CWA District 3 Annual Meeting: Unity Is Our Strength

Last week, CWA District 3 members and retirees gathered in New Orleans, La., for their annual meeting, with the theme “Unity is Our Strength.” The conference included industry- and bargaining unit-focused breakout sessions, committee meetings, and workshops on topics including “Empowering Legislative Victories” and “Office of Labor Management Standards.”

CWA District 3 Vice President Richard Honeycutt welcomed members to the conference with special recognition for those AT&T members who went on strike last year. “I want to acknowledge everyone who was part of bargaining a contract since our last meeting,” said Honeycutt, “and I would also like to acknowledge everyone here who participated in the ULP strike against AT&T. Through your hard work and unbreakable resolve, we were able to have a successful strike, which allowed us to finally reach a fair contract."

On the second day of the conference, an air conditioning unit caught fire in the hotel, prompting a middle-of-the-night evacuation and a complete change of venue. Attendees were grateful for the fantastic job CWA District 3 Secretaries Greta Rowe and Bridgette Collins did coordinating the efforts to move locations. The conference continued without further incident.

CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. delivered remarks, congratulating members for their resilience and solidarity during last year’s AT&T Southeast strike, during which 17,000 members walked off the job for a month demanding the company bargain in good faith. “It is no secret that many people who are not from the South write off the South when it comes to unions,” said Cummings. “Years of anti-union rhetoric from businesses and elected officials has some people even believing that there are almost no union members here. I’m glad to report that CWA District 3 is disproving every doubter. You are a powerhouse of labor organizing, mobilization, and pro-worker legislative action.”

CWA Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam updated members via teleconference on the union’s finances as well as the need for fiscal responsibility. “Our mission remains the same,” said Salaam, “but our priorities must stay ready to meet each moment. The moment right-to-work becomes the law of the land, the moment payroll deduction ceases, the moment they attempt to make unions illegal altogether—this is the moment we gather not just as individuals but as a collective force, united by a shared vision of a world where justice, equality, and opportunity are not mere ideals but lived realities for every person, regardless of their background.”

Members also heard from CWA District 6 Vice President Derrick Osobase; Telecommunications and Technologies Vice President Lisa Bolton; Public, Healthcare and Education Workers Vice President Margaret Cook; NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss; and CWA Retired Members Council President Gwen Parker.

 
CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. fielded questions from members at the CWA District 3 Annual Meeting held in New Orleans, La.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.