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Local 1037 Lobbies for Fair Trade and a Fair Economy

CWA activists meeting with Congressman Frank Pallone . (from L to R – Dudley Burge - Local 1032, Mauro Camporeale – Local 1037, Seth Hahn – CWA National, Congressman Frank Pallone, Abdul-Basit Haqq – Local 1037, Karen Cunningham – Local 1037, Peter Cipparulo – Local 1038, Tanisha Freeldand – Local 1037)

CWA activists from across the country met in Washington, D.C. on June 14 and 15 for the union’s Legislative-Political Conference. The two-day conference focused on CWA’s effort to reclaim the economy and democracy for working families, including the Take on Wall Street campaign and holding elected officials accountable.

CWA Local 1037 activists and leaders lobbied members of Congress on issues including the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement and reforms to close tax loopholes for corporations and millionaires. CWA is still continuing its campaign to stop the TPP while advocating for fair trade that will protect workers’ rights, environmental regulation, and consumer rights. As part of our Take on Wall Street (http://takeonwallstreet.org/campaign, CWA has also joined with over 20 national organizations to push for reforms of our financial sector and stop taxpayer subsidies for the wealthiest in our country.

On Tuesday, Senator Elizabeth Warren fired up the crowd with an impassioned speech highlighting the Take On Wall Street campaign, Reps. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.) spoke powerfully about stopping the TPP, and activists participated in a panel on fighting for a fair economy.

Watch the video here.

On Wednesday, United States Secretary of Labor Tom Perez, who worked tirelessly to mediate negotiations between CWA and Verizon, started the day off with a great speech about strengthening the middle class and organized labor. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), and Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) talked about restoring and expanding voting rights and reclaiming our economy.

A panel on the Black Lives Matter Movement looked at how the movement is leading the fight for civil rights in our nation. Panelists talked about the roots of racial and economic inequality, and how as a nation, the lives of black persons and people of color are undervalued.