IUE-CWA Local 86004 is CWA STRONG

 

CWA members aren't letting right-to-work (for less) laws get in their way of making their local CWA STRONG. These laws are intended to weaken workers' bargaining power by trying to restrict a local's resources.

Members of IUE-CWA Local 86004 in Kansas City, Mo., work at GE Aviation Strother Field, where they manufacture airplane and helicopter engines. About 90 percent of the plant’s 650 workers are CWA members, and of the 130 new hires, the membership rate is just about 100 percent.

President Jake Aguinaga said, "The entire Local Executive Board works on the floor every day and is visible and accessible to all the members." A very active local mobilization team can communicate quickly and effectively with the membership at a moment’s notice. Using cell phones and text messaging, members are informed and engaged in everything the local is doing.

Local member Josh Jacobs said that talking to new hires right away and letting them know about the power of being in the local union is key. "Another key to success is persistence – talking to all members about the union, even when you think they might not be interested."