Good Jobs & Good Wages - It's Our Turn

For the vast majority of workers, real wages have declined or remained stagnant since 1979. That’s true for workers with a college education and those who don’t have one. CWA and other union members have done better overall, because we’re able to bargain for some improvements. But bargaining has gotten harder.

During the 2008-2009 Great Recession, nearly 4 million mid-wage jobs, with annual earnings of about $40,000, were lost. Fewer than 1 million have come back.  It’s the same story for higher wage jobs, those paying above $44,000. Nearly 2 million low wage jobs, paying less than $28,700, have been gained in the economic recovery. Clearly, workers are losing ground.

In 2015, CWA bargaining teams will be negotiating 180 contracts covering more than 200,000 CWA members across our industries and sectors. We want increased wages, jobs and fairness in our workplaces. Many of our employers are among the most profitable in their industries, and it’s time that workers get a fair share of those profits.

With our members’ help, many of our employers recovered from bankruptcy and the economic downturn of the 2008 Great Recession. We’re putting them on notice: it’s our turn.