Camden, NJ CWAers Celebrate Huge Win

Members of CWA Local 1014 in Camden, NJ, celebrated a victory after defeating a plan that put dozens of jobs at risk.

Camden County officials were attempting to enact a “shared services agreement” that would have effectively seized control of the City of Camden’s Finance Department. The proposed “shared services agreement” not only jeopardized CWA jobs, it also would have eroded the local control of the residents of this black and brown city. Under the proposal, control of the City’s finances would have been transferred to County officials who live in the surrounding suburbs.

The Local engaged with allies in labor and in the community to resist the proposal. To protest the plan, members of CWA Local 1014 and their allies flooded a City Council Zoom meeting beyond the Zoom account’s capacity. The coalition also confronted County Commissioners at their monthly meeting.

As the Coalition was preparing to escalate the campaign, the proposed “shared services agreement” was vetoed by the Lt. Governor.

"We’re elated that we defeated this attack,” Said Garren Steiner, President of CWA 1014. “We mobilized our members, we built a coalition, we bombarded management with Open Public Records Act requests, we engaged the press, and we reached out to Governor Murphy’s administration. We sent a message that any future attempt to threaten our members’ jobs will be met with resistance. We will not stand by while City of Camden residents’ right to self determination is under assault.”