CWA Local 1037

We have a Tentative Agreement with Bergen’s Promise! This 2-year agreement includes increases to base salary based on years of service, new language for new hires with increases to base salaries if they possess a Master’s or a license, and more.

If unions didn‘t work, billionaires wouldn‘t spend millions trying to convince you not to join one.

CWA 1037, 1033, 1032, 1036 members & allies lobbied and rallied at the State House in Trenton today to tell lawmakers: Extend the Corporate Business Tax (CBT) surcharge to ensure NJ residents get the services they need!

Do not give a billion-dollar tax cut to wealthy corporations and leave the people of NJ footing the bill!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Did you know CWA members and their families are eligible for college scholarships?

The Joe Bernie Scholarship Program – named after CWA’s founding president – will award 16 two-year scholarships of $4,00 each for the 2024-2025 academic year. CWA members and their spouses, children and grandchildren, including those of retired or deceased members, are all eligible for the award.

Joe Beirne served as CWA president for three decades. Under his leadership, CWA broadened its organizing focus, grew steadily in numbers and strength, and became a leading force for civil and worker rights. The Joseph A. Beirne Foundation honors his lifelong commitment to education and progressive social causes through the scholarship program.

Applications are available at CWA.org/Beirne and are due by midnight, April 30, 2024.

New scholarship opportunities are available for eligible CWA members. See scholarships here:

Scholarship Opportunities for CWA Members Are you or a family member attending college next Fall? If so, you don’t want to miss out on any of these scholarship opportunities offered by our partners in the Labor Movement! If you or one of your…

We're Hiring! 👇

CWA Local 1037, Communications Workers of America seeks a Staff Representative to be based in Newark, NJ. Details can be found at: http://unionjobs.com/listing.php?id=18618 CWA Local 1037 Communications Workers of America

CWA 1037 members getting the vote out! Remember to VOTE - polls close at 8pm. Find your polling location: https://voter.svrs.nj.gov/polling-place-search

CWA 1037 members out in the field to get-out-the-vote! To find your polling place to vote tomorrow, click here: https://voter.svrs.nj.gov/polling-place-search

It’s GOTV weekend! We only have a few days left to get those ballots back in, and CWA Local 1037 is out today talking to voters to make sure that everyone knows about Senator Vin Gopal for NJ State Senate and Margie Donlon and Luanne Peterpaul for Assembly.

CWA Local 1037 members at PCBSS continue to fight for a fair contract. Today they called their commissioners to demand a fair contract now!

For our , we spoke with Shop Steward Catrinah Metteaux from The Leaguers, Inc. Learn about her work: https://www.cwa1037.org/2023/10/shop-steward-spotlight-catrinah-metteaux/

Happy Halloween! 🎃

Fall foliage and labor walks! Election day is almost here — join us to get-out-the-vote: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/laborwalks2023

Join us to get-out-the-vote for candidates that support a working families agenda. Sign up for labor walks: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/laborwalks2023

Yesterday, CWA 1037 members at The Leaguers, Inc. with support from NJ Communities United, rallied at Leaguers headquarters to fight against increases in healthcare costs. Read the full story: https://bit.ly/leaguersrally

Vibe check

Congrats to our Shop Stewards in childcare for completing their Steward Training!

CWA 1037 Childcare Shop Stewards Complete Training On Saturday, October 21, CWA Local 1037 Shop Stewards in the childcare industry attended an all-day training session in Newark. Stewards from La Casa De Don Pedro and The Leaguers, Inc.

: CWA 1037 Shop Stewards and Hip Hop pioneer legend KRS-One talk organizing and Hip Hop’s first union, Thehiphopalliance. Solidarity with artists in the Hip Hop and R&B community in the fight for fair wages and strong benefits. Your fight is our fight!

BREAKING NEWS: After more than a year of preparation, mobilization, and tough bargaining with the State of New Jersey, our 35,000 members voted to ratify our 2023-2027 Executive Branch contract by 94.01% to 5.99% 💪

You can find more details of the contract including the full text of the agreement, a bargaining report summary, memos of agreement, and salary schedules here: https://cwad1.org/workplaces/njstateworkercontract2023

Getting our vote in. 🗳️

Voting has begun! — in Budd Lake, Kenilworth, New Brunswick, Saddle Brook, and Tinton Falls! For a full schedule click here: https://www.cwa1037.org/2023/10/state-worker-contract-ratification-voting-schedule-2/

𝐕𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐁𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐒 𝐓𝐎𝐃𝐀𝐘! 🗳

Vote in-person at the following locations Oct. 10 & Oct 11 from 5:00-8:00pm:

Holiday Inn Budd Lake – 1000 International Dr North, Budd Lake, NJ 07828
VFW Post 2230 – 33 South 21st Street, Kenilworth, NJ 07033
Labor Education Center – 50 Labor Center Way, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Crowne Plaza – 50 Kenny Place, Saddle Brook, NJ 07662
DoubleTree – 700 Hope Road, Tinton Falls, NJ 07724

Or vote in-person at your worksite tomorrow, Oct. 11 at the following times:https://www.cwa1037.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2023-Ratification-Route-Flyer-2.pdf

CWA 1037 State Workers: The Contract Ratification Voting Schedule is available here: https://www.cwa1037.org/2023/10/state-worker-contract-ratification-voting-schedule-2/

Members will be able to vote at listed locations on October 10, or at their worksites on October 11.

Emergency meetings and worksite meetings to discuss the State Worker Tentative Agreement continue throughout the week. Click here for the schedule: https://www.cwa1037.org/2023/09/nj-state-worker-emergency-meetings-and-ratification-information/

Together we fought for a pattern-breaking contract and this tentative agreement has significant gains for every part of CWA’s State Worker membership. On October 10 & October 11, make sure to vote YES! Ratification locations and details to be announced soon.

We reached a historic tentative agreement for NJ State Workers thanks to our membership’s solidarity. Vote YES to lock in the wins of this new contract on Tuesday, October 10 and Wednesday, October 11. Ratification locations and details to be announced soon.

CWA 1037 State Workers: To access information on Emergency Meetings, Ratification & more regarding our Tentative Agreement, visit our resource web page https://www.cwa1037.org/2023/09/nj-state-worker-emergency-meetings-and-ratification-information/

THIS JUST IN: We have reached a tentative agreement with the State of New Jersey on a historic contract covering our 35,000 members in the executive branch!

Short summary (more details will be provided next week once the parties have signed off on the final documents, which is in progress):

Compensation Package
-Wins the largest across-the-board package over the life of the contract since our 2007-2011 contract, with members receiving raises averaging between 19% and 35%
-Provides across-the-boards of 14%, exclusive of annual step increases which average an additional 3.7% per year. The first ATB is retroactive to July 1, 2023.
-Adds Step 11 to top of all pay ranges, effective July 2025
Adjusts all titles below range 9 to at least Range 9-step 2, establishing a new minimum salary for all CWA-represented positions, effective July 2024
-Secures Clothing Maintenance Allowance payments for the life of the contract, retroactive for 2023

Health Benefits
-Secures our current plan design and contribution increases - secured our current contribution rates for CWA Unity Direct
-Continues negotiations on plan design issues such as copays through the State Plan Design Committee, and all affected unions

Telework
-Establishes process for continued negotiations on telework program to start October 15, 2023 and end by March 15, 2024 before the Civil Service Commission considers a permanent rule
-Provides a process to address exclusions of members in the departments of Children and Families and Law and Public Safety

The TA also secures improved health and safety procedures, agreements to reduce and convert temporary positions into full-time bargaining unit positions, changes to Civil Service issues like out-of-title work appeals and supervisory position requirements, and continued negotiations to place Rowan SOM members in the state ranges and steps.

CWA leadership is finalizing the details in writing and will provide full details early next week. CWA Local leadership will distribute the Tentative Agreement materials and schedule membership meetings to explain the agreement and ratification procedures.

Any success and power CWA has at the bargaining table is based on membership solidarity, patience, and strength. When we fight, we win. Together, we fought for a pattern-breaking contract and this tentative agreement has significant gains for members in every part of CWA’s membership.

IN SOLIDARITY,
Dennis Trainor, District 1 Vice President
William Gallagher, District 1 Assistant to the VP
Fran Ehret, NJ Area Director
John Rose, Local 1031
Migdalia Santiago, Local 1032
Gaye Palmer, Local 1033
Adam Liebtag, Local 1036
Ken McNamara, Local 1037
Shawn Ludwig, Local 1038
Michele Long-Vickers, Local 1040

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!

Do you have your CWA red on?
📸: CWA Local 1037

For our Shop Steward Spotlight, we interviewed Lakeya Shipley! Read about her work: https://www.cwa1037.org/shop-steward-spotlight-lakeya-shipley/

With respect and sorrow, we post this list of CWA members who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.

CWA 1037 out here supporting Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) demanding a fair contract from United! Solidarity!

When We Fight, We Win! CWA 1037 members at The Leaguers voted yes to ratify a new union contract. Read more: https://www.cwa1037.org/the-leaguers-vote-yes-to-ratify-new-union-contract/