CWA is about to take Washington, DC by storm. The 71st Annual CWA Convention along with the 2009 Legislative-Political Conference is coming up on June 22nd - 25th, and they promise to be the most exciting ones yet.

We are convening in the nation's capital at the perfect time. Two of our biggest issues—Health Care and the Employee Free Choice Act—are at the forefront of the debate in Congress. We will have direct access to some of the most influential people in Washington—Vice President Joe Biden, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis.

Imagine the sight of thousands of CWA members blanketing Capitol Hill, demanding real action on health care and workers' rights—our best chance to make our case directly to our lawmakers. We'll show them just how united we are—and send a strong message about our commitment to these critical issues.

The week will be packed with important convention sessions, Capitol Hill meetings, Lobby Day events and rallies. We'll be going all out to build on our success in last year's elections, and make sure Congress keeps its promises to put working families first.

Despite our support in the House and Senate, there are still powerful forces standing against the change we need. These forces are spending millions of dollars to pressure Congress into scuttling the Employee Free Choice Act and health care reform. This is our chance to push back against these corporate interests and show them that our unity and solidarity are more powerful than their money and backroom dealings.

On Wednesday, June 24th, we'll hit the halls of Congress, over 2,000 strong, to make our voice heard to our elected representatives.  The next day, we'll join our allies for a rally in support of health care reform working families can count on.

On Friday, June 5, 2009, CWA conducted a contract explanation and ratification meeting at its local hall on 920 11^th Street SE, Washington. The contract was explained by the Union’s bargaining team consisting of President Mike Harris and Executive Vice President Valerie Matthews-Monroe and then overwhelmingly ratified by the membership of Catholic Charities of Washington, D.C.

On Monday, June 8, 2009, the local conducted a steward information and training session at the Local office. Stewards Bonnie Barrett, Cortez Avery, Stuart Philipp and Kitty Carlisle were present at the session.

Vice President Jonathan Keith Leonard, who will be dealing with the day-to-day concerns of members at Share, laid out his plan of action to the stewards of how the Local would continue to represent our members at Share.

Two issues of concern discussed in this session were 1) Payroll errors and 2) log-in failures. These two issues have already been addressed to Share Management in Massachusetts. The Local is currently awaiting responses from them on these matters.

Tickets are on sale for the Third Annual Labor Night at Nationals Park when the Nats will play the San Diego Padres. All tickets are $10.00 each and game time is 7:05 p.m.

Anyone interested in purchasing tickets should contact the Local office on 202 291-1500.