Political Action Update - Anti-Union Captive Audience Meetings Banned in New York!

Big win for workers throughout New York! Thanks to months of hard work by the CWA Legislative & Political Action Team members who held countless meetings with legislators, wrote emails, made phonecalls, workers in New York can no longer be penalized for skipping meetings in which the employer expresses anti-union sentiment.

The new legislation was sponsored by NYS Senator Jessica Ramos (Chair of the Senate Labor Committee) and NYS Assemblymember Karines Reyes, and signed into law by Governor Hochul on September 6th.

(l-r) Billy Gallagher, Assistant to the District 1 VP; Gloria Middleton, CWA Local 1180 President; Dennis G. Trainor, CWA District1 Vice President; Senator Jessica Ramos; Assemblymember Kerinas Reyes at the bill-signing ceremony
 

Captive audience meetings are frequently used as an intimidation tactic by employers to force workers to listen to anti-union messages or threats designed to discourage them from forming or joining unions. Four other states have banned such meetings.

Throughout the New York Legislative Session earlier this year, dozens of CWA members from locals up and down the state traveled to the Capitol in Albany to speak with legislators and mobilized other members to contact their elected officials about the importance of this bill in protecting workers’ fundamental right to organize.

Read more here!