Communications Workers of America (CWA) is a founding member of the Committee for Better Banks (CBB). CWA represents 700,000 workers in private and public sector employment in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico in 1,200 chartered CWA local unions. In 10,000 communities across the United States, CWA members work in telecommunications and information technology, the airline industry, news media, broadcast and cable television, education, health care and public service, law enforcement, manufacturing and other fields. Since 2013 CWA has been the leading union in the United States organizing bank workers and advocating for progressive changes in the banking industry.
Founded in 1938, CWA got its start representing telephone workers as the National Federation of Telephone Workers. It was renamed the Communications Workers of America in 1947. Today CWA represents workers in all areas of communications, customer contact, high technology, and manufacturing professions in both the private and public sectors, including health care, public service, education, customer service, airlines, and many other fields.
CWA membership means representation and a voice on the job every day. At the job site, trained union stewards deal with members’ workplace issues, including handling grievances. Members are further supported by CWA local activists and staff experienced in contract negotiations, workplace health and safety, benefits, education, employee assistance programs (EAP) and more. CWA is a democratic union. Members determine their own bargaining goals, elect their own negotiating committees, and vote to ratify the terms of their own negotiated contracts.