CWAers Build Solidarity at AFL-CIO’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil and Human Rights Conference

Last week, representatives of member organizations within the AFL-CIO gathered in Austin, Texas, to advance Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of collective action, reinforce the longstanding bond between the labor and civil rights movements, and channel their strength and energy into substantive action to build worker power. Representing CWA were CWA President Claude Cummings Jr.; CWA District 4 Vice President Linda L. Hinton; IUE-CWA Industrial Division President Carl Kennebrew; Director of Human Rights, Education, and Health and Safety Angie Wells; CWA National Women’s Committee Chairperson Yolanda Pearson; CWA National Committee on Civil Rights and Equity Chairperson Reginald Small; the CWA National Human Rights Committee; and many other CWA members and retirees. AFA-CWA Local 29011 member Stan Kino received the AFL-CIO Drum Major for Justice Award in recognition of his lifetime of civil and labor rights advocacy for LGBTQ+ workers.

President Cummings spoke about the importance of labor solidarity, the convergence of the labor and civil rights movements, and the duty of union members to continue the fight for both economic prosperity and social justice. “In our unions we do, in fact, have many voices,” President Cummings remarked. “We work in different industries and have different job titles. We live in rural areas, in suburbs, and in cities. We are of different races and genders, and, yes, we hold different political views. But we all come together when working-class lives are at stake.”

Click here to watch a video of President Cummings’ speech.

 
CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. spoke to the crowd with members of the CWA Human Rights Committee lined in front.

Under the leadership of Director Angie Wells, the Human Rights Committee met prior to the event to discuss goals and strategies for the coming year. The committee then provided expert support at the event, creating a truly memorable conference. Workshops included “Targeting Federal Workers: Why All Communities Are at Risk,” “Frontline Solidarity: Immigration and the Labor Movement,” and “Building Power for Justice: Resisting Threats to Discrimination and Harassment Protections in a Changing Political Landscape.” Attendees also had the opportunity to sit in on several panel discussions, a community phone banking action, and an awards gala.

 
CWA Local 7050 Executive Vice President and member of the National Women’s Committee Tayqwoiseceyon Akins represented CWA during a panel discussion entitled, “Sharing Your Union Story.”

 
At the AFL-CIO Civil and Human Rights Award Gala, AFA-CWA member and executive board member of Pride at Work Stan Kino received the AFL-CIO Drum Major for Justice Award in recognition of his lifetime of civil and labor rights advocacy for LGBTQ+ workers.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.