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COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS OF AMERICA

YUMA, AZ · EIN 866053970 · Form 990EZ · FY2021 · Micro (<$100K) · cwa-union.org
revenue
$89K
expenses
$79K
net assets
$197K
employees
filing since
2020
mission · from form 990

Labor Union Local

profile · synthesized from sources

The Communications Workers of America (CWA) is a labor union representing workers across various industries, including communications, media, airlines, public service, and healthcare. Founded in 1938, CWA advocates for its members' rights, wages, and working conditions through collective bargaining, organizing, and political action. The union operates in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada.

named programs · 7 · from sources

what they call their work

99% Spring Training
Training program for activists on the roots of economic inequality and how union organizing can be used to challenge corporate greed.
Democracy Initiative (DI)
A joint initiative with Sierra Club, NAACP, and Greenpeace to restore the core principles of political equality: money in politics, voter rights, and senate rule reform.
Minorities Leadership Institute (MLI)
A week-long intensive study program for minority leadership development, with participants recommended by District Vice Presidents.
National Civil Rights & Equity Committee
Committee addressing issues of equity and civil rights within the union.
National Organizing Department
Department established to organize new members into the union.
National Women’s Committee
Committee addressing issues concerning women within the union.
Triple Threat program
Program for broadening membership base and expanding CWA’s influence in politics, legislation, and collective bargaining.
activities · 5

what they do

direct service · 1
  • Representing diverse worker groups Union Representation for Industry-Specific Workers
    Represents workers across various sectors including communications, information, news media, airlines, broadcast and cable television, public service, higher education, health care, manufacturing, high tech, video games, and as interpreters, translators, and social justice workers in the United States and Canada.
advocacy · 3
  • Advocating against corporate consolidation in media Local Journalism Support and Media Capacity Building
    Issues statements and supports litigation to block corporate acquisitions, such as Nexstar Media Group's acquisition of Tegna, to protect local journalism and prevent corporate consolidation.
  • Bargaining and negotiating for workers' rights Collective Bargaining Agreement Negotiation
    Engages in collective bargaining and negotiations with employers such as United Airlines and AT&T to improve worker compensation, working conditions, and benefits, including establishing new standards like boarding pay.
  • Organizing and leading worker strikes Collective Bargaining Agreement Negotiation
    Organizes and leads large-scale strikes, such as the 72-day regional strike against Southern Bell and nationwide strikes against AT&T and the Bell System, to advocate for wage increases and improved working conditions.
research · 1
  • Conducting employee surveys Workforce Mental Health Surveys
    Conducts surveys of employees, such as those at LanguageLine Solutions, to assess the impact of company policies on work performance and identify gaps in training.
strategies · 8

how they think

Theories of action extracted from this org's own source material. Click any approach shared with other orgs to see the full field.

  • Advocacy for Media Ownership Limits advocacy for media consolidation limits unique to this org
    Champions federal caps on media consolidation to protect democratic discourse and local journalism, viewing concentrated media ownership as a threat to both worker rights and public accountability.
  • Democratic Governance Structure governance_structure unique to this org
    Operates through a representative governance model that includes national, regional, and sector leaders to ensure accountability and responsiveness to diverse membership needs.
  • Democratic Member Engagement member_engagement unique to this org
    Empowers members through democratic processes, such as voting to ratify collective agreements, ensuring that union outcomes reflect the will and agency of the workforce.
  • Integrated Labor Strategy integrated approach unique to this org
    CWA operates on the theory that organizing, political influence, and collective bargaining are interdependent and must be pursued together to achieve worker power and systemic change.
  • Labor Organizing for Workplace Rights labor_organizing unique to this org
    Advocates for the fundamental right of workers to form unions, based on the theory that organized labor is essential to improving pay, working conditions, and workplace equity.
  • Member Mobilization in Bargaining member mobilization unique to this org
    Mobilizes union members collectively during negotiations to strengthen bargaining power and achieve better labor agreements through unified action.
  • Sector-Specific Union Representation sector-specific representation unique to this org
    Delivers tailored representation to workers across diverse industries—such as telecom, health care, public service, and tech—recognizing that sector-specific challenges require specialized organizing and bargaining strategies.
  • Worker Representation and Voice worker representation unique to this org
    Provides direct representation to workers to secure a meaningful voice in workplace decisions and shape their economic futures, grounded in the belief that worker agency drives better outcomes.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2021

the money

revenue
Total revenue$89K
Contributions & grants
Program service revenue
Investment income
Other revenue
expenses
Total expenses$79K
Program expenses
Admin / overhead
Fundraising
Salaries & benefits$44K
Grants paid out$1K
balance sheet
Total assets$199K
Cash
Investments
Liabilities
Net assets$197K
2 years on record · 2020–2021 · YoY revenue -7.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2021

who runs it

paid leadership · 3
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
Paul Carmack Treasurer 5 $6K
Christian Delgado President 5 $5K
Edwin Ortiz Vice President 5 $5K
relationships · 18

who they work with

  • AFL-CIO Partner — Provided moral and financial support during the NFTW strike in 1947.
  • AT&T Partner — Engaged in collective bargaining with AT&T through its Orange Bargaining Committee.
  • Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) Network — Sector within CWA.
  • CIO Partner — Provided support during the NFTW strike in 1947 and later became affiliated with CWA.
  • DIRECTV Partner — Joined litigation with state attorneys general to prevent Nexstar from acquiring TEGNA.
  • IUE-CWA Network — Sector within CWA.
  • LanguageLine Solutions Partner — Represents workers at LanguageLine Solutions who are fighting to form a union.
  • Mark Levine Partner — Works with New York City Comptroller Mark Levine to advocate for LanguageLine Solutions interpreters.
  • NABET-CWA Network — Sector within CWA.
  • New York City Council Partner — Works with New York City Council members to advocate for LanguageLine Solutions interpreters.
  • Nexstar Media Group Partner — Opposed its acquisition of Tegna due to anticompetitive harms.
  • Nexstar Media Group Partner — Opposed its acquisition of Tegna in an antitrust case.
  • TEGNA Partner — Opposed its acquisition by Nexstar Media Group due to anticompetitive harms.
  • Tegna Partner — Opposed its acquisition by Nexstar Media Group in an antitrust case.
  • Teleperformance Partner — Calls on Teleperformance, the parent company of LanguageLine Solutions, to respect workers' right to form a union.
  • The NewsGuild (TNG-CWA) Network — Sector within CWA, representing journalists and other workers.
  • UNI Global Agreement on Social Responsibility Partner — References the Teleperformance-UNI Global Agreement on Social Responsibility which affords workers the right to organize a union.
  • United Airlines Partner — Reached a tentative agreement with the company after more than four years of bargaining.