CWAers Join the Poor People's Campaign

Busloads of CWA members from New York (CWA District 1), Alabama and North Carolina (CWA District 3), and across CWA District 2-13 gathered in Washington, D.C., last week for the historic “Mass Poor People’s & Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington D.C. & to the Polls.”

This event united a diverse and passionate crowd, with thousands of marchers from various unions joining in solidarity. CWA Chief of Staff Sylvia J. Ramos attended the event in person, and CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. welcomed participants virtually via Zoom.

CWA member Audrianna Lewis, who is a federal call center worker, addressed the crowd, speaking on behalf of low-wage workers at her employer, Maximus. Audrianna gave a shocking account of the callousness of the company, saying, “We are given low wages and high medical costs that keep all of us living paycheck to paycheck. Last fall, Maximus sent out an email asking us to donate clothing to our co-workers in need.

“Let me say that again. A massive company that is paid billions of dollars by the federal government asked ME to donate clothing to my coworkers because they know that people cannot afford new clothes on the wages they pay us. This is not right, and it’s not acceptable in the wealthiest country on earth, and it must stop now.”

Also at the mic was Association of Flight Attendants-CWA International Secretary-Treasurer Dante Harris, who educated the crowd on the differences, both in pay and respect, between Flight Attendants on smaller carriers doing the same job as their counterparts on mainline carriers. Harris asked the crowd, “How many of you think that [Flight Attendants] who do the same job, have the same federal qualifications, wear the same uniform, should get the same pay!?”

Harris also introduced 17-year veteran Flight Attendant and AFA-CWA Steward, London Lester. “Airline corporations have built huge profits on the backs of workers. We wear the same uniforms and do the same work, but our corporate bosses have created tiers between regional and mainline so they can pay a huge part of their workforce poverty wages. AFA-CWA is proud to be a part of the Moral March on Washington. We are stronger together, and together we have the power to create change!”

CWA’s Director of Human Rights and Education, Angie Wells, also spoke, saying, “CWA is proud to be here today to demand that our elected officials address the immoral reality of mass poverty and low wages in the richest country on the planet.”

To watch a video of the event, please click here. CWA members begin speaking at the 2-hour mark.

 
Top: Members of the CWA Human Rights Committee led the way as CWA activists arrived in Washington, D.C., for the Poor Peoples’ Moral March. 
Middle Left: CWA’s Director of Human Rights and Education, Angie Wells (middle), and CWA member Audrianna Lewis prepare to address the crowd. 
Middle Right: AFA-CWA International Secretary-Treasurer Dante Harris spoke at the podium and also introduced AFA-CWA Steward London Lester (left). 
Bottom: CWA Chief of Staff Sylvia J. Ramos (right) joined marchers at CWA Headquarters before heading to the National Mall.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.