CWA Members: Stronger Together!
We have power when we stand together.
CWA District 1 represents tens of thousands of public sector and private sector workers throughout New Jersey, New York, and New England. In New Jersey alone, we're over 70,000 members strong, and we've shown again and again that when we stand together and fight, we win - for members, for our families, and for workers throughout the Northeast.
Because we have a union, we can negotiate for better pay, health benefits, paid time off, retirement, job security, and many other issues to improve our lives. We can fight for vital legislation on the local, state, and federal levels to protect our jobs and strengthen our bargaining power.
Without a union, bosses and special interest groups are the ones who call all the shots, and the deck is stacked against workers.
The numbers don't lie
Workers in unions earn more on average and have better benefits than those without unions.[1]
U.S. states with more union density have higher minimum wages across the board.[2]
84% of union workers have employer-provided health insurance, but only 54% of nonunion workers do.[3]
Being part of a union has a clear, direct impact on our lives and working conditions.
But it's not just about pay and benefits. Having a union means having respect for the work we do, having protection on the job and the resources we need to get our jobs done, and having support if we have concerns or something goes wrong.
CWA Winning for Workers
Here are just a few recent examples of how our union membership has improved our lives and working conditions!
- Pensions: In 2023, CWA members secured a third historic pension payment for State workers in New Jersey, including $505 million added to the $6.4 billion payment, after 25 years of barely any funding.
- Bargaining Rights: We helped pass the Responsible Collective Negotiations Act in New Jersey in 2022 to allow us to bargain over more workplace issues and better protect workers.
- Health Benefits: In the face of proposed 20% increases to our health benefits premiums, CWA members fought back to reduce the impact on our contributions to just 3%, only a few dollars per pay period.
And we've had so many more amazing victories in the last few years!
Don't believe the frauds trying to break our union.
CWA members are occasionally receiving communications from "Opt Out Today," part of a network calling themselves the "Freedom Foundation". They claim to want to help us "save money". But who exactly are Opt Out Today and the so-called "Freedom Foundation"?
Who's behind "Opt out today"?
The “Freedom Foundation” is behind this and it’s actually a front group for radical anti-union, ultra-wealthy donors who want to trick us into thinking that if we leave our union, we'll save money and still maintain all of the rights and benefits that we've fought for.[4]
Why are they contacting us?
They know that we're stronger when we stand together as a union. Opt Out Today and the "Freedom Foundation" want to weaken us so that we can't fight for strong contracts and better workplaces.[5]
Why are they trying to weaken our union?
Because we win. When we stand together as dues-paying union members, we can fight for contracts and legislation that benefits workers, not the ultra-rich.
