNION PLUS Disaster Relief Grant Reminder: 
Members who live in areas impacted by declared natural disasters in the last 24 months, and who participate in the Union Plus Credit Card, Mortgage, Life Insurance, Accident Insurance, Auto Insurance, Personal Loan, and Retiree Healthcare programs may be eligible to access Union Plus Disaster Relief Grants. Eligible members must have their primary residence in a county or parish designated by FEMA as eligible for Individual Assistance. No proof of property damage required. Learn more at unionplus.org/disaster.

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact Kevin Celata at kcelata@cwa-union.org

DUES
MLO-81 Form, Cash Payers, Local Officers Dues Payment

Just a reminder that if you have anyone paying dues directly to the local instead of via employer payroll deduction, we at HQ need to know! This is especially important for local officers, as they must be in good standing in order to remain in office.

The MLO-81 form is used to add/change/remove cash payers, and it can be found as WORD Document Form and PDF form

A local officer should fill it out and return it to duesquestions@cwa-union.org . If there are any changes, the form will need to be turned in again to let us know. (Without that second form to tell us differently, per-cap deductions will continue!)

To help locals keep on top of this, Aptify sends out an automated quarterly reminder email. It is just a notification to prompt you to turn in the form if needed. There is no need to reply to the notification.

For more information and a downloadable document about cash payers and retirees, click HERE.

COPE/COMPLIANCE
Local LM Filing Deadline (For Fiscal Year Ending September 30th):

Locals with a Fiscal Year Ending date of September 30, 2024, have an LM filing with the Department of Labor due electronically by December 29, 2024.

The LMRDA does not authorize or grant any extension of time for filing these reports for any reason.

Electronic Forms System (EFS) is a web-based system for completing, signing, and submitting Labor Organization Annual Financial Reports. EFS allows a labor organization with a web-enabled computer the ability to acquire, complete, sign, and electronically file reports without purchasing a digital signature or downloading special software.

Reporting Requirements

   · If total annual receipts are less than $10,000, Locals may use the online Form LM-4; 
   · If total annual receipts are less than $250,000, Locals may use the online Form LM-3;
   · If total annual receipts are more than $250,000, Locals must use the online Form LM-2.

Go to the following links for more info on the LM-2, LM-3, and LM-4:
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/olms/reports/forms/lm-1-lm-2-lm-3-lm-4

Exclusion From Filing LM Reports
Only those Locals comprised entirely of public employees (state, county, or municipal employees) are excluded from filing an LM financial report.

CWA Councils ― Labor-Management (LM) Reporting
CWA Councils (city, state, or regional Councils) are also subject to the reporting requirements of the LMRDA. The Councils should use the same monetary guidelines as previously outlined in determining which LM financial report form to use. (Part V. Federal Reporting of the UOPM)

Bond Invoices & Certificates Reminder
If your local obtains Labor Organization Bond coverage through the CWA or TNG Bond policies, please note that the policies renewed on October 4, 2024.

Certificates and Invoices will be mailed directly to Locals from Eberts & Harrison, and they expect all to be in the mail by October 9. If you do not receive your Certificate of Coverage and Invoice by October 25, please contact CWA Compliance at cwamail@cwa-union.org.

Information about paying invoices online or by check will be included in the mailing. Please remit payment as soon as possible to avoid coverage cancellations.

APTIFY
Free downloadable CWA Materials items are 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.

MEMBER COMMUNICATIONS
FREE Website, Email, Texting, and Other Online Tools for Locals
Did you know that CWA offers an easy-to-use solution for Local websites called Union Hall? The platform is free to use - the only cost is your domain name registration, which is usually less than $10 per year. We even provide phone and email support. Learn more at cwa-union.org/for-locals/websites.

CWA Locals also have free access to the complete Action Network toolset, which includes the ability to send unlimited emails to your members and to create online actions like petitions, forms, event RSVP pages, and letter campaigns. Text messaging is also available for a minimal fee - about a half-cent per message. You can sign up here or reach out to the CWA Communications Department for more information and a demo at commshelp@cwa-union.org.

Already using our tools and need a refresher? Check out our training schedule and recordings of previous training sessions here: cwa-union.org/CommsTrainings.

Make sure your members are receiving the CWA Newsletter and other communications

CWA’s weekly newsletter helps keep members informed about everything happening across our union. Encourage your members to visit cwa.org/signup to sign up. If there’s something interesting going on in your local that you’d like to have included, send an email to news@cwa-union.org.

Members can also receive weekly text messages from CWA with information about discounts and other UnionPlus benefits that are available to them by texting PLUS to 49484. Message & data rates may apply. Recurring messages. Visit cwa.org/sms for Terms & Conditions and cwa.org/privacy for Privacy Policy.

ICYMI:(In Case You Missed It)
APTIFY Trainings for Locals and Staff:

Our remaining Aptify training schedule for 2024 is listed below. All trainings will be at 12 pm ET over Zoom. 
Please click here to register for an Aptify training session

• Aptify/Dues Process Training
  November 8
• Bottom-Up Dues Process “Refresher” Training
  October 18
• Microsoft Excel Training for Aptify
  November 15
• *New* Aptify Grievance Management Module
  For District/Sector Staff  
  October 25

In Unity,

Ameenah Salaam
Secretary-Treasurer