Worker Power Update

New Affordable Internet Service Plans Will Help Create Good, Union Jobs

On Monday, at a White House event attended by CWA Secretary-Treasurer Sara Steffens, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris announced a program that will make high speed broadband more affordable for millions of Americans.

The Biden Administration has secured commitments from 20 internet service providers to offer plans for $30/month or less to households that are eligible for the Federal Communications Commission's Affordable Connectivity Program.

"Making high quality broadband more affordable, along with the high labor standards for broadband buildout required by the bipartisan infrastructure bill, will help create and support good, union jobs," said Steffens. "We appreciate the Biden Administration's strong leadership on this issue."

CWA's Broadband Brigade members have been promoting the Affordable Connectivity Program in their communities. CWA-represented companies AT&T, Verizon, Frontier, and Altice are among those offering discounted plans. To learn more and find out if you are eligible, visit GetInternet.gov.

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Fighting for Good Airport Jobs

On Thursday, CWA Local 3645 President Donielle Prophet joined Democratic Senator Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Representative Chuy Garcia (D-Ill.), other union leaders, and workers in Washington, D.C., to show support for setting national wage and benefits levels for all airport service and airline workers at major airports that receive federal funding in order to ensure public money serves the public good.

“Our contracts offer some protections against wage disparities in the industry, but there is still much to do. Airlines pay lower wages to employees working for wholly-owned regional carriers in order to maximize profits for shareholders,” said Prophet. “At Piedmont Airlines, my members earn wages that are significantly less than mainline agents, despite performing the same duties—sometimes alongside mainline counterparts. CWA’s regional employees deserve to earn the same pay for completing the same work.”

Donielle Prophet (pictured front and center), CWA Local 3645 President, joined lawmakers, other union leaders, and workers in support of setting a national wage and benefits level for all airport service and airline workers.

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CWA Endorses Pro-Worker Congressional Candidate in Florida

Today, the CWA Florida Presidents’ Council announced that they have endorsed Democratic Congressional candidate Maxwell Alejandro Frost in his primary election for Congressional District 10. Frost is a longtime political and social justice activist who believes it is time to change the system so that poor, working-class, and young people have a seat at the table. Strengthening workers’ rights, ending gun violence, winning Medicare for All, transforming our criminal justice system, and ending the climate crisis are among the broad issues he hopes to fight for in Congress.