Honoring Our Veterans

CWAers across the country honored the thousands of CWA member and retiree military veterans and their families, as well as the broader veteran community, for their service and sacrifice on Veterans Day last week.

“Those who seek to disrupt our democracy and divide communities, including corporations and anti-worker politicians, have taken their efforts to a higher level by spreading lies, sabotaging election results, and undermining the trust of our local elected officials,” said CWA President Chris Shelton in his Veterans Day message. “As part of their strategy to consolidate more power among themselves, these same forces have constantly exploited military veterans, service members, and their families. They often use veterans as political props, but too few of them actually care about the issues that impact veterans. CWA member and retiree military veterans have been at the forefront of fighting back against these forces by actively participating in the movement to build a new political force for social and economic justice.” Read President Shelton’s full statement here.

AFA-CWA International Vice President Keturah Johnson, a combat veteran, also shared a heartfelt video message on Veterans Day, saying “When soldiers like me return home, Flight Attendants are the first people we see on the long journey back. On behalf of Sara, Dante, and our entire union, thank you to our veterans, Flight Attendants who are veterans, and all Flight Attendants who bring our troops home.”

As part of the “Bring it Home GE” campaign, several IUE-CWA military veterans, including Sergio Chavez (IUE-CWA Local 83701) and Chase Barker (IUE-CWA Local 86004), released op-eds on Veterans Day calling on General Electric (GE), one of the largest military contractors for the U.S. government, to end its offshoring practices and reinvest in American workers. Retired U.S Army Brigadier General John Adams, a longtime supporter of the campaign, also released an op-ed on Veterans Day calling on GE to commit to keeping its military production in the U.S.