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Mission Statement

The historic purpose of IUE has been to bring working families together to achieve common goals: to build a better life for all union members and their families and to preserve the American Dream by winning good-paying, secure jobs; adequate health care; and retirement benefits which enable members to enjoy the autumn of their lives free from economic insecurity. The IUE merger with CWA, one of America's strongest, most progressive unions, significantly enhances IUE's ability to continue to be "A Force for Working Families."

IUE-CWA families are concerned about the future, and with good cause. Globalization, resulting in the loss of the best jobs in the United States (manufacturing jobs, union jobs) presents our union with profound challenges. Experience has taught us that successful collective bargaining takes place only within the broader struggle to achieve economic and social justice. Accordingly, the IUE-CWA Division will intensify our involvement in critical activities such as organizing the unorganized, unionizing the organized, political and legislative efforts, community involvement, coalition building, and social action.

In accordance with the IUE-CWA Merger Agreement, our Division will engage in and have jurisdiction in many endeavors. In all our efforts our IUE-CWA Division will coordinate and work closely with CWA and reach out whenever possible to our Brothers and Sisters in CWA, NABET, the International Typographical Union and The Newspaper Guild. IUE-CWA recognizes, fully accepts and enthusiastically acknowledges that we are all one union and are most powerful when we act together.

To build IUE-CWA into a mighty force for good in our society, we will pursue the following comprehensive, progressive agenda:

1. Collective Bargaining. Collective bargaining continues to provide the major vehicle to achieving job security, decent wages, health insurance, a good pension, health and safety on the job, and fair work rules. IUE-CWA is committed to helping our local unions win strong contracts by providing full research, legal, and communications capabilities. IUE-CWA also is committed to expanding the use of strategic campaigns by utilizing CWA resources and experience, international union coalition building, and other innovative methods to advance the interests of our members.

2. Organizing. The ability to maintain and improve the gains we've won in collective bargaining agreements is directly tied to the number of members we represent in our industries. Through the CWA Organizing Department we now have the ability to engage in a reinvigorated effort to organize workers in the manufacturing sector. In particular, IUE-CWA will concentrate on organizing workers in companies where we already have a bargaining relationship, such as GE, GM, Delphi, and Whirlpool, and their component and part suppliers. Organizing must be done on every level, from the Division to the local unions. IUE-CWA will encourage local unions to actively participate in CWA's local union organizing program by establishing local union organizing committees and hiring a full-time local union organizer whose wages would be substantially reimbursed by the CWA in accordance with the CWA program. IUE-CWA also will bargain to organize in its contracts, placing demands for card check-off and employer neutrality on the table.

3. Political Action. As the political clout of working families has grown in recent years, corporations and their allies have sharpened their aggressive attacks on unions and our members' rights to participate in the political process. Working families must increase the power of their voice. IUE-CWA will take the lead in registering our members and retirees to vote, providing information on the issues, raising funds for candidates who support a pro-worker agenda and encouraging members, retirees and their families to vote. At the bargaining table, IUE-CWA will propose joint labor-management voter registration programs such as we have negotiated at GE, GM and Delphi and to give workers an Election Day holiday. The goal remains to bargain COPE check-off in every IUE-CWA contract and to effectively implement the COPE program, with the objective being to collect a minimum of $15 per year per member in COPE contributions. IUE-CWA will encourage local union members to run for and hold elected office at every level of government.

4. Education and Mobilization. The power of the IUE-CWA Division is nothing more than the total energy and support of its members. The Division will provide the tools of education, organization, and leadership so our members can effectively mobilize and carry out collective actions that make a difference in bargaining, organizing and political and legislative action. IUE-CWA will work to involve members and retirees in lobbying on legislation at all levels of government. In conjunction with CWA, IUE-CWA will develop a rapid response system on legislative issues. Key concerns include international trade and worker rights, health and safety, Social Security and Medicare, minimum wage, pension, health care, tax fairness, and other worker protections. As part of the education and mobilization process, IUE-CWA will organize area meetings to further promote the union's agenda and issues. The meetings will include sessions with elected officials to hold them accountable for their actions. Invitations to the meetings will be sent to all CWA members, including those of all CWA sectors, near the meeting sites.

5. Communications. Communication is the cornerstone of all union activities. An informed membership is an active and involved membership. IUE-CWA will strive to maintain excellent communications with the leadership and members. We will use all methods available, including printed materials, video, fax alerts, and the Internet. IUE-CWA encourages all local unions to have fax machines, computers, and Internet connections to facilitate the communications process. IUE-CWA also encourages local unions to produce their own newsletters and web sites. IUE-CWA will provide training and resources to help accomplish these goals.

6. Servicing Locals. IUE-CWA will maintain primary responsibility for servicing the local unions within its Division. IUE-CWA will educate local unions on the CWA dues rebate program wherein locals that meet self-service requirements for units of 150 or fewer members may be refunded 25 percent of the per capita paid to the International by such unit. The self-service requirements include handling all grievances, arbitration cases, legal expenses, and dues collection. IUE-CWA will encourage and assist eligible local unions to work to meet this program's requirements. IUE-CWA will work with CWA to strengthen and grow the Industrial Division by encouraging industrial local unions in CWA to join the Division. The Division President and the Executive Council shall be responsible for effectively implementing this mission statement and will provide a comprehensive report on the progress made in each of these areas at each annual Division Conference.