This week, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that firing someone based on their sexual orientation or gender identity is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This ruling provides clarity and comfort for millions of LGBTQ working people in the United States who are not covered by anti-discrimination provisions in state and local laws or union collective bargaining agreements.

"For too long, LGBTQ working people have risked losing their jobs if they didn't conform to their employer's gender stereotypes," said CWA President Chris Shelton. "Today's Supreme Court decision finally recognizes that discrimination against LGBTQ people at work is just plain wrong. We at CWA celebrate this milestone and commit to continuing the fight for justice for all working people."

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Dan Mauer, Director of Government Affairs for CWA, has been appointed to the Independent Mexico Labor Expert Board to monitor Mexico's implementation of the labor standards established in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

"I'm excited to have the opportunity to represent the views of CWA members on the Independent Mexico Labor Expert Board," said Mauer. "We fought hard to improve the labor enforcement provisions in Trump's new NAFTA deal, but the reality is those provisions aren't strong enough on their own to meaningfully protect workers' rights, raise standards, and prevent a race to the bottom in wages and working conditions in call centers and other workplaces."

As the COVID-19 public health crisis persists, state and local government budgets are beginning to be squeezed because of lost revenues. This threat to our social safety net also threatens CWA's public service members, whose jobs are on the line as politicians look for places to cut. CWA members are mobilizing to defend the public sector, their jobs, and the services they provide by calling on the U.S. Senate to pass the HEROES Act.

The HEROES Act is being held up by members of the Republican majority in the Senate, who are refusing to take action on the bill, which would provide over a trillion dollars in critical aid to state and local governments, and address other urgent needs like premium pay for essential workers, extending unemployment, scaling up testing and tracing, defending elections, and more. From New York to New Mexico, members have made thousands of calls to union members and supporters to get them to call their Senators to urge support for the HEROES Act.

"We've got to make these Senators in Washington D.C. hear the message loud and clear: the crisis will only get worse if they don't act," said Josh Smyser, a member of CWA Local 3865 who participated in the phone banking. "Enough with the typical BS, we need action."

During the Great Recession, insufficient and delayed support for state and local governments prolonged the economic crisis. Unable to borrow, the public sector faces the prospect of having to make deep cuts – as much as half a trillion by 2022 – which threatens the country's ability to recover.

"Not only are our jobs on the line, but so are the critical services our communities rely on," said Smyser." Saving our public sector helps all of us."

CWA members at app developer Glitch successfully negotiated with the company to give all employees June 19 – Juneteenth – off as a paid holiday, exchanging it for Presidents Day. The holiday commemorates the freeing of more than 250,000 enslaved African Americans by Union troops in 1865.

"Juneteenth has for too long failed to be given the recognition it deserves by non-Black Americans," said Glitch bargaining committee member Sheridan Kates. "We're grateful to now have this day officially marked as a holiday at Glitch, to not only celebrate it, but to also give us time to reflect on the ongoing impact of white supremacy – such as the violence we're seeing every day in America, with police being 2.5 times more likely to kill a Black person than a white person. It's a small step in our fight towards true racial justice in America."