CWAers Line Up Victory After Victory in 2021 New York Legislative Session

The 2021 New York State Legislative Session wrapped up last week with some big wins for CWA and working families across the state. CWA members throughout New York have given a huge amount of time and energy over the past few months to advocate for legislation to protect our jobs, make workers safer, and overall strengthen our state for working families - especially as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. Since January, we:​

• Held 5 lobby days

• Had 206 meetings with legislators

• Made over 3,500 calls to CWA members and legislators

• Sent nearly 11,000 texts to CWA members and legislators

• Sent over 4,000 emails to legislators

And we did it all under unprecedented circumstances, with Virtual Lobby Days and remote meetings.

Members of CWA Locals 1109 and 1180 meet via Zoom with NYS Senator Jabari Brisport

While we had some disappointments and some bills we’ll be coming back to fight for next year, we won the following:

✓ $4.3 billion in new revenue by taxing the ultra-wealthy that will help rebuild our schools, hospitals and universities, and bolster our public services.

✓ Progress on Safe Staffing legislation for hospitals and nursing homes. After decades of work, we passed legislation to form hospital-by-hospital labor/management staffing committees that will create staffing plans - enforced by the DoH and ensuring that there are real consequences to understaffing.

✓ $1 million for our Broadband Data Mapping Bill to study broadband access throughout New York State so we can better deliver broadband to all.

✓ NY HERO Act to protect workers on the job. This groundbreaking bill will protect workers during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and beyond by creating new health & safety standards, giving workers a stronger voice on the job, and holding employers accountable.

✓ Fiber Acceleration. This bill gives broadband service providers like Verizon the right to access buildings to deliver fiber in order, allowing our members to deploy better broadband service to New Yorkers.

✓ $3.1 million for the CUNY School of Labor & Urban Studies.

This has been one of the best, most successful legislative sessions for CWAers in New York! And it would not have happened without the dual forces of our political action work: turning out in force to get good candidates elected to office, and many, many conversations and advocacy with those elected officials throughout the legislative session. It's never been more clear: ELECTIONS MATTER. After seeing our pro-worker bills blocked for years, because of our members’ hard work, we’re making real change for New York's working families.