IUE-CWA Wins Historic Agreement For More Union Jobs At GE

In a historic milestone in their ongoing campaign to grow union jobs at General Electric (GE), IUE-CWA members have secured a breakthrough agreement that will make it easier for workers to organize into a union, without retaliation or interference, at two potential GE offshore wind factories in New York State.

This is the first time GE has signed such an agreement with a labor union in the U.S. It is a testament to the hard-fought campaign by IUE-CWA members at GE, who have been calling on the company to bring union wind manufacturing jobs to the U.S. for the last several years.

If GE wins the bid to supply offshore turbines and blades for the next phase of New York State’s offshore wind development, it has promised to build two factories in the Port of Coeymans. If constructed, these facilities will be among the first off-shore wind factories in the U.S., creating hundreds of jobs and establishing an American foothold in this critical green manufacturing sector.

In a statement in response to the news, President Joe Biden said, "We are creating good-paying jobs that Americans can raise a family on, and the opportunity to join a union will help ensure hard working Americans continue to get paid what they deserve, and boost our local economies." Biden also commended IUE-CWA and GE "for working toward a future where unions help build the middle class again, and the middle class rebuilds America." 

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