Since the founding of our union nearly 80 years ago, CWA members have united to dedicate our time, our energy, and our financial resources to build a better future for ourselves and our families.
The Members’ Relief Fund, the Strategic Industry Fund, and the Growth Fund strengthen our union and provide a critical foundation for our work. The Members’ Relief Fund supports members and our families when it is necessary to strike to win a fair contract, while the SIF and Growth Funds enable us to build our bargaining power and our union through innovative programs.
These funds have evolved over time in response to our union’s changing needs and challenges. Once again, it is time to take a look at those guidelines to make sure our union has the resources it needs to get the job done.
Why Are Adjustments to the Members’ Relief Fund Guidelines Needed?
Variability in Members' Relief Fund investment income has created a serious threat to the continued funding and staffing of our Strategic Industry and Growth Fund programs at a crucial time when the rights of workers are under attack.
Funding for our Strategic Industry and Growth Fund projects relies partially on investment earnings from the Members’ Relief Fund, also known as the MRF. This funding has been highly variable, ranging from a high of $52 million to $0 in years where there was a net loss.
Additionally, under the current guidelines, funding for Strategic Industry and Growth Fund projects is reduced when the balance of the Members’ Relief Fund falls below a “soft floor” of $400 million and temporarily suspended when it falls below a “hard floor” of $377 million. These amounts were set arbitrarily, solely based on the balance of the MRF at the time the Strategic Industry Fund was established.
Last year, following the AT&T Southeast strike, the Members’ Relief Fund dipped below the $400 million soft floor. Though our MRF has since recovered to $402 million in the following months, 2025 investment returns were close to zero.
What Does the CWA Unbreakable Resolution Do?
The proposed CWA Unbreakable Resolution addresses this variability by lowering the floor for the Members’ Relief Fund and adding predictability to the investment allocation.
The CWA Unbreakable Resolution lowers the Members’ Relief Fund soft floor to $350 million and the hard floor to $325 million. These levels preserve our strike readiness and ensure that members will still receive ample financial support when they walk off the job. It also sets investment income for the Strategic Industry and Growth Funds at a consistent $14 million. In years when investment income is higher than $14 million, any additional funds will remain in the MRF.
This does not mean we will move $75 million from the Members’ Relief Fund to the Strategic Industry and Growth Funds. We are adjusting the floor so that during challenging periods, we will continue to be able to use investment income from the Members’ Relief Fund to fund critical Strategic Industry and Growth Fund programs.
The resolution also addresses strike benefits, which were last set in 2019 at $300 per week beginning on the fifteenth day of a strike and $400 per week beginning on the twenty-ninth day of a strike. The CWA Unbreakable Resolution raises strike benefits to $400 a week beginning on the fifteenth day of a strike and $500 per week beginning on the twenty-ninth day of a strike.
Keeping Our Union Strong Today, Tomorrow, and in the Future
The CWA Unbreakable resolution maintains the strength of the Members’ Relief Fund to support our members’ ability to strike while providing consistent, sustainable funding for our important Strategic Industry and Growth Fund projects.
- It sets a predictable $14 million in annual investment returns by using an investment approach which will guarantee predictable returns while maintaining the liquidity to fund massive strike actions at a moment’s notice, and
- It resets the MRF floor levels to protect our Strategic Industry and Growth Fund project funding from market fluctuations or large strike actions.
- It enhances our leverage that comes from credible strike threats by improving current strike benefits by $100 each week.
These changes maintain a strong Members’ Relief Fund while better meeting striking members’ financial needs. They also ensure a more consistent flow of resources to the Strategic Industry Fund and Growth Fund programs which allow us to grow and strengthen our union to be prepared for all the challenges that we will face in the future.
Read the Proposed CWA Unbreakable Resolution