In June, CWA locals across the country convened in Washington D.C. for the 2022 Legislative-Political Conference. The conference centered on building worker power at our worksites and lobbying our political representatives to support legislation that protects worker organizing. Speakers at the conference included CWA President Chris Shelton, U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi amongst others.

CWA Local 1037 met with Congresspeople in Capitol Hill to request their co-sponsorship of three crucial pro-worker bills:

• The Protect the Right to Organize (PRO) Act
• The United States Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act
• No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act

These bills would protect workers from facing retaliation when striving to unionize and provide transparency to consumers when businesses offshore jobs. For decades, workers’ rights have been dismantled by political policies that have sided with corporate interests over workers, resulting in the decline in union membership and the rise in income inequality.  

Currently, companies can hire union-busting law firms to thwart worker’s efforts to unionize and write these expenses off as tax deductible. The No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act would cease this. “Not only are they engaging in anti-union campaigns, but they get a tax break for it,” Senator Bob Casey said. “We need to make changes in the tax code to not have those activities rewarded.”  

The House voted to pass the PRO Act last year, but the bill is currently stalled in the Senate. If passed, the PRO Act would protect striking workers from being replaced, make it easier to unionize, and assist new unions in getting their first contract. To sign a petition and urge your Senators to pass the PRO Act, click here.