Political Action Updates
New York CWAers Kick Off 2024 with Legislative Training and Lobby Day
Members of the New York Legislative & Political Action Team (LPAT) gathered in Albany, NY last week to prep for another year of winning pro-worker legislation!
Our legislative priorities this year in New York include:
- Full Medicaid reimbursement so that our healthcare centers get the funding they need
- Raising revenue by making sure that the ultra-rich and major corporations pay their fair share in taxes
- Funding for the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies
- Protecting workers in State-contracted call centers
- Reducing the waiting time for striking workers to receive Unemployment Insurance from two weeks to one
- Protecting all healthcare workers from mandatory overtime
Read more about our 2024 New York Legislative Agenda here.
On Monday, more than fifty CWAers from locals throughout the state took part in a day-long Legislative Training, led by Local 1101’s Steve Lawton and Joe Tarulli, and Local 1104’s Chris O’Shea. Participants—some of whom are LPAT veterans and some of whom are new to CWAers legislative work—went over our Legislative Agenda for this year, discussed the bills and NYS Budget items that we’re fighting for, practiced effective lobbying techniques, and discussed the legislative process overall and how we’ve won several new pieces of legislation for workers over the past several years.
Participants were also joined by special guest Tom DiNapoli, New York State Comptroller and son of a CWA shop steward, who spoke about the importance of a strong union voice in the State legislature, as well as all of the victories that CWA has secured over the past several years.
On Tuesday, CWAers flooded the Capital with red for our first big Lobby Day of 2024. Members teamed up to speak with dozens of Assemblymembers and State Senators about our priorities, urging them to support our pro-worker agenda.
CWA Local 1037 Member Becomes First Black Woman Mayor of Neptune, NJ
Union members in public office - we love to see it! Congrats to CWA Local 1037's Tassie York, who just became the first Black woman to be mayor of Neptune Township.
"The driving force was my concern for my community. It didn't seem like we had a voice or the people who represented us really weren't representing us. I got into politics because of that because I wanted to make sure that my people had a voice."
Tassie, who works as a family specialist for the NJ Division of Child Protection and Permanency, has devoted a huge part of her life to public service. She won her first Township Committee election in 2021 after being involved in town politics for two decades.
Record Number of Union Members Sworn into the NJ Legislature
Speaking of union members in public office, January 9th marked the beginning of the new legislative year in New Jersey, including the swearing in of a record nine State Senators and Assemblymembers who are union members. There are another 39 union members elected at other levels of government. All have pledged to fight for workers and help strengthen New Jersey for working families.
Special Election for Congress on Feb. 13! Long Island CWAers Work to Help Election Pro-Worker Tom Suozzi
With the recent vacancy of the office for New York’s Congressional District 3, representing parts of Long Island and Queens, CWAers have mobilized fast to make sure that the seat is filled with a legislator who will truly fight for workers.
A Special Election is being held on February 13th to fill the seat following the expulsion of Rep. George Santos. Former Congressman Tom Suozzi, who has a long track record of standing with unions and working families, is running to take back his seat, and CWAers are working hard to help him win! This election will be critically important—this Congressional District has already seen the disastrous results of having a Representative who puts their personal gain above the community; we need to act now to ensure that we have a truly pro-worker Congress.
Over the past month CWA members have put in many hours of volunteer time to talk to voters about Suozzi’s 96% pro-union voting record and his history of bipartisan collaboration and accomplishments.
You can help take back the House of Representatives for working families! Join us for several upcoming events:
Bargaining Updates - Local 1122 Visiting Nurse Association Contract Ratified!
