Local 803 (CWA)

Local 803 (CWA)
Name	Local 803 (CWA)
Location country	United States
Affiliation	Communications Workers of America
Headquarters	Denver, Colorado
Key people	Christopher M. Peters, Catherine L. Rivera
Members	6,400 (approx.)
Founded	1962

Local 803 (CWA) is a regional chapter of the Communications Workers of America active in Colorado and surrounding areas, representing workers in telecommunications, education, public sector, health care, and private industry. The local engages in collective bargaining, labor actions, political advocacy, and coalition work with national and international labor organizations. Local 803 participates in campaigns, negotiations, and legal challenges involving employers and public authorities across the Rocky Mountain region.

History

Local 803 (CWA) traces roots to mid-20th-century labor movements involving unions such as the American Telephone and Telegraph Company workforce disputes, the AFL–CIO realignments, and the post-World War II expansion of service-sector unions. During the 1960s and 1970s Local 803 coordinated with the Communications Workers of America national leadership during negotiations that intersected with strikes involving Verizon Communications, AT&T, and regional carriers. In the 1980s and 1990s the local dealt with restructurings tied to policies championed by administrations like the Reagan administration and legal decisions such as those influenced by the National Labor Relations Board. In the early 2000s Local 803 expanded membership amid privatization initiatives similar to cases involving Xcel Energy and public sector bargaining seen in disputes with entities like the City and County of Denver. More recently, Local 803 engaged with national campaigns associated with leaders from the Communications Workers of America such as Larry Cohen and Dawn M. Forde during periods overlapping with legislation influenced by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and coalition work paralleling partnerships with Service Employees International Union and United Steelworkers.

Organization and Membership

Local 803 organizes across sectors represented in regions including Denver, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and towns linked historically to labor organizing such as Aurora, Colorado and Boulder, Colorado. Membership categories include bargaining-unit workers at private firms like CenturyLink and public employees at institutions comparable to University of Colorado campuses and municipal agencies akin to the Denver Public Schools system. Local governance mirrors CWA structures with an executive board, shop stewards, and delegates coordinating with the CWA District 7 office and national CWA bodies linked to figures such as Claude Cummings Jr. and committees akin to those convened by AFL–CIO affiliates. Local 803 participates in training with organizations like the Laborers' International Union of North America training centers and allies with civil-rights institutions such as NAACP chapters and local chapters of ACLU-affiliated advocacy.

Collective Bargaining and Contracts

Local 803 negotiates collective bargaining agreements with employers reflecting sectors represented by unions like Communications Workers of America and historical agreements negotiated in contexts similar to contracts involving Bell System successors and regional utilities such as Public Service Company of Colorado. Contracts address wages, benefits, pension provisions referenced in precedents like matters involving the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 as interpreted in cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Bargaining often involves legal counsel drawn from labor law firms and national CWA legal resources, and accords have been influenced by arbitration frameworks comparable to rulings from the National Labor Relations Board and collective bargaining models used by unions such as Teamsters and American Federation of Teachers.

Major Actions and Campaigns

Local 803 has engaged in strikes, coordinated work stoppages, and informational picketing reminiscent of actions undertaken by unions like UNITE HERE and strike campaigns contemporaneous with actions by United Auto Workers. Campaigns have included contract strike votes during disputes with regional telecom firms analogous to Qwest Communications International and coordinated mobilizations during national CWA initiatives such as the Stand Up for Secure Pensions campaign. Local 803 also ran public campaigns addressing workplace safety and privatization similar to community efforts led by Service Employees International Union and coalitions that echo the strategy of Fight for $15 and living-wage movements linked to municipal campaigns in cities like Denver and Aurora, Colorado.

Political Activities and Advocacy

Local 803 engages in electoral politics, lobbying, and ballot-measure campaigns similar to labor-driven efforts supporting candidates endorsed by the AFL–CIO and issues advanced by the National Education Association and California Teachers Association in other states. Activities include endorsements, campaign contributions coordinated under CWA political action committees comparable to CWA COPE, and grassroots canvassing for federal and state offices including candidates for the Colorado General Assembly and U.S. House members representing Colorado districts. The local advocates on labor-related legislation at the Colorado General Assembly and files amicus positions or supports litigation in venues such as the United States Supreme Court when national labor issues arise. It partners in coalitions with organizations like Mijente, Planned Parenthood affiliates, and environmental groups such as 350.org when campaigns intersect with workers' rights and community issues.

Notable Leadership

Leaders associated with Local 803 include elected officers and chief negotiators who have held positions similar to regional labor leaders like Larry Cohen and national CWA presidents. Local presidents, vice presidents, and secretaries have engaged with state political figures including former governors such as John Hickenlooper and Bill Ritter during labor negotiations and public forums. Key negotiators and staff have connections with labor strategists and legal experts tied to unions including the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and prominent labor organizers like Jane McAlevey-styled organizers in regional campaigns.

Affiliations and Partnerships

Local 803 affiliates with the Communications Workers of America national structure and maintains partnerships with the AFL–CIO, regional labor councils like the Denver Area Labor Federation, and coalitions such as Colorado Jobs with Justice. It collaborates with unions including the Teamsters, Service Employees International Union, United Steelworkers, and American Federation of Teachers on shared bargaining and political priorities. The local also partners with community organizations like ACLU affiliates, NAACP branches, faith-based labor coalitions connected to groups similar to Interfaith Worker Justice, and policy organizations akin to the Economic Policy Institute for research and campaign strategy.

Category:Trade unions in Colorado Category:Communications Workers of America