Who CWA Isn't

You can’t afford NOT to have a union. The improvements in pay and benefits which you can only win with a strong union will more than offset the dues you pay—plus you’ll get the improved treatment and respect that comes with a union contract.

As the old saying goes, “you get what you pay for.” No organization can be effective without money to pay for services and supplies.

Remember: you don’t pay any dues until you win a contract.

CWA is a financially strong union which exists only to serve workers. CWA members want to help other workers organize because every time a new group of workers gets a union contract, it puts more pressure on all employers to improve pay and working conditions.

CWA’s strong financial condition is detailed in reports which are available for inspection by any member.

CWA members decide how to spend our dues on services . All decisions about the CWA budget—including salaries for the union officers who serve us—are made at annual national conventions of delegates elected by the local unions.

CWA’s financial reports are provided every year to the federal government, which can bring charges if union money is being misused.

In more than 40 years since the CWA national union was founded, it has never been accused by the government of misuse of funds.

Only the elected local union delegates can decide to raise dues you pay . Dues are set at two hours pay per month, which means that increases in dues come only after much larger increases in pay. The elected delegates to national conventions can vote a special assessment if the membership feels that extra money is needed for an emergency, but that hasn’t happened in the past 25 years. Special assessments by individual local unions, which are also rare, must first be approved by a secret-ballot vote of the members.

Workers join CWA to improve their jobs, not to strike . In 97 percent, of the cases, CWA negotiates contracts without a strike.

Only workers themselves can decide to strike. In CWA, a strike can only be called by a majority of the workers who would be directly involved—and only in a secret-ballot vote. You would never be asked to go on strike because of a dispute somewhere else.

CWA has a Defense Fund to support strikers . In that tiny percentage of cases where a strike becomes necessary, CWA members receive strike support from the multi-million-dollar CWA Defense Fund.

You will not be told what to do by CWA . If you want a strong union to represent you, you’ll probably decide to participate in CWA activities—but that’s completely up to you. No one can force you to come to meetings or vote for certain candidates.

Signing a union card simply means you want a union. All union decisions are made democratically. There are no “union bosses.”

For the first time, you will have a fair system for promotions and job assignments. CWA contracts do not give union officials any power over you. But our contracts do limit management’s ability to use a different set of rules for each employee.

CWA will help you talk to management only if you ask for help . With CWA, you will elect co-workers to be “stewards—people who will be trained to represent you on the job if you want them to. If you feel you can get results from your supervisor without help, fine. But if you can’t, you will have the union to turn to.

CWA exists to solve problems peacefully. With CWA, workers and management can sit down as equals and discuss problems that come up. You are the union here, and you certainly aren’t planning any violence.

Your employer is legally required to negotiate with the union you choose. Nearly every employer talks tough before workers organize. But it is in the employer’s interest to keep the employees satisfied and keep the work flowing. So after you present your employer with reasonable contract proposals, a settlement is usually possible. If your employer really believes he won’t have to agree to improvements, why is he fighting against the union?

More than half a million CWA members all over the U.S. get better benefits, not worse. You will decide by democratic vote what to ask for in your contract and whether to accept what is offered to you. So no one from the outside could possibly “trade away” benefits you want to keep. What you win in your contract will depend on what you have to start with and how actively you and your co-workers participate in the union. If unions really lead to worse benefits, why doesn’t your employer want to get the union in now so he can start saving money?

Shutting down operations to avoid a union would be against the law and wouldn’t make economic sense. Your employer won’t directly make the threat of a shutdown because he knows he can’t legally follow through. Besides, your employer is doing a good business here. A shutdown would mean financial losses.

It’s against the law to punish anyone for supporting a union . This is why your employer doesn’t spell out this empty threat. CWA has an expert legal staff which will defend the rights of any worker who may have been punished for union activity.

The union and management will get along fine—if management is willing . When you negotiate a contract with your employer, you can agree to as much flexibility for employees as you want. The only thing you will probably not want in your contract is flexibility for your employer to harass some workers and play favorites with others.

A union is the only way to make sure your employer changes. If your employer is really willing to change, he can sign a fair contract. Some workers have listened to employers’ promises only to learn the hard way that promises are forgotten if the union is voted down.

Without a union, your employer still has the last word. New procedures for hearing complaints may sound good at first, but without a union your employer can simply ignore your ideas. CWA contracts provide for arbitration of disputes, so that if you and the employer can’t agree, the problem will be resolved by a neutral person chosen only with the approval of both sides. If your employer is so interested in what you have to say, why is he afraid to see you standing united while you say it?

If you can get changes by talking union, imagine what you can get once you have joined. The experience of other workers shows that you have to continue your organizing to keep what you’ve won and get action the next time you have a problem.

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