Last weekend, flash floods along the Guadalupe River in Texas killed over 100 people and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses. Many CWA members, retirees, and their families have been affected by this tragedy.

In a message to CWA District 6 members, Vice President Derrick Osobase wrote, “We are deeply saddened by the loss of life, homes, and livelihoods that so many of our CWA members, families, friends, and neighbors have suffered. Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with each of you and your families during this incredibly difficult time. Moments like these remind us how strong our union family truly is. We know that many of you have already stepped up to help those in need—offering shelter, donations, and support that demonstrate the power of solidarity.”

If you are a CWA member or retiree and your home, property, or livelihood has been impacted, you may qualify for disaster relief assistance.

• The CWA Disaster Relief Fund is administered by CWA Locals and is available to dues-paying members and retirees. Contact your local for more information.
• If you participate in Union Plus programs, you may qualify for a disaster relief grant. Click here for more information.
• AT&T employees can apply for the AT&T Employee Relief Fund. Click here for more information.
• The AFL-CIO has a list of additional resources here.

Last week, IUE-CWA members ratified a historic new four-year contract with GE Aerospace. The agreement brings back stability to IUE-CWA families with cost of living adjustments and wage increases, compounding to nearly 17% over the course of the contract. Members also won pension and 401(k) protections, improved PTO and bereavement leave, and defeated attempts by the company to impose major concessions.

“IUE-CWA has been part of GE’s history for nearly a century, and we will be part of its future,” said IUE-CWA Industrial Division President Carl Kennebrew. “With the ratification of its first labor contract with GE Aerospace as a standalone entity, our membership takes a strong, confident step forward. GE Aerospace has made commitments to invest in our union plants, and we will work with them and hold them accountable to turn their commitments into reality.”

“This is the richest four-year contract that I have ever seen from GE,” said IUE-CWA GE Aerospace Conference Board Chair Jerry Carney. “They came after the pension freeze, and we were able to beat them back. They came offering paltry raises, and we were able to get the biggest gains ever in a four-year contract. According to GE, they would never give the COLA formula back. We got COLA back! They came after huge healthcare cost increases for our GE members, and again we were able to beat them back to more reasonable rates. The pay increases far outweigh any healthcare cost increases.

“The bargaining committee fought hard and late for 22 days to bring back this unprecedented contract, and all of them held together strong and firm.”

Members hosted several visibility actions, with a union-wide mobilization committee coordinating across plants under the direction of the bargaining committee. Solidarity and community support showed the company the power of the union and helped secure historic contract wins.

Hundreds of CWA members and retirees joined a virtual town hall on Tuesday to hear from CWAers who have been affected by the takeover of our federal government by extremists who are slashing programs that support our jobs, our families, and our communities in order to give more tax breaks to billionaires.

During the call, CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. praised CWA members, retirees, staff, and executive board members for their response to this crisis. “We have continued to organize—nearly 25,000 workers have joined CWA since I became President two years ago, and we are not slowing down,” Cummings said. “We have continued to mobilize and bargain strong contracts. We have filed lawsuits to protect our rights. We have joined massive demonstrations in thousands of communities across our country to stand up for each other and for our values. We will not be silent, and we will not back down. There is much too much at stake.”

CWA Local 4603 Secretary-Treasurer Kwami Barnes, who is also the CWA Wisconsin Broadband Lead, said that changes that Donald Trump’s billionaire Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, has made to broadband buildout funded by the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law will mean fewer union jobs and higher-cost, less-reliable service for households and businesses. Members of CWA’s Broadband Brigade are speaking out about the damage these new rules will do and pushing states to fight back.

Alyssa Micha, Vice President of NABET-CWA Local 51026 and a Senior Creative Producer at WSKG Public Media in the Southern Tier of New York State, said that federal cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting directly threaten union jobs and, by extension, threaten the quality, accessibility, and independence of the programming stations like WSKG provide. NABET-CWA members have responded by mobilizing members and listeners to call their members of Congress and demand that they protect federal funding for local public TV and radio stations.

Justin Code, a steward with IUE-CWA Local 81206, works as a work-based learning coordinator for Job Corps in Westover, Mass. President Trump’s Department of Labor ordered all Job Corps sites to shut down by the end of June, including a site in Reno, Nev., that’s represented by CWA Local 9413. Code and his co-workers responded by rallying support from the community. A judge has issued a temporary injunction to stop the closure.

In Louisville, Ky., nearly 200 IUE-CWA members have been targeted for deportation by the Department of Homeland Security. Their work permits and status are at risk because the Trump Administration is cancelling the CHNV humanitarian program, which allowed people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to come to the U.S. after completing a background check and getting a sponsor. IUE-CWA Local 83761 member Jess Reese said that her local stepped up to support their members. They offered legal support, helped with basic needs like food, and organized to make sure the company followed their contract. It worked, and the targeted members will not lose their seniority while they are trying to get their status fixed and will be prioritized for rehiring.

You can watch the town hall here. Find out how you can take action to support these fights by checking out our toolkit at https://cwa.org/toolkit.

Residual service and clerical workers at Kenmore Mercy Hospital in Buffalo, N.Y., part of Catholic Health, ended June with a successful vote to join CWA Local 1133. These new members join over 2,700 healthcare workers currently represented by the local and include sterile processing techs, switchboard operators, EKG techs, transport and supply staff, operating room schedulers, physical therapy assistants, and more.

Workers cited job security, lack of pay raises, inadequate staffing, and security issues as reasons for joining CWA, with some staffers reporting waiting over a decade for the opportunity. Organizing was led by a strong committee of 15 workers who consistently challenged management during their many captive audience meetings and encouraged others to be vocal and visible in their support of the union.

To assist the organizing committee, CWA Local 1133 has built a strong mobilizing structure among their current members at Kenmore Mercy.

Residual service and clerical workers at Kenmore Mercy Hospital joined CWA Local 1133, which represents approximately 2,700 healthcare workers in the Catholic Health System.

CWA members and retirees in New Jersey hosted a mass mobilization at the state capitol last week in opposition to Governor Phil Murphy's budget, which would make healthcare costs skyrocket for as many as 90,000 public-sector workers. This budget hike bypasses the public sector contractual process for addressing rising healthcare costs, already at a crisis in the state.

CWA activists from 17 locals placed roughly 700 calls to State Senators and Assemblymembers, sent nearly 1,500 emails to the Assembly, and sent over 3,100 emails to Governor Murphy urging him to stand with N.J. working families and stop the $100 million in cuts to the State Health Benefits Plan that would shift healthcare cost increases onto workers. On the day of the vote, dozens of CWA activists sat in the State Assembly and State Senate Chambers wearing red and showing their disapproval of the budget as written.

Despite these efforts, lawmakers voted the budget into law, and the governor has signed it. The law takes effect in January 2026. CWA members have vowed to continue the fight.

“This budget is a betrayal of the very working people who elected him into office,” said CWA District 1 Assistant to the Vice President Billy Gallagher. “Budgets are moral documents, and this one makes painfully clear where Governor Murphy stands. Gov. Murphy has chosen to gut $100 million in health benefits for public sector workers and retirees.”

You can read the full CWA statement on the vote here.

CWA has endorsed Mikie Sherrill for Governor of New Jersey. Sherrill has a strong track record of fighting for working people and working collaboratively with CWA on our legislative priorities—and she has already spoken out on behalf of CWA members, retirees, and working families. She has committed to working with CWA to make healthcare more affordable for New Jersey residents. Dozens of lawmakers have also signed on in support, issuing statements affirming their dedication to working with CWA toward a solution.

CWA members and retirees met at the N.J. State Capitol to demonstrate their opposition to a proposed budget that will raise healthcare costs for public sector workers.

CWA Local 6215 Executive Vice President David Marshall, who is a representative for the CWA Minority Caucus, a delegate for the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, a Marine Corps veteran, and a member of Common Defense, the nation’s largest grassroots veterans’ organization, fired up the crowd in Dallas, Texas, at a recent No Kings Day rally.

He stated, “We did not take an oath to a president, not to a candidate, not to a political party. It was to the Constitution of the United States, to defend it against all threats, both foreign and domestic. I didn’t raise my right hand for a king. I raised it for liberty. I raised it for justice. I raised it for a government by and for the people. Right now that oath is being tested. We’ve seen peaceful protestors met with riot gear, and we’ve heard the threats to deploy active-duty Marines against American citizens. Let me be clear: using the military to silence dissent is not strength; it’s tyranny. And no one knows that better than those who have worn the uniform.”

From June 26 to June 29, members of the CWA Human Rights Committee, along with recipients of the CWA Human Rights Constituency Groups Scholarship, joined members of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) in Los Angeles, Calif., for their biennial convention.

Committee members and scholarship recipients staffed the CWA booth, where they collected signatures in support of Eric's ID Law, which helps keep people with disabilities safe during police interactions, and accepted donations for the St. Louis tornado relief drive.

In addition to attending the conference and participating in powerful workshops, CWA and APALA members attended a CWA/AFA-CWA workshop. During the session, CWA members discussed the work of the CWA Human Rights Department, including our training programs and radio show. Members also received valuable feedback on how they can continue to grow their activist efforts and stand in stronger solidarity with their AAPI siblings.

CWA and APALA members also took part in a rally alongside their union siblings with United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 770 and immigrant workers to call for a fair contract, dignity, and economic justice.

Members of the CWA Human Rights Committee attended the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) biennial convention in Los Angeles, Calif. Pictured (from left to right) are CWA Local 9003 Executive Vice President Kenyon Johnson, CWA Local 9003 Executive Board Member Shelia Bordeaux, CWA Local 9510 Secretary-Treasurer Kristy Pham, AFA-CWA Grievance Rep. SFO Local 29011 Kim Johnson, CWA Local 3640 Vice President Kelvin Little, CWA Local 8586 Steward Esthela Hernandez, CWA Local 3640 LPAT Chair Yvonne Newton, and CWA Local 3611 Secretary-Treasurer Dexter Sampson.

Yesterday, the AFL-CIO launched the It’s Better in a Union: Freedom, Fairness, and Security national bus tour. Labor leaders and union members will travel the country over the next few months to engage with workers about how the Trump administration’s policies are affecting their lives.

CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. spoke at the event along with other labor leaders. “The CEOs and billionaires who have taken over our federal government care about two things—stock prices and corporate profits,” Cummings told the crowd. “Union members and retirees care about each other. We care about making sure that our workplaces and our communities are places where we can build careers, support our families, and have a comfortable retirement. That’s what this bus tour is all about. Visiting towns and cities across the country to talk about our hopes for the future and how we can build power to change the direction of our country.”

You can watch President Cummings’ remarks at https://youtu.be/zw-ur2IuPzQ.

CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. addressed the crowd at the launch of the AFL-CIO’s It’s Better in a Union: Freedom, Fairness and Security national bus tour.

Name: Jeff Tilley (he/him/his)
Local: CWA Local 4502
Title and Workplace: Event Coordination Specialist, City of Columbus Recreation and Parks Department
Title in the Union: CWA Local 4502 Secretary and District 4 Next Gen Co-Lead Activist
Time with Next Gen: 2 years (just took on the role of co-lead in June)
Mentorship: My mentor in the labor movement is Hugh Williams, President of my local. As Vice President, Hugh encouraged me to get more involved. And although I originally joined the union just to vote on our contract, with his guidance, I learned there’s so much more to being part of the union.
Inspiration: My biggest inspiration is my mom. She worked for the City of Columbus and was a member of CMAGE, which later became CWA Local 4502. She always went out of her way to help others, and that’s how I was raised—to care and to serve. That’s why I’m in public service and why I want to support my coworkers. We can’t serve our community if we’re not secure in our jobs.
Current Work: Right now, I’m focused on building internal organizing strength as we head into negotiations with the City of Columbus. This is the moment to grow and engage our membership.
Future: At the local level, I want to help young workers understand what’s happening in their union—even if they’re not ready to become activists. At the district level, I’m working to foster collaboration among locals. For example, in Columbus, we have three CWA locals, but we rarely coordinate in a way that involves rank-and-file members. We’re one union, and we should act like it. Nationally, I want to see more young members in leadership. CWA represents people of all ages and backgrounds, and we need fresh voices to keep our union growing and relevant.
Final Thoughts: When I became an officer, I made it a priority to grow Next Gen at my local. We now have about 20 active members who are deeply engaged and invested in our union. I believe that’s because they see themselves represented in leadership. They’re heard and respected. In my local, nearly one-third of our members are Next Gen eligible. That’s too many to overlook. It’s up to all levels of CWA to make space and invite these young members to get involved.

If you are interested in becoming more involved in Next Gen for CWA District 4, please reach out to District 4 Senior Campaign Lead Charles Daniels at [email protected].