CWA United

Direct Care Worker News

JULY 10- Bargaining Committee Election Results are in! See the results here. Also, see bios of the committee nominees.

MAY 22- CWA United Steps Up for the Arc! On Sunday, May 18, our very own CWA United Walk Team participated in the Arc of Camden’s Step Up for the Arc Walk at Lindenwold Park. Walkers for the CWA United team raised over $1,000 in donations for the Arc and spent the morning interacting with parents, staff and the individuals for whom they provide care. Workers at the Arc are currently organizing with CWA United for a voice on the job. For more information about the organizing effort at the Arc of Camden, please contact Anne at 1-877-292-1037 or Connie at 1-800-253-3289.

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MARCH 10- Attention DDD Sponsors and Respite Providers! Click to read a Letter to Sponsors from CWA Presidents

MARCH 3- the Board of Mediation verified through a card check procedure that a majority of the State’s DDD Sponsors and Respite Providers signed cards designating CWA as their collective bargaining representative. The card check was followed up on Wednesday by the signing of an Executive Order granting Union Recognition to the State’s 1,000 providers who take care of people with developmental disabilities under contract with the State’s Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD). Sponsors and Respite Providers will now prepare for negotiations by electing a Bargaining Committee and continuing to complete Bargaining Surveys. Thanks especially to all CWA Local 1037 shop stewards who assisted on this organizing campaign.

Direct care workers, sponsors, and CWA union organizers posing with Governor Corzine at the Recognition Ceremony

CWA United is a partnership of CWA Local 1040 and CWA Local 1037, representing thousands of direct care and service workers at hundreds of worksites throughout New Jersey. CWA United includes direct care and service workers in both the public and private sectors. CWA members work diligently every day to improve the lives of our State’s most vulnerable citizens by providing support to the developmentally disabled, children and families, and those in need of mental health services.

CWA already represents workers at Essex, Mercer and Atlantic Arcs as well as workers at many other private, non-profit agencies including New Concepts for Living, Caring Inc, and Bergen’s Promise, among others. Sponsors and respite providers with the State’s Division of Developmental Disabilities are currently organizing with CWA and in-home child care providers have already organized and won their first union contract. By joining together in CWA United, direct care and service workers can fight not only for better wages, benefits and working conditions, but also for better services and a higher quality of life for those we serve.

CWA represents over 700,000 men and women in both the private and public sectors. CWA members are employed in government service, telecommunications, health care, and education as well as broadcasting, cable TV, journalism, publishing, manufacturing and other fields. Members live in approximately 10,000 communities, making CWA one of the most geographically diverse unions.

CWA is a highly democratic Union. From the moment you begin organizing with CWA, it is your Union. Workers from your workplace will take on leadership roles and move the organizing campaign forward. It takes a strong majority of public supporters working together to win an organizing campaign and it takes each member fighting hard to win a fair contract. No matter what your industry or employer, workers at your workplace will be involved in every step — from contact to contract.