Read on the web:
- Birds of a Feather Flocked Together: CWA 1180-Bird Union Members Vote UNANIMOUSLY to Ratify Their First Union Contract!
- Strike Over! Law360 Workers Win a New Contract
- Major Mobilization for a Major Election
- eBay Workers Ramp Up Mobilization to Fight Back Against Union-Busting
- NY Times Tech Workers Vote to Authorize a STRIKE
- Local 1122 Members Win New Contract with Crisis Services
- Skill-Building and Unity-Building at Local 1032 Unity Day
- NJ Healthcare Workers Demand Safe Patient Care
Birds of a Feather Flocked Together: CWA 1180-Bird Union Members Vote UNANIMOUSLY to Ratify Their First Union Contract!
On September 23rd, two years after they voted to join CWA Local 1180 and began bargaining to improve working conditions and ensure that all workers are treated fairly and equitably, workers at the National Audubon Society voted unanimously to ratify their first contract.
The contract covers 260 CWA-represented Audubon workers, and builds a foundation of union rights at Audubon, giving union workers just cause job protections, the organization’s first grievance procedure, and arbitration rights.
Among the biggest priorities for the workers was improving pay and improving parental leave, and the Bargaining Team – backed by the immense mobilization of the entire membership – delivered on both: the contract includes the first guaranteed across-the-board annual raise of 3% to all members as well as raise in each year of the contract, and a major increase in parental leave from two weeks of paid leave to twelve.
“Workers have secured a union contract for the first time in Audubon’s 119-year history,” said Shyamlee Patel, CWA 1180-Bird Union member. “We’ve won better wages, better benefits, and better working conditions for ourselves—and secured a better future for Audubon. This contract supports and empowers workers who are dedicated to protecting the birds and the planet.”
“This union contract marks a new beginning for Audubon – one where union members and management are able to collaborate instead of being at odds,” said Erin Hamilton, CWA 1180-Bird Union member. “Reaching this agreement means so much for so many dedicated working members across the organization. And I am so glad to have been part of this historic moment in Audubon’s growth, and a future where we can all focus on what’s really important, the BIRDS!”
“This agreement is the result of membership solidarity, patience, strength, and action,” said Robin Blair-Batte, Secretary-Treasurer of CWA Local 1180. “Our Bird Union members have shown that when we stand together, we win. Together, Local 1180 members fought for a contract that will raise standards at Audubon and includes significant gains for every part of our membership—and for those who come after.”
Strike Over! Law360 Workers Ratify Contract
After a weeklong Unfair Labor Practice strike, editorial workers at legal media outlet Law360, members of The NewsGuild of New York-CWA, reached a tentative agreement in late September for a new five-year contract. The workers walked off the job on September 10th over unilateral changes to their healthcare plan and layoffs of their colleagues earlier this year – layoffs that were announced shortly after the company boasted about their record profits in 2023. The contract was overwhelmingly ratified on September 24th.
The contract includes significant wage increases and bonuses, increased family leave to 14 weeks, strong job protections related to the use of artificial intelligence, and more.
“What this agreement represents is our unwavering belief in our value as workers,” said Hailey Konnath, a reporter for Law360 and unit chair for the union. “We refused to accept anything less than a contract that recognized our worth. This past week on the picket line we saw—and felt—the power of solidarity not only among ourselves but from the entire labor community. It’s that power and strength that got us to this point and earned us this tentative deal.”
Major Mobilization for a Major Election
Months of preparation, organizing, and political action trainings have all led up to this moment, as hundreds of CWA members throughout District 1 got to work over the past several weeks to make an impact on what we know will be a historic election.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
Philadelphia, PA: CWA Districts 1 and 2-13 came together in Philadelphia, PA for a massive Labor Walk to knock on union household doors and speak with fellow CWA members and other union members about Kamala Harris for President. We had over 200 members, retirees, and family canvassing throughout West Philadelphia, and knocked on nearly 5,000 doors in conjunction with the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO.
Photos by Sean Kennedy, CWA Local 1104
“We’ve got a lot at stake,” said CWA District 2-13 Vice President Mike Davis, speaking to the crowd before canvassing began. “We have to turn out the vote for our champion, Kamala Harris. She is a champion for Labor; she’s always been for Labor, and she knows what it is to struggle. She knows what it’s like to fight for the people who are unheard. She gets out there, and she works for us every day.”
“You know what’s at stake,” said CWA Local 1036 President Adam Liebtag to the crowd. “You know that we’re fighting against a SCAB billionaire who’s the kind of boss that we fight against in the workplace every single day. We cannot let this guy get elected. And on the other hand, we have Kamala Harris, we have Tim Walz – people who walk the picket line; people who believe in the same values that we believe in. The choice is CLEAR.”
Rahway, NJ: Several CWA locals teamed up with other NJ unions for a Labor Day of Action for one of our priority endorsed candidates, labor champ Sue Altman, running for Congress in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District. After holding a massive rally, members knocked on hundreds of doors to speak with voters about this crucial election and what it would mean to win a pro-worker Congress for NJ’s working families.
“Sue has fought to protect the rights of working families,” said Anthony Mitchell, CWA Local 1037 Political Director. “And she will continue to do that when we send her to Washington! There’s a lot at stake in this election. I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that this race can help shape the future of our nation.”
Buffalo, NY: Members from several Western New York CWA Locals rallied to support labor candidates up and down the ballot, including Rep. Tim Kennedy, who has been a close ally to CWA over the years and was recently elected to Congress in a Special Election over the summer.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
Members of the CWA Local 1103 Legislative & Political Action Team hosted a People’s Town Hall to bring together members of the Westchester County community as well as elected officials to discuss what’s at stake in this election, and the importance of electing pro-worker candidate Mondaire Jones to Congress in New York’s 17th Congressional District. Panelists also spoke about the significance of New York’s Proposition 1: The Equal Rights Amendment, on the ballot this year.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
A van full of CWAers traveled several hours from Western NY to Erie, PA on September 21st to knock on doors and speak with Pennsylvania voters about Kamala Harris, having dozens of good, positive conversations that will be crucial in helping win the election for working families.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s—
Actually, it is a plane!
Rep. Thomas Kean, Jr., currently representing New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, has a ZERO on CWA’s Congressional Scorecard, because he has never once voted with us on any one of our issues, so CWA is part of a coalition of labor and community groups this year standing together to help elect challenger Sue Altman, and call attention to Kean, Jr’s ineffective representation and unwillingness to fight for the working families of this state.
On September 22, we flew a banner over Westfield, NJ to let voters know who Rep. Kean, Jr. REALLY stands with – and it’s not workers.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
The CWA Local 1101 Retired Members Council devoted their afternoon to writing postcards to fellow CWA Retirees reminding them to vote!
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
CWAers throughout New Jersey turned out in major numbers to canvass in Linden, NJ for Sue Altman for Congress – over 100 members of 1036 and 1037 knocked on 2,600 doors!
Over in Bergen County, CWA Locals 1036, 1037, and 1038 rallied with hundreds of other union members alongside Rep. Andy Kim, running for U.S. Senate in New Jersey, before knocking on doors to talk to voters for candidates up and down the ballot.
TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY PHONEBANKING
CWA members, retirees, and family have been hitting the phones three days per week throughout August and September to call voters in key districts about our endorsed candidates – Tuesdays and Thursdays for Harris/Walz, in conjunction with the PA AFL-CIO, and Wednesdays for Sue Altman in NJ’s 7th Congressional District. Since the start of October, we’ve also been phonebanking in several key Congressional Districts in New York.
UPCOMING VOLUNTEER EVENTS
- We’re continuing regular phonebanking for Harris/Walz and for Sue Altman, and starting in early October we’ll also be phonebanking for several vital pro-worker candidates in New York and Connecticut.
- Saturday, October 19: Bus from Camden, NJ to Philadelphia for Harris/Walz canvassing organized by Local 1084
- Saturday, October 26: Labor Walk in Philadelphia for Harris/Walz (we’ll have buses leaving from New York City, or you can meet us in Philly!)
- Saturday, November 2: Day of Action for State Senate candidate and CWA Local 1123 President Chris Ryan
Visit cwad1.org/cwavotes to sign up for a volunteer shift!
ELECTION 2024: WHAT’S AT STAKE FOR LABOR
Hae-Lin Choi, CWA District 1 Area Director, joined leaders from the NYC Central Labor Council and 32BJ SEIU for a roundtable discussion on the season premier of CUNY TV’s City Works.
The discussion touched on how CWA and other union members are feeling about the election, the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, and post-electoral strategies to keep organized labor on the offense.
Check out the full episode here!
eBay Workers Ramp Up Mobilization to Fight Back Against Union-Busting
Solidarity Across the Country – Local 9413 Members Support Local 1123-TCGUnion Members
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This is what union solidarity looks like! With eBay-owned gaming company TCGplayer continuing to stall and delay bargaining and throwing every union-busting tactic in the book at the workers, several workers – members of CWA Local 1123 – traveled from Syracuse, NY to Las Vegas in late September to put eBay on blast for their illegal union-busting – and they had a huge showing of support from our CWA Local 9413 family.
CWAers picketed outside the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, where the Workday Rising Conference was being held, to tell Workday CFO and eBay Board Member Zane Rowe to put an end to eBay’s union-busting and settle this contract now.
“We are here in Las Vegas to let Zane Rowe know that what happens in Syracuse doesn’t stay in Syracuse,” said Tyler, an Inventory Specialist at TCGplayer. “We’re fighting for the pay, benefits, and protections we deserve.”
The CWA 1123-TCGunion members – the first group of eBay workers to unionize – have been fighting for their first union contract since early 2023, but have faced egregious union-busting from the company in the form of cutting benefits, delaying union recognition, and multiple federal labor law violations. But the workers are standing firm and refusing to back down against the Goliath commerce company – and it helps to know that our union family throughout the country has our members’ backs!
TCGplayer Workers Rally to Call Attention to eBay’s Worker Exploitation
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On October 2nd CWA Local 1123-TCGunion members rallied in Syracuse, NY to highlight the inexcusably low wages made by workers and demand that eBay and its subsidiary company TCGplayer bargain in good faith and agree to reasonable contract terms, including meaningful wage increases.
On the same day, CWA launched the “Tapped Out at TCGplayer” report, showing how eBay are struggling to make ends meet – even as eBay boast about their net worth of $31 billion. The majority of eBay Authentication Center workers in Syracuse earn less than a living wage for a single person without children.
“Workers in Syracuse have shown incredible strength in their fight for fair pay and dignity in the workplace,” said Chris Ryan, President of CWA Local 1123. “As one of the state’s largest employers, eBay and TCGplayer have quickly become a drain on our local economy by failing to pay workers livable wages and forcing them to rely on public assistance. eBay must bargain in good faith with its workers and raise the wages at TCGplayer, and I’m proud to stand in solidarity with CWA-TCGunion members in their efforts.”
TCGplayer is one of the largest online marketplaces for verification services, card games, and collectible trading cards. Workers are responsible for ensuring that every shipment in and out of TCGplayer’s hub in Syracuse is completed accurately and meets quality standards.
TCGplayer workers won their union election in March 2023 and are the first group of eBay workers to win union recognition. In response to this victory, eBay and TCGplayer launched an anti-union campaign, hiring union-busting firm Littler Mendelson and engaging in a series of illegal delay tactics to avoid contract negotiations.
“Today’s rally is about more than just pay—it’s about dignity, respect, and being able to support our families,” said Megan Wheeler, eBay worker and CWA Local 1123-TCGunion member. “We come to work every day to make TCGplayer what it is today, but it’s impossible to make ends meet on the wages we’re earning. We, the workers of CWA-TCGunion, are sending a message to eBay: we deserve to be treated fairly and we deserve livable wages, and we won’t back down until we secure a contract that reflects that.”
The workers were joined at the rally by Citizen Action of NY, the NY Working Families Party, and elected officials including NY State Senator Rachel May and representatives from the offices of NY State Senator John Mannion and Senator Chuck Schumer.
NY Times Tech Workers Vote to Authorize a STRIKE
On September 10th the Times Tech Guild—which includes software engineers, product managers, data analysts, and designers at The New York Times, members of The NewsGuild-CWA—voted overwhelmingly to STRIKE if the company cannot come to a fair agreement.
The timing of the strike authorization vote, within weeks of the presidential election, is no accident. Roughly half of Times Tech Guild members in the bargaining unit work on programs critical to election coverage, making them essential workers in this major election season. Among their biggest priorities for their contract are pay equity, work-life balance, just cause for termination, and respect on the job. Unfortunately, despite record profits being raked in by the media giant, The New York Times is offering meager 1% annual raises to the tech workers who keep the publication running.
“We are sending Times management a strong message with our vote today,” said Kathy Zhang, a Senior Analytics Manager at The New York Times and unit chair of the Tech Guild. “Our work produces incredible value in this company. Our members have earned a fair contract, and we’re ready to do whatever it takes to make sure we get it.”
Local 1122 Members Win New Contract with Crisis Services
In late September, the CWA Local 1122 bargaining team reached a tentative agreement with Crisis Services, and voted overwhelmingly to ratify the contract on October 2nd!
Crisis Services is a multi-disciplinary, comprehensive crisis response center operating a round-the-clock mental health hotline in Erie County, NY. CWA members manage cases of domestic violence and sexual assault, as well as manage crisis situations that involve self-harm. Their duties also include taking inbound emergency calls and determining the future risk of patients before returning them to their communities.
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CWA 1122 members paused during bargaining with Crisis Services to show some solidarity to striking AT&T CWA members in District 3!
The members’ key issues in this round of bargaining included wages, paid time off, and work/life balance – and they did a great job of addressing those issues. The three-year contract includes raises each year and increases in shift differentials, bilingual pay, lead-staff pay, masters-level pay, and license reimbursement.
CWA Local 1122 President Tom Antonio said, “We will never be able to get the wages you deserve for the incredible work you do. But, in my opinion, we did a pretty good job.”
Skill-Building and Unity-Building at Local 1032 Unity Day
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September 17th was a day for deep organizing and skill-building at CWA Local 1032! Workers at the Middlesex County Board of Social Services are fighting for a contract and mobilized to sign up non-members, collect petition signatures, and talk to members about contributing to our Political Action Fund – a key part of building our power during this crucial election season that allows us to do the work needed to help elect pro-worker candidates.
NJ Healthcare Workers Demand Safe Patient Care
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On September 18th, CWA Locals 1031 and 1091 joined several other healthcare unions as well as elected leaders in Newark, NJ to rally alongside Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE) to demand a fair contract for HPAE members at University Hospital. HPAE’s central issue at University Hospital? SAFE STAFFING. When healthcare workers are forced to care for more patients than they can manage at a time, the consequences can be dire for both workers and patients, and study after study shows that this leads to high rates of burnout and staffing turnover.
As HPAE members fight for contractual staffing limits, CWA and other unions have also been fighting for the Patient Protection and Safe Staffing Act, a bill introduced in February that would set enforceable patient-to-worker ratios for workers throughout New Jersey, depending on the type of care.
Read more about the rally here.
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