Throughout history, as governments claw back democratic power from the people, their clash with labor unions becomes inevitable. Here in the U.S., we are no exception. Those clashes have ramped up in recent months as the Trump administration has unleashed masked federal agents on city streets, including Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, and now Minneapolis. Over the past month, CWA has witnessed several instances of aggression toward our members.

NewsGuild Members Under Attack
On Friday, January 9, agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a member of the Minnesota Newspaper and Communications Guild, TNG-CWA Local 37002, as part of Operation Metro Surge. He is a father, a husband, and a staff member at a Minneapolis non-profit organization. He serves as a steward in our union and is an advocate for all workers. While the circumstances of his arrest are not clear, we know he has been transferred to an ICE detention facility in El Paso, Texas, where he is awaiting action on his petition for habeas corpus. The Guild is not publicly identifying the member out of concern for his family’s safety.

NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss, in a statement released last week, wrote, “The detention of a Guild member in Minnesota amidst the chaos created by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is heartbreaking and infuriating. My heart goes out to his family, who are now without their father and husband. As a union, we commit to fight for each other as stewards of our communities—especially in times as dark as these, while U.S. federal agents continue to target working families. Our member has legal support, and we’re checking in on his situation frequently.”

This abduction comes only weeks after federal agents with the FBI raided Washington-Baltimore News Guild (TNG-CWA Local 32035) member Hannah Natanson’s home, seizing her personal belongings, including laptops and phones. The Post Guild condemned the action, stating, “Hannah is a valued member of our union whose work covering the federal workforce has been essential in understanding the impact of the Trump administration’s policies. The extraordinary decision to execute a search warrant at a journalist’s home should shock and dismay everyone who cares about a free and independent press. The Post Guild stands with Hannah and will continue to fight for our members’ safety and independence so that they can continue their critical work.”

Since taking office, President Trump has repeatedly attacked journalists who questioned his actions both verbally and in policy. In September 2025, a federal district court issued a preliminary injunction blocking the DHS—which includes ICE and Customs and Border Protection—from brutalizing journalists, legal observers, and protesters. In a 45-page opinion, Judge Hernán Vera of the Central District Court of California determined that “the record includes detailed and credible declarations from nearly 50 journalists, legal observers, and protesters,” which showed DHS retaliation against people for protesting against and reporting on the violent immigration raids in Southern California.

In October 2025, the Department of Defense imposed sweeping new rules severely restricting reporting on the military and prompting, from both progressive and conservative outlets, a walkout of vetted, career journalists. Last week, the administration doubled down on the journalistic purge by issuing a statement via X (formerly Twitter) that the independent military news outlet Stars and Stripes would no longer be reporting on “woke distractions.”

Families Torn Apart
The latest incursion by federal agents in Minneapolis, Minn., dubbed “Operation Metro Surge,” has resulted in the death of at least one legal observer, Renee Nicole Good, and the wounding of a Venezuelan immigrant. The federal violence has prompted mass protests and has united labor, civil rights, and community organizations in the call for a general strike and boycott.

At least two CWA members have been abducted in Minnesota, and additional IUE-CWA members have been abducted in Kentucky, Michigan, and New York.

In Minnesota, two men, both members of CWA Local 7304 working at a New Flyer electric bus manufacturer in St. Cloud, had come to the U.S. from Laos legally as small children and had worked at New Flyer for over 20 years. They have families and deep roots in Minnesota. While these men had had prior convictions, they had served their time and were productive members of their communities.

CWA Local 7250 President Kieran Knutson, also in Minnesota, has been outspoken about the violence perpetrated against working people. Click here to watch an interview with Knutson and learn more about the situation impacting our members in Minneapolis.

A member of IUE-CWA Local 81301 employed at GE Vernova in Schenectady, N.Y., has been detained by ICE since October 2025, despite having followed the U.S. immigration process and maintaining steady union employment. Coworkers and union representatives consistently describe him as quiet, respectful, and exceptionally hardworking. He frequently worked overtime and weekends, sought education and advancement, and was never disciplined.

To support our union siblings in Minnesota, you can donate to their families here for Gloria Bronola or here for Saysamone Phimpharath. You can also support union families by donating to Working Partnerships.

Last week, 350 registered nurses at Cayuga Medical Center (CMC) won union representation in an election overseen by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). They are now represented by CWA Local 1111. The union victory strengthens a surge in labor activism among healthcare workers who are demanding safe staffing levels and fighting back against deteriorating working conditions at hospitals across the state.

Fed up with unsafe staffing levels, low pay, rampant turnover, and problems stemming from a recent merger, nurses banded together and took ownership of the campaign. They fought an anti-union consulting firm and won by taking over captive audience meetings, being public in their union support, and mobilizing the community. The organizing committee stood strong for their union in the face of a hard boss fight. The nurses will now be able to begin bargaining with management for a union contract that addresses their concerns and improves working conditions.

“The overwhelming victory by CMC nurses is a shining example of what healthcare professionals can achieve when they join together with a collective voice,” said CWA District 1 Vice President Dennis Trainor. “CMC nurses have overwhelmingly and repeatedly voiced their urgent desire for a union contract, and it is time for management to join us at the bargaining table and get to work improving conditions for nurses and their patients.”

Nurses began organizing because of worsening conditions that impact both their working environment and patient care. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses have seen increasing short staffing that can leave them caring for an unsustainable number of patients—compromising patient care and worker safety, and contributing to high turnover

This win came just days after 15,000 healthcare workers across New York State went on strike for similar concerns: improved staffing levels, workplace safety, and dignity on the job. CWA members in District 1 stood in solidarity with the New York State Nurses Association strikers who have been on the picket line since January 12. Click here to read a statement of solidarity from CWA District 1.

Last week, workers for LanguageLine Solutions (LLS) met in Washington, D.C., to speak with their representatives as they push to form a union. They asked members of the congressional Labor Caucus and several representatives they met with to sign onto a letter to LLS’s parent company, Teleperformance, asking the company to remain neutral during organizing. As a subsidiary of Teleperformance, LLS is party to the Teleperformance-UNI Global Agreement on Social Responsibility, which affords workers the right to organize a union free of management interference and intimidation. The company has been refusing to implement all the provisions of the agreement in the United States like they do in other countries.

Workers cite low wages, lack of breaks between calls, unaffordable healthcare, and unpredictable scheduling as reasons for forming their union. Interpreters are often tasked with delivering complicated and technical information, contributing to a high-stress environment and a need to recover between calls.

The workers remain focused and hopeful that Teleperformance will adhere to the international agreements they have signed and treat their U.S. workforce fairly.

LanguageLine Solutions workers Karolina Yermak (left), Sara Ramirez (second from right), and Yves Valerus (right) visited Capitol Hill, where they met with members of the Labor Caucus and several representatives, including Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (D-Texas).

Earlier this month, members of the Science News Media Guild, represented by the Washington-Baltimore NewsGuild (TNG-CWA Local 32035), voted to ratify their first collective bargaining agreement. The historic contract establishes increases in pay, including cost of living raises and equity raises, sick and parental leave, and importantly, codifies just-cause protections.

More than 80 percent of non-management employees with the non-profit Society of Science voted to form their union in November 2023. Members fought for over 600 days, including a successful 24-hour walkout on November 5, 2025, in order to win critical improvements.

“I am incredibly proud of our negotiation committee for advocating with such determination on our behalf. This victory has been 625 days in the making! I’m pleased that both the Society and the Guild could reach an agreement that includes such important protections for our members,” says Aaron Tremper, the Editorial Assistant for Science News Explores.

Congratulations to the members of the Science News Media Guild on this monumental win.

AFA-CWA Flight Attendants with United Airlines picketed outside of United Airlines headquarters at Willis Tower in Chicago with a clear message for management: Contract NOW! Despite the airline making billions in profit, United Airlines Flight Attendants have not had significant raises in years with the contract amendable since 2021. Click here to watch coverage from the picket.

Last month, staff with the Portland City Council in Portland, Ore., announced the formation of the Council Alliance of Workers (CAW-CWA) with CWA Local 7901. Of the 41 aides and operations staff, 60 percent signed union cards and the group filed paperwork with the Employment Relations Board, the governing body for all public sector unions across Oregon.

CAW-CWA members met quick opposition, however, and were forced to file unfair labor charges against City Council member Lorretta Smith’s office for the retaliatory termination of aide Adam Murray last week.

The council staffers cited instability in their jobs and a need for greater structure, consistency, and worker protections as reasons for forming their union. Since the announcement, members have observed a troubling pattern of retaliation and are calling on city council members to respect worker rights.

You can support these workers by following their Instagram page and sharing their posts.