Political Action Updates, May 2023

New York - Progress on NY Bill to Ban Anti-Union Captive Audience Meetings

Fresh off a huge win eliminating mandatory fees for SUNY graduate workers in the New York State Budget, dozens of CWA Legislative & Political Action Team members flooded the Capitol with red on May 17th to advocate for our Worker Power Platform - a slate of bills that would lift up working families throughout the state and strengthen our collective power.

CWAers met with NYS Senator Jessica Ramos to discuss her bill, Defending Worker Free Speech Rights (S4982), which would protect workers from employers disciplining or retaliating against them for refusing to attend mandatory meetings in which the employer expresses personal ideologies - including anti-union opinions. Later that day, the bill was voted through the Senate Labor Committee.

Members met with several other legislators to discuss further shortening the waiting time for striking workers to receive Unemployment Insurance, protecting healthcare technical workers from mandatory overtime, worker retention in State contracted call centers, and establishing public banks in New York.

National - Gearing Up to Stop Attacks on Our Social Security and Public Services

Extremists in Congress are trying to push the Default on America Act, a bill that would impose devastating cuts on critical public services like veterans’ health care, Social Security, education, Meals on Wheels, and public safety. It would result in more manufacturing jobs being sent overseas. If we don't take action right now and this bill passes, we're at huge risk of a recession and more job losses.

On May 16th, more than 80 CWAers from across the country gathered over Zoom to learn more about this proposed legislation and what we need to do to stop it from becoming reality. The Default Prevention Town Hall was kicked off by our own District 1 Vice President Dennis Trainor, who introduced New York Congressman Pat Ryan, a staunch defender of worker rights who is committed to fighting this bill.

“The ultra wealthy can write off yachts,” said Rep. Ryan. “They can write off these huge expenses - they have all of these corporate tax cuts while working people suffer. That’s not who we are as a country, that we turn our back on the most vulnerable. So I ask your help and continued hard work to spread this message about this continued stark contrast, and let people know what’s at stake here.”

You can help! Click here to make a phonecall to your U.S. Senators to tell them to oppose the Default on America Act.