Organizing Update

IUE-CWA Members Win Historic Agreement for More Union Jobs at GE

In a historic milestone in their ongoing campaign to grow union jobs at General Electric (GE), IUE-CWA members have secured a breakthrough agreement that will make it easier for workers to organize into a union, without retaliation or interference, at two potential GE offshore wind factories in New York State.

This is the first time GE has signed such an agreement with a labor union in the U.S. It is a testament to the hard-fought campaign by IUE-CWA members at GE, who have been calling on the company to bring union wind manufacturing jobs to the U.S. for the last several years.

If GE wins the bid to supply offshore turbines and blades for the next phase of New York State’s offshore wind development, it has promised to build two factories in the Port of Coeymans. If constructed, these facilities will be among the first off-shore wind factories in the U.S., creating hundreds of jobs and establishing an American foothold in this critical green manufacturing sector.

In a statement in response to the news, President Joe Biden said, "We are creating good-paying jobs that Americans can raise a family on, and the opportunity to join a union will help ensure hard working Americans continue to get paid what they deserve, and boost our local economies." Biden also commended IUE-CWA and GE "for working toward a future where unions help build the middle class again, and the middle class rebuilds America." Read more here.

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Maximus

As part of their ongoing campaign to organize a union with CWA, Maximus workers held a gathering outside of the company’s Riverview location in Florida to build support for their union, Call Center Workers United-CWA, and discuss the important goals they aim to achieve together, such as being able to take time off to care for their families without fear of losing their jobs or being disciplined.

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CWA District 7 is Organizing Strong

Last week, organizers from across CWA District 7 participated in the 2023 District 7 CWA Strong Internal Organizing training in Denver, Colo., to improve their skills, build power, and strategize how to better support workers who are increasingly coming together to form unions and join CWA.