CWA Convenes the First In-Person National Convention Since 2019

More than one thousand delegates, alternates, retirees, and guests gathered in St. Louis, MO last month for an exciting and moving three days of celebrating the work done by CWA members over the past several years and planning for the road ahead. After the Virtual Convention held in 2021 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, CWAers were back in person this year to move some vital work, including electing the next National President and to give President Chris Shelton a rousing sendoff into retirement.

CWA District 1 Locals Honored

"The Morton Bahr CWA STRONG Award," named in honor of the former CWA President's vision, tenacity, and union building, was awarded to two District 1 locals:

• Local 1180 President Gloria Middleton was honored for 1180’s impressive internal organizing in the face of tough anti-union obstacles in the public sector.
• Local 1104 President Tom Benedetto was recognized for his leadership in figuring out new strategic ways to organize while facing a number of challenges, including the pandemic.

CWA Locals 1037 and 1088 were honored or their amazing work along with several other locals throughout the country raising money for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

CWA Local 1101 and CWA District 1 received several awards for having the most members contributing to the Political Action Fund (PAF) at at least $1 per week, and raising the highest PAF contributions ($2.1 million for all of D1!!). A strong PAF has made it possible for us to win vital pieces of pro-worker legislation like reducing the waiting time for striking workers to receive Unemployment, historic expansion of collective bargaining rights for NJ State Government workers secured through the Responsible Collective Negotiations Act, Safe Staffing legislation to protect healthcare workers, and including labor standards in public funding for broadband buildout.

Since the last CWA Convention, CWA locals from around the country have organized roughly 11,000 new members. District 1 locals that helped more than 100 workers join CWA were recognized:

• Local 1031
• Local 1101
• Local 1104
• Local 1123
• Local 1400
• Local 1168
• Local 1180
• The NewsGuild of New York

The Hat Award for outstanding achievements in organizing, CWA’s highest honor, is named for CWA's founding president, Joe Beirne, who would pass his hat at each organizing meeting to collect the funds he needed to cover travel costs of getting to the next group of telephone workers he was to visit.

President Emeritus Chris Shelton received the award this year in recognition of his lifetime of service to CWA and his outstanding leadership as president for the last eight years, during which more than 47,000 workers organized and joined CWA.

Committee Reports

Convention attendees heard great reports on the work done over the past two years by several national committees including the National Women's Committee (chaired by CWA Local 1101's Elizabeth Mercado) and the Committee on Civil Rights and Equity (with CWA Local 1106's Reggie Pierre-Louis and CWA Local 1180's Teesha Foreman).

CWA Executive Board Elections

District 1 Vice President Dennis Trainor was nominated for re-election by D1 leaders at the District meeting on July 10.
 

“If anyone has had the privilege of bargaining or being in organizing or strategy meetings with Dennis, you’ve heard him constantly say ‘what do the members need?’” said Adam Liebtag, President of CWA Local 1036, as he seconded the nomination. “It’s not a catchphrase. This is what really drives his focus, first, foremost, and always.”

VP Trainor was re-elected by rousing acclamation!

CWA Local 1180 President Gloria Middleton was also re-elected to the Executive Committee as Diversity At Large Member by acclamation.

Ameenah Salaam was elected CWA Secretary-Treasurer by acclamation. Ameenah previously served as Assistant to the President for Chris Shelton, and before that as CWA Local 13100 steward and then 13100 Vice President.

In a close contested election that included a runoff, Claude Cummings, previously the Vice President for CWA District 6, was elected as National President. Prior to his election as CWA District 6 Vice President, he was President of CWA Local 6222, and served previously in several other leadership positions.

See the full election results here.

Resolutions Passed at the Convention

Resolution #79A-23-01 - Honoring the Leadership and Determination of Christopher M. Shelton to Fight and Win for CWA Members and All Working People – CWA delegates voted to express their deep appreciation to Chris Shelton and bestow upon him the title of President Emeritus for his lifelong dedication to fighting and winning for CWA members and all working people. We recognize the legacy of strategic and thoughtful preparation to ensure that our union is able to win every fight we undertake on behalf of our members.

Resolution #79A-23-02 - Building Worker Power by Fighting for Pro-Worker and Pro-Union Laws in the States – CWA delegates voted to commit to prioritizing state level advocacy and legislative efforts to enact laws which would strengthen organizing and collective bargaining protections and build worker power. They also voted to elect pro-labor candidates for state and local office as well as to continue CWA’s efforts to advocate for passage of the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act and the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act.

Resolution #79A-23-03 - Resolution: Reforming Our Federal Tax Code to Support Worker Organizing and Collective Bargaining – CWA delegates voted to demand changes to our tax code so that it protects union members and the right to organize, bargain, and strike, by ending deductions for companies engaged in union busting or shipping jobs overseas, and by ensuring that all workers have the right to deduct union dues and work related expenses from their taxes.

Resolution #79A-23-04 - Fighting for the News Our Communities and Members Deserve – CWA delegates voted to recognize that the decimation and consolidation of local journalism has had a negative impact on our democracy and must be reversed. They also voted to support several pieces of legislation, including the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act, the Local Journalism Sustainability Act, and the Stop Wall Street Looting Act, and to support efforts by the Securities and Exchange Commission to strengthen the regulation of private equity companies.

Resolution #79A-23-05 - Mobilizing for Good Jobs and Safety in the Aviation Industry – CWA delegates voted to mobilize and work to ensure timely passage of FAA Reauthorization legislation that protects and builds on our members’ rights and protections on the job and a national air transportation system that supports good union jobs. They also voted to continue to fight for fair compensation, decent working conditions, and dignity, and safety on the job for our members and all workers in the aviation industry.

Resolution #79A-23-06 - Committee on Membership and Office-Holding Eligibility – CWA delegates voted to allow the CWA President, in consultation with the CWA Executive Board, to appoint a committee to discuss and report on questions raised about whether Local or International Union staff should be permitted to join the Union by virtue of their employment by the Union.

Resolution #79A-23-07 - Retired Member Council Eligibility for CWA Disaster Relief Fund – CWA delegates voted to include retired CWA members who have paid their dues to the CWA Retired Member Council in eligibility for support through the Disaster Relief Fund.

Resolution #79A-23-08 - Ensuring Accessibility at CWA Meetings for All – CWA delegates voted to establish a committee of members and staff who will work to develop suggestions for policies and practices to enable future meetings to be as accessible as possible for all of our members.

Resolution #79A-23-09 - CWA Resolution on Mutual Respect – CWA delegates voted to recommit to ensuring mutual respect in CWA and affirm that mutual respect must be a foundation and guiding principle of our union.