Volume 75, Issue #4 | Winter 2015

Winter 2015

Wall Street Greed Hits Workers' Wages

Real wages for working people (adjusted for inflation) have stagnated over the past 40 years. As CWA members, we've done better than that, but like all working families, we're up against the greed of Wall Street and the 1 percent. It's the financialization of our economy, and it's bad for working families and bad for our communities.

Workers' wages and productivity used to rise together. Since 1973, the gains from worker productivity started going, mainly into the pockets of company CEOs and Wall Street investors.

Critical Time For Our Democracy

The inspiration for the Democracy Initiative (DI) was extreme frustration that the path to achieving CWA's goals of secure, sustainable jobs, health care, retirement security and bargaining and organizing rights was blocked by a concerted attack on our democratic process. Workers' rights were eroding and contract bargaining was harder than ever.

Make The Connection: Voter Suppression and Money in Politics

The NAACP's "Journey for Justice" began this August, 50 years after the Voting Rights Act was signed. From Selma, Ala., to Washington, D.C., thousands of civil rights, religious, union, student and other activists joined actions, rallies and teach-ins as marchers made their way to the endpoint, a rally and advocacy day at the U.S. Capitol.

The DI: Building a Movement for Political Change

The Democracy Initiative was formed in December 2013 by four core organizations, the Communications Workers of America, the NAACP, Sierra Club and Greenpeace, with the goal of mobilizing millions in a fight to save our democracy.

The Fight For Political Equality

Since the Supreme Court's Citizens United and McCutcheon decisions, the richest of the 1 percent have been able to put their mark on our election process and our democracy. Not only are the values and interests of the wealthy - which are very different from those of everyday Americans - now center stage, their mega-dollars diminish the votes and power of the rest of us.

Making the Connection: Voter Suppression and Money in Politics

The Citizens United and McCutcheon Supreme Court rulings are enabling wealthy and corporate interests to control our election process and public policy at every level. Coupled with the Supreme Court's Shelby decision, which dismantled critical voting protections, the result will likely produce a government of, by and for the 1 percent, unless we act.

How We're Fighting Back

Restore Protections Against Bank Speculation; Break Up Big Banks and Support State Public Banks; Expand the Committee for Better Banks and Continue to Support Bank Workers Who Want a Union Voice; and more.