Last night, American Eagle/PSA Flight 5342 collided with an Army helicopter in Washington D.C. Two AFA-CWA Flight Attendants and the relative of a CWA staff member were among those who died in the tragic crash.

Our entire CWA family is grieving the loss of the Flight Attendants, pilots, service members, and passengers aboard these aircraft. CWA’s leadership, members, and retirees stand ready to support and assist the crew members, aviation workers, and families who have been impacted by this catastrophe.

Last week, CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. attended the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting to discuss rising inequality and what can be done to ensure that economic gains translate directly into fairer wages and improved living standards for workers.

The World Economic Forum brings leaders from around the world together to address global challenges. During the “Earning a Fair Share” session, President Cummings focused on the positive impact of union representation and collective bargaining agreements on wages and working conditions. He also encouraged global unions to come together to address barriers to organizing.

Addressing the reasons for growing inequality, President Cummings said, “It’s corporate greed and the idea that companies need to give more money to their shareholders. It is the workers who actually provide the production and make money for these corporations. And for these CEOs, instead of it being about how to make workers’ lives better, it’s about what they can do to make the shareholders who have invested in the company more money.”

President Cummings was one of four U.S. labor leaders invited to this year’s World Economic Forum Annual Meeting. It is the first time that a CWA President has participated in the event.

Watch the discussion here.

CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. joined world leaders to discuss what can be done to ensure that economic gains translate directly into fairer wages and improved living standards for workers.

Earlier this month, members of CWA’s Telecommunications and Technologies (T&T) sector met in San Antonio, Texas, for networking, education, and to celebrate collective victories for T&T workers. The theme of the conference was “Facing the Future Together.”

Telecommunications and Technologies Vice President Lisa Bolton and her staff organized the conference with bargaining unit meetings, vendors, and workshops. Guests attending the conference included CWA President Claude Cummings Jr., CWA Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam, CWA Chief of Staff Sylvia J. Ramos, CWA District 7 Vice President Susie McAllister, CWA District 9 Vice President Frank Arce, Western Region At-Large Executive Board Member Keith Gibbs, and CWA General Counsel Matt Holder.

CWA District 6 Vice President Derrick Osobase, T&T Assistant to the Vice President Tony Shaffer, and CWA Local 6143 Executive Vice President Danny DeOsio welcomed members, retirees, and guests to the conference.

CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. gave the keynote address, thanking members for their tireless efforts both on the job and within the union. He highlighted T&T bargaining wins with companies, including the International Real Estate Partners, Coldwell Banker Richard Ellis, and Tucker Communications, as well as the work of the National Mobilization Committee in bringing CWA members together in solidarity and mutual support. Cummings also applauded T&T’s staff for providing essential support for districts and locals, sharing information, and coordinating strategy as they bargain independent telecom contracts.

President Cummings stressed the importance of unity as we move into this new political environment, saying, “Regardless of what the next few years hold, we will make it through so long as we stand united. We must remember this: the enemy is not in the room. Our strength is in our unity, and we must continue to lift each other up, break down barriers between us, and fight injustice wherever we find it. We are all we have, but in this union, I believe we have all the people, knowledge, and drive to not just survive but to thrive, no matter what the future holds.”

Telecommunications and Technologies Vice President Lisa Bolton reiterated the conference theme, saying, “With Trump coming back to the White House, now more than ever, we must all Face the Future TOGETHER!” Part of her work is focused directly on the future through CWA’s Next Gen program, empowering young CWA members to contribute their knowledge and energy in CWA’s fight for economic and social justice.

Conference attendees also heard from Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam and CWA Chief of Staff Sylvia Ramos, who made presentations on the financial outlook for the union and on CWA’s response to, and recommendations for, the use of artificial intelligence, respectively.

Conference attendees had the opportunity to educate themselves on a number of topics through a slate of workshops, including “Advanced Grievance & Arbitration,” “Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services,” and “Human Rights Gender Justice.”

Members of CWA’s Telecommunications and Technology (T&T) sector traveled to San Antonio, Texas for the T&T Annual Leadership Conference. Members heard from several CWA officials including CWA President Claude Cummings Jr., Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam, and Chief of Staff Sylvia J. Ramos. T&T Vice President Lisa Bolton hosted the conference.

IUE-CWA members demonstrate outside an aerospace industry convention in Fort Worth, Texas.

IUE-CWA members from GE Aerospace plants across the country converged in Dallas this week to deliver a message to the aerospace industry: Invest in skilled workers over stock buybacks.

Carrying banners declaring, “Don’t Let GE Crash Like Boeing: Stop Stock Buybacks—Invest in Skilled Workers,” IUE-CWA members distributed their open letter to industry leaders at the 2025 Aero-Engines Conference, warning of the risks of prioritizing Wall Street over critical workforce investments.

Boeing’s recent troubles—including a strike by 33,000 machinists last fall—have drawn intense scrutiny to the aerospace industry’s treatment of its union-represented workforce. Now, as GE Aerospace heads toward national contract negotiations, IUE-CWA workers warn that failure to invest in skilled labor could jeopardize GE’s reputation, product quality, and on-time delivery, mirroring Boeing’s past missteps.

“We don’t want GE making the same mistakes Boeing did. This is a chance for GE to step up, bargain in good faith, and prioritize people, product, and real engineering over financial engineering,” said Jerry Carney, IUE-CWA GE Conference Chair. “For decades, the aviation industry has chipped away at wages and benefits, which leads to low morale and makes it hard to attract new recruits. A new social contract that respects aviation workers is essential to keep our nation flying safely and on time.”

Representing more than 2,000 GE Aerospace employees across four states, IUE-CWA members are responsible for building, testing, repairing, and improving the advanced engines powering commercial and military aviation. Members of IUE-CWA Locals 81201, 83701, and 86004 traveled to deliver their message to industry leaders, and were supported in their demonstration by members of CWA Local 6201 from Fort Worth and IUE-CWA Local 86787 from Dallas, Texas.

Last week, Crested Butte Lift Maintenance workers (CBLM-CWA Local 7781) voted to authorize a strike against Vail Resorts. The strike authorization came on the heels of Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association’s (PCPSPA-CWA Local 7781) successful strike against the company. CBLM-CWA workers voted to form a union in June 2023, and contract negotiations with Vail Resorts, which owns Crested Butte Mountain Resort, have been ongoing since January 2024.

Members of CBLM-CWA cite low wages and a rising cost of living as their main issues. The company took nine months to respond to wage demands. Their counterproposal included no wage increases, prompting the escalation from workers. In a press release, workers stated, “Given the increasing cost of living in the Gunnison Valley, this response is unacceptable. It has become increasingly difficult to retain employees under these conditions. We respectfully urge decision-makers at Vail Resorts and Crested Butte Mountain Resort to reconsider our wage proposal to ensure fair compensation that reflects our current economic realities.”

Members got a bit of good news at the bargaining table earlier this week, however, with Vail representatives taking a more proactive approach to negotiations as a response to the strike threat.

Workers with the Keystone Ski Patrol Union (KSPU-CWA Local 7781) are also at the bargaining table with Vail Resorts. The company signaled that they do not want their patrollers to prioritize medical care for injured guests and questioned the importance of patrollers with higher medical certifications, such as nurses and paramedics who can perform advanced lifesaving procedures in the field. The KSPU-CWA bargaining team finds the company’s stance to be deeply problematic for both ski patrollers and public safety. Common injuries include anaphylaxis, femur fractures, and spinal injuries, which may require immediate stabilization before transportation off the mountain.

Click here to help CBLM-CWA workers reach their strike fund goal.

Last week, public service workers, represented by CWA Local 7076, held a rally at the New Mexico state capitol calling on Governor Lujan Grisham’s bargaining team to stop stonewalling and address the issues most important to state workers.

Governor Grisham has proposed language attacking fundamental worker rights like the right to blow the whistle on government fraud, abuse, and waste; denying union representation to protect employees from civil rights abuses under state and federal law; and attacking union representatives’ ability to investigate violations of worker rights.

CWA Local 7076 represents thousands of public service workers across thirteen state agencies. In addition to protecting workers’ rights, union members are also fighting for adequate compensation and benefits that match market standards. A 2023 study by the Legislative Finance Committee found that state workers in sciences, education, engineering, and healthcare earned 11% to 24% less than the market average. “The State must end the revolving door of its best workers leaving for better opportunities if it wants to address issues like education, child poverty, environmental protections, and health,” said CWA Local 7076 President Megan Green.

Over 100 people attended the rally, including members of CWA Local 7011 and other labor unions across the state. Members and leaders spoke about how the high vacancy rates in state employment are impacting workers’ ability to serve the citizens of New Mexico and how better working conditions like fair pay, better health insurance rates, remote work, and more paid leave will aid in worker retention.

Public service workers with CWA Local 7076 and allies rallied at the New Mexico state capitol to call for Governor Lujan Grisham and her bargaining team to come to the table and negotiate a reasonable contract that helps retain workers.

On January 17, over 60 members and allies of United Campus Workers-CWA (UCWVA-CWA) in Virginia traveled to Richmond to lobby their legislators on issues including collective bargaining for public workers and getting a bill passed to add worker representatives to the Board of Visitors for public universities. Other concerns include delayed graduate worker pay and the high cost of living near represented universities.

UCWVA-CWA represents workers at the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, William & Mary, and Virginia Tech.

After lobbying, the members held a rally in the Capital Square where Public, Healthcare and Education Workers Vice President Margaret Cook, UCWVA-CWA Local 2265 President Harry Szabo, and State Delegate Amy Laufer addressed the crowd. Several graduate teaching assistants and professors from across the commonwealth, also shared powerful stories of their struggles without collective bargaining.

Cook energized the crowd saying, “We are going to fight to make sure we continue the long arc of progress and justice in this country. And I believe that what y’all are up to here will lead to a new day for Virginia’s public sector workers and campus workers as well. I know you’ve got that in you because I see a fire here. So let’s continue to bring the heat, United Campus Workers!”

On January 24, a coalition of public service workers, including members of UCWVA-CWA, the Service Employees International Union, and the Virginia Educators Association, held a press conference congratulating lawmakers as a senate bill addressing public sector collective bargaining rights passed out of committee. Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell’s bill updates legislation passed in 2020 to give public sector workers, including teachers, firefighters, home care workers, and employees of public universities the freedom to bargain collectively for a contract. Virginia House Democratic Caucus Chair Kathy Tran introduced the companion bill, HB 2764, in the House.

“We love our jobs and we don’t want to leave them,” said Szabo, who teaches at Virginia Commonwealth University. “But we need to secure basic workplace protections if we’re going to be effective. Hungry people can’t teach well. People who are afraid of losing their housing or their jobs aren’t going to be as reliable for our students as people who know that their jobs are secure. Collective bargaining for higher education will allow us to focus on what we came here to do: making a bright future for our students.”

UCWVA-CWA Local 2265 President Harry Szabo spoke passionately at a rally for collective bargaining held at the state capital.

In December 2024, after nearly a year of negotiating, CWA Local 1031 members at the East Brunswick Public Library in East Brunswick, N.J., ratified a first contract. Negotiations with the East Brunswick Library Board were, at times, contentious, resulting in the need for mediation. In the end, however, workers won a fair contract including holiday pay and provisions for part-time workers to be paid in the event of unforeseen library closures.

Take a look back at the campaign.

TDS Broadband Field Service Technicians in St. George, Utah, arrived at work wearing CWA red in solidarity with their bargaining team. The workers are bargaining their first contract after joining CWA Local 7704 in November. We don’t play at CWA!

Earlier this month, former CWA Local 1123 President Chris Ryan took his oath of office to become a New York State Senator. Chris knocked on hundreds of doors and spoke with thousands of voters alongside CWA members from across District 1. Members also participated in canvassing, phonebanking, and texting to support their labor champion.

Senator Ryan stepped down as President of CWA Local 1123 to better focus on his constituents’ needs.