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CWA STAFF UNION
BUFFALO, NY · EIN 560935635 · Form 990 · FY2023 · NTEE J40 · Employment · Small ($100K-$1M) · cwastaffunion.com
revenue
$170K
expenses
$176K
net assets
$584K
employees
4
mission · from form 990

WE REPRESENT MEMBERS WHO ARE EMPLOYED BY THE COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS OF AMERICA, AFL-CIO WITH THE TITLES OF CWA REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT ORGANIZING COORDINATOR, TEMPORARY STAFF, REPRESENTED ATTORNEYS AND IUE CWA STAFF REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CIO WHO MERGED WITH US. WE ALSO REPRESENT THE PA STATE AFL-CIO STAFF.WE BARGAIN CBA'S FOR OUR MEMBERS. WE PROCESS GRIEVANCES FOR OUR MEMBERS.WE ENGAGE IN DISPUTE RESOLUTION FOR OUR MEMBERS. WE CONDUCT EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETINGS. WE CONDUCT MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS.

profile · synthesized from sources

Union representing professional staff employed by the Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO, including CWA Representatives, District Organizing Coordinators, and represented attorneys, as well as Pennsylvania State AFL-CIO staff. The organization negotiates collective bargaining agreements, processes grievances, and supports members through dispute resolution, executive board, and membership meetings. It also administers a scholarship fund for members' families.

named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Collective Bargaining and Grievance Processing
Negotiates and enforces collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), processes grievances, and engages in dispute resolution on behalf of represented staff.
John Scally Scholarship Fund
Provides $4,000 scholarships to 15 recipients annually for the 2025-2026 academic year; open to CWA Staff Union members, their family members, and sponsored candidates pursuing degrees in socially impactful fields.
Membership Meetings and Orientation
Hosts quarterly membership meetings via Zoom and conducts orientation sessions for new and existing members to educate on union operations and Robert’s Rules.
activities · 6 groups

What they do

  • Labor Union Representation & Organizing 2 activities
    • Negotiate and maintain collective bargaining agreements
      Bargains and executes collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) on behalf of members, including a current agreement in effect from 2022 to 2025 and a signed extension agreement effective from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2028.
    • Process and resolve member grievances
      Processes and resolves grievances related to employment conditions for members, including formal settlements concerning the D6 Senior Campaign Lead and per diem issues in District 3.
  • Internal Organizational Elections 1 activity
    • Administer union leadership elections
      Conducts elections and acclamations for union leadership positions, including President, Secretary/Treasurer, and district representatives.
  • Local High School Scholarship Programs 1 activity
    • Award scholarships for undergraduate study
      Awards fifteen $4,000 scholarships annually to students for undergraduate study in socially impactful fields through the John Scally Scholarship program, with awards confirmed for the Fall 2024 school year.
  • Regular Membership Meetings 1 activity
    • Conduct union governance meetings
      Conducts executive board and membership meetings to manage union operations and engage members, including quarterly meetings held in person and via Zoom.
  • Union Member Training & Leadership Development 1 activity
    • Provide member education and orientation
      Hosts new member orientation sessions and ongoing educational programming through CWA Staff School, including updated job descriptions and pension plan explainers for members.
  • Labor Union Member Support Services 1 activity
    • Support member representation and stewardship
      Employs stewards and elected representatives to support and represent union members in specific geographic regions, including district representatives and leadership roles such as Vice-President.
financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$170K
Contributions & grants$00%
Program service revenue$167K98%
Investment income$3K2%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$176K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$51K
Grants paid out$29K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$584K
Cash$584K
Investments$0
Liabilities$0
Net assets$584K
Liquid reserves39.8 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2023 · YoY revenue +9.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023

Who runs it

paid leadership · 4
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
MICHAEL SCHULTE PRESIDENT 10 $14K
GARRY JORDAN PRESIDENT (TO 8/23) 10 $11K
ERIN SPAULDING SECRETARY-TREASURER 10 $10K
MATTHEW CLARK VICE PRESIDENT 10 $4K
board members · 15
  • AKEYIA JOHNSON — EXECUTIVE BOARD
  • AMBER BROOKS — EXECUTIVE BOARD
  • ANTHONY SHAFFER — EXECUTIVE BOARD (TO 8/23)
  • DANNY SALLIE — EXECUTIVE BOARD
  • JANA SMITH-CARR — EXECUTIVE BOARD
  • JANE PHILLIPS — EXECUTIVE BOARD
  • JESSICA RAMIREZ — EXECUTIVE BOARD (TO 8/23)
  • JOHN PETRINI — EXECUTIVE BOARD
  • JULIAN BRUNNER — EXECUTIVE BOARD
  • KEVIN KIMBER — EXECUTIVE BOARD
  • MARY CLINTON — EXECUTIVE BOARD
  • RICHARD SHORTER — EXECUTIVE BOARD
  • ROBERT LONGER — EXECUTIVE BOARD
  • SHERRON MOLINA — EXECUTIVE BOARD
  • TONYA HODGES — EXECUTIVE BOARD (TO 8/23)
relationships · 8

Who they work with

  • CWA HR Government — Provides access to employee benefits resources through the CWA HR Google Site.
  • Communications Workers of America Network — Local union leadership operating under the broader CWA organization.
  • Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO Partner — Employer of represented members and organizational affiliate.
  • Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO Partner — Represents staff employed by the Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO.
  • IUE-CWA Headquarters Government — Administrative office handling scholarship applications and communications.
  • PA AFL-CIO Partner — Shares contract documents and collaborates on labor agreements with the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO.
  • PA State AFL-CIO Partner — Employer of represented members.
  • Pennsylvania State AFL-CIO Partner — Represents professional employees at Pennsylvania State AFL-CIO.
strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Elected and Consensus-Based Union Governance
    methodology: elected_representation
    By using elected leadership and acclamation-based elections, the union ensures democratic legitimacy and member buy-in, because representation through formal processes strengthens accountability and reduces conflict.
  • Labor Representation through Collective Bargaining
    methodology: labor-representation
    By representing union staff in collective bargaining and grievance procedures, the union advances workers' rights and improves employment conditions, because structured legal advocacy ensures enforceable workplace standards.
  • Scholarship Program to Promote Social Impact Careers
    methodology: scholarship-for-social-impact
    By awarding scholarships through a random selection process, the organization incentivizes students to enter socially impactful fields, because accessible and fair financial support increases participation and diversifies talent in public service and advocacy careers.
  • Structured and Inclusive Member Engagement
    methodology: virtual-engagement
    By holding regular meetings governed by Robert’s Rules and offering virtual participation, the union sustains democratic deliberation and broad inclusion, because standardized procedures and accessible formats enable equitable member involvement across geographic and operational boundaries.