CWA Stands with AFL-CIO at 2026 Convention

Earlier this month, the AFL-CIO hosted its 2026 Convention in Minneapolis, Minn., attended by numerous union affiliate delegates, members, retirees, and supporters. AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer Fred Redmond, both re-elected to their respective positions, vowed to continue the fight for the working class through an ambitious set of goals, including a commitment to turn out 16 million pro-union voters and to organize two million more workers into unions.

At a Unity Summit held on Saturday, June 6, CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. provided a keynote address regarding the dismantling of the landmark Voter Rights Act by the U.S. Supreme Court via its recent Louisiana vs. Callais decision. CWA Chief of Staff and Coalition of Labor Union Women President Sylvia J. Ramos also participated in a panel discussion titled “WE ARE: Solidarity. Expanding Labor’s Reach Through Constituencies” during the Unity Summit.

Said Cummings, “Labor activists are mobilizing in support of one another and organizing workplaces across the country. We are opening doors to sustainable wages and safer working conditions for millions of workers. But, more than this, we are defending our shared values of equality, fairness, and justice. And we are fighting for what matters most to us.”

 
CWA Chief of Staff and Coalition of Labor Union Women President Sylvia J. Ramos (above, in pink) joined other panelists at the AFL-CIO Unity Summit in Minneapolis, Minn.

The convention’s official kickoff happened on Sunday, June 7, with a tribute to Minnesota Labor and all the union members who were involved in efforts to protect immigrant workers during the violence of “Operation Metro Surge,” where federal agents targeted lawful, legal residents, detained union members, and killed two U.S. citizens.

During the AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention, our delegates included CWA President Cummings, CWA Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam, CWA District 4 Vice President Linda L. Hinton, CWA District 7 Vice President Susie McAllister, CWA Southeast Region At-Large Diversity Executive Board Member Vera Mikell, CWA Central Region At-Large Diversity Executive Board Member Reggie Small, AFA-CWA International President Sara Nelson, NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss, and CWA Public, Healthcare and Education Workers (PHEW) Vice President Margaret Cook.

 
CWA delegates to the AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention celebrated union solidarity at the 2026 AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention.

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CWA President Cummings (right) joined other labor leaders on stage for a panel discussion titled “Civil Rights are Human Rights.”

During the convention, other CWAers spoke out, including PHEW Sector President Cook, who took Virginia Governor Spanberger to task for betraying working people by vetoing pro-worker reforms. Treasurer for the United Video Game Workers (CWA Local 9433) Sherveen Uduwana spoke on a panel highlighting organizing efforts, lifting up work in the video game industry, and the successes of their direct-join program. AFA-CWA Secretary Treasurer Dante Harris addressed the convention about Delta Flight Attendants’ campaign to organize with AFA-CWA.

Members of the Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA) hosted an information table for convention attendees. Volunteers at the table included CWA Local 7250 Activision Stewards Emily Danko, Paul Carter, and Kara Fannon. CWA Local 7250 President Kieran Knutson also took a shift tabling.

CWA joins our AFL-CIO allies in our determination to continue the fight for workers.

Click here to learn more about our legislative agenda and what it will mean for working people.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.