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On July 10, CWA District 6 Vice President Derrick Osobase announced an agreement with AT&T to bring back Trenching and Boring work. These jobs have not been done by CWA members in the District since the late 1980s.

In a message to the CWA Executive Board, Osobase stated, “AT&T will begin hiring for the positions, starting in the major metropolitan areas in Texas where fiber exists. This will create 100 new jobs by the end of 2027 in Texas alone and will expand to the rest of the District as the company continues its investment into fiber.”

This win is part of a larger strategy for CWA, which includes bringing back contracted work previously lost, re-regulating the telecommunications industry, and expanding and capitalizing on organizing opportunities to build leverage for even greater successes in the future.

This agreement comes on the heels of another successful campaign to bring back decommission work, which resulted in the creation of the Buried Service Wire Specialist title. Holders of this new title will handle the trenching and boring work.

Congratulations to the telecom workers of CWA District 6!

Last week, CWA members at unWired Broadband (CWA Local 9333) announced that they had reached a settlement with the company, resolving several unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). These charges were the result of the disciplining and termination of several workers at the Fresno-based internet service provider.

The settlement will deliver $75,000 in back pay to four affected members, signaling the latest milestone in a campaign that has seen unWired technicians standing together amid a brutal anti-union attack by the company. Tactics used by the company include captive-audience meetings, anti-union messaging from management, and the illegal firing of workers on the organizing committee.

“unWired technicians stood together through a tough organizing campaign, and this settlement delivers meaningful relief to the workers who were affected,” said CWA District 9 Vice President Frank Arce. “CWA is proud to stand with them, and we expect unWired to come to the table and negotiate the strong first contract these workers have earned.”

In June 2025, unWired Broadband technicians voted overwhelmingly in favor of union representation by CWA to improve workplace safety, address unjust firings, and secure a voice on the job.

Last week, members of IUE-CWA Local 83600 in Louisville, Ky., voted overwhelmingly to ratify a first contract with New Flyer-NFI Parts. Members in this right-to-work-for-less state manufacture parts for buses, motorcoaches, and transit shuttles. The five-year contract builds on the recent gains won via the New Flyer National Agreement, securing wage increases, stronger benefits, and enhanced workplace protections.

Key highlights of the agreement include up to 47.52% wage increases over the life of the contract, guardrails against unexpected healthcare premium hikes, 100% company-paid dental and vision insurance, new just-cause protections, the introduction of paid maternity leave, and much more.

The path was not easy, however. Local management routinely provided incorrect information to decision-makers at the table, downplaying or denying issues with overtime, wages, and safety. The company also began installing surveillance equipment and issuing write-ups for attendance and overtime worked on Saturdays.

To combat these anti-union tactics, members signed a petition declaring their support for a living wage and took group photos wearing their union paraphernalia. The bargaining team recorded videos to keep members informed, and four members also recorded personal testimonials on why workers deserve wages comparable to those of their colleagues at the nearby KMG facility.

Congratulations to our New Flyer-Louisville members on a job well done!

On Tuesday, IUE-CWA Industrial Division President Carl Kennebrew participated in a Clean Energy and Manufacturing Jobs Roundtable discussion hosted by Democratic members of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Other guests included General President of LIUNA Brent Booker, Maryland State Senator and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 24 Vice President Cory McCray, Blue-Green Alliance Executive Director Jason Walsh, and AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler.

Participants spoke about the need for renewed investment in clean energy manufacturing, bringing jobs and opportunities back to the U.S. President Kennebrew stated, “Manufacturing has always been the backbone of our economy. However, for more than 20 years, there has been no U.S.-based production of offshore wind equipment by any company—it remains an entirely foreign-produced industry.

“The transition toward clean energy provides a historic opportunity to revitalize communities and establish a domestic manufacturing supply chain, using union labor here in the U.S.”

Click here to watch the entire roundtable discussion.

President Kennebrew also spoke eloquently about the need for community involvement. Click here to jump to his comments.

As the busy summer travel season continues, airport service workers, including CWA members, joined Senator Edward Markey (D-MA), Representative Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-4), and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1) this week to introduce the Good Jobs for Good Airports Act (GJGA). The GJGA is a bipartisan bill that seeks to address the lack of wage and benefit standards for airport service workers, including the approximately 20,000 passenger service agents represented by CWA at American Airlines and its wholly owned subsidiaries, Envoy Air and Piedmont Airlines.

“The protections under the bill are long overdue,” said Joshua Taborn (pictured above), a Piedmont Airlines gate agent in Washington, D.C., and mobilizer for CWA Local 2252. “Agents at American Airlines subsidiaries Envoy and Piedmont are working without any real protections. Many of our colleagues have to work part-time jobs to make ends meet. It is a shame that our wages are not enough.”

While some airline CEOs have doubled and even tripled their own pay since 2022, service worker pay has stagnated. Through higher wages and benefits, the GJGA will help reduce turnover among airport service workers and build an experienced, well-trained workforce that can maintain safe and efficient operations within our airports. It’s a win-win for workers, travelers, and communities across the U.S.

On July 11, NABET-CWA, including NABET-CWA President Charlie Braico, hosted a town hall meeting to both inform and get feedback from members regarding the proposed Nexstar/TEGNA merger. The virtual meeting covered the current state of the antitrust case and what members can do to help fight the deal.

If approved, the merger could increase Nexstar’s national reach to 80 percent of U.S. television households, more than twice as large as the 39 percent limit set by Congress. NABET-CWA and allies warn of a marked loss of local news, viewpoint diversity, and overall broadcast competition. This merger would put more power into the hands of an elite few corporate owners and weaken the fair and free press necessary to hold those in power to account.

Other major concerns include further deregulation of the broadcasting industry, resulting in more mergers and layoffs.

A State Attorneys General lawsuit has halted the merger pending the final outcome of the lawsuit. Members and supporters are encouraged to participate in a solidarity action on July 23 and to sign a petition calling for the Federal Communications Commission to stand firm on the National Cap.

Last week, CWA District 6 and AT&T finalized an agreement to bring trenching and boring work back into the bargaining unit. This is a significant accomplishment and another example of what we can achieve through the strength of our union.

By consistently demonstrating the value of our highly skilled, professional union workforce, we earned the opportunity to bring this work back under our contract and continue building our partnership with AT&T.

This is something we should all be proud of. Every job we bring back strengthens our bargaining unit, creates opportunities for our members, and positions us for the Jobs of the Future. Together, we’re proving that union labor delivers the quality, expertise, and value needed to grow our work for years to come.

Please take a moment to watch the attached video highlighting this important milestone and what it means for our members.

VIDEO: A Win for Our Members and Our Union: Contract Work Returns

Thank you for your continued commitment and dedication.

https://next.frame.io/share/d38d1525-d457-4f8a-9807-1de323a7a058/reel/ff29bebf-3245-4f4f-899b-f9ae39eca303?version=15511128-73ae-4fee-9638-527d13fea99c

John Lewis “Good Trouble Lives On” Weekend of Action

In remembrance of Congressman John Lewis, from July 17-19, our democracy partners are hosting numerous “Good Trouble Lives On” actions. There are a wide range of actions, including:

• Teach-Ins across the country
• Know Your Rights trainings on state Documentary Proof of Citizenship (DPOC) bills
• Evening candlelight vigils in John Lewis’s memory
• Non-Partisan Community Voter Engagement and Registration Events
• Community kick-off events, block parties, registration drives

Click here for an interactive map to help you find an action near you!

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Social Media Video Training

Did you take the CWA Communications Department’s first video training? Want to dive deeper into editing videos for social media? Please join our Advanced Video Training on July 28 at 12pm ET / 9am PT!

This training will show you various editing techniques across different platforms and how you can make effective videos that reach more CWA members. Get more details and RSVP here.

Please share the RSVP link with other CWAers who may be interested

After nearly three years of negotiations with the company, Piedmont passenger services workers represented by CWA have won a historic settlement totaling nearly $2 million in wages owed to workers. Chief of Staff Sylvia J. Ramos, who led the negotiations of this settlement reached on January 19, stated she was informed that this is the largest award to CWA Passenger Services members in the union’s history.

During negotiations for a new contract in late 2024, the bargaining team noticed errors with the flex-and-freeze and flex-and-progress adjustments made by the company. To resolve these errors, Chief of Staff Ramos placed immense pressure on the company to submit full and complete audits of all employees—which the company dragged its feet on for months. Ultimately, the audits revealed hundreds of workers had been placed on the wrong step or were earning the wrong wage rates.

CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. stated that he believes this settlement is the result of members’ mobilization efforts and resilience in the face of a lengthy bargaining process. Congratulations to all involved in this historic settlement!

Continue to show your support for a fair and just contract with Piedmont Airlines by sending a letter to CEO Eric Morgan to tell him you stand with CWA members.

When We Fight, We Win!