2026 CWA National Human Rights Convention

Human Rights Conference

Atlanta, Georgia

August 16-19, 2026

Several days of many speakers and classes; including CWA President Claude Cummings, Stacey Abrams, Congresswoman Nikema Williams, Tennessee Representative Justin J Pearson, U.S Senator Jon Ossoff, Ga., Mayor of Stoncrest Ga. Jazzmin Coble, and so many others.

Eye opening to say the least. Key focus on how our Human Rights are being taken away so easily with a signature, and others afraid to speak up about it, knowing it’s wrong; Community Organizing under the theme of “ Building Resilience Through Resistance”. We are fighting for what matters most. The upcoming Election is very important to know what is going on in your community, who is running, what they stand for and what they are actually trying to do. Get involved, be sure to vote; get involved to help transport those that can’t get to the polls. If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything. Your future and your families future depend on being involved. It’s bigger than CWA 3640. We have connections with so many other Unions that are  involved in ways you can only imagine. Don’t allow yourself to think of CWA as the union for AA. We are a local for INT, but CWA is much bigger than you think. 

Human rights are the basic moral guarantees and freedoms that belong to everyone, just for being human.

It applies to everyone, regardless of race, gender, religion or background, that cannot be taken away. These rights connect one to another. Voting rights are civil rights. Civil rights are human rights. They go hand in hand. Strong people don’t need strong leaders, they need a path forward. Lasting change doesn’t come from relying on a singular figure, but from building collective power from the bottom up.  

This goes back to show that everyone is hurting at home in one way or another; hurting at home and hurting voting is connected. We need to be strong in this election. We need something to fight for, to vote for; housing, jobs, food, air, water. When we fight, we win! We will win as long as we stand together, dignity wins as we plan for our future legacy. 

It is quite evident that are human rights are slowly being stripped away from us all. The changes being made are increasingly clear that billionaires and corporations have come to dominate our political system. Public policy is reflecting the the preferences of those very powerful interests. We have seen huge tax cuts, offshore jobs that are stripping of worker protections and attacks on union rights and an increase in technologies that are worsening or displacing jobs in order to enhance corporate profits, ex: AI. This has resulted in job cuts, rising healthcare costs. It’s time to reclaim your power.

Worker Wellness ( The Whole Worker)

This class was to empower workers to reclaim humanity and understand the real stress.

• real humans being first 
• wellness- physical
• wellbeing- mental/ emotional   

Self care and rest are human rights

AI driven - is displacement, competition, algorithmic 

It impacts workers by causing stress, anxiety, diminished autonomy, burnout

Life outside of work is what shapes your life, your life is not work

Ask yourself: which roles do you take on at work, where are you stretched thin?

Ex: everything fixer, leadership, social worker, baby sitter, mediator, therapist, counselor, advocate, mentor, organizer, messenger, secretary.

Humanization vs Dehumanization

Humanization - act or process of making or becoming human; recognizing a person’s full humanity, dignity and individuality

Dehumanization - regarding, viewing, representing or treating a person or group less than human, shutting down empathy.

Dehumanization shows up in jobs and industry when it’s more management vs union worker, unreasonable deadlines/ expectations, insensitivity, moving on from trauma/ death.

You start carrying all of those things and it can begin to break you down. You can get sick from stress, you think things are normal; but then here comes hbp, heart disease, muskoskeletal disorders, depression and anxiety. There are triggers that causes stress and understanding them. Some triggers at work could be criticism, metrics, interruptions, feeling watched. Stress and anxiety can put you into fight or flight modes which can also decrease resourcefulness or lead to over-reaction. Your triggers can show up in your personality, violence, sickness, memories or being volun-told.

You can shift from reaction to reflection; recognize your triggers, pause, shift state of mind, respond with clarity. There is a definite need to honor your boundaries. It isn’t wrong to say, no; prioritize yourself. 

Ask yourself, what would you do if you had 10 guilt free minutes?

• Reduces stress
• Enhances flexibility and circulation 
• Supports healing and recovery
• Improves sleep quality

If you do not rest, you will break down. You have to be ok, it’s important to take time for you.

Navigating the future of work (Understanding AI and Building Worker Power)

This class went through how AI in the workplace is affecting human workers. It is a machine based system that can make predictions, recommendations or decisions based on human defined objectives.

AI is being seen in the workplace in biometrics, scheduling, recording and tracking people. The impact may not make jobs disappear immediately, but it makes it become faster. It is narrow- minded and less skilled. It then affects workers by 

-lower wages 

-unstable hours

-and then the displacement risk 

-productivity pressure

-routine work shifted to systems 

-less discretion and professional judgement   

The impacts are not neutral. African Americans are underrepresented in low displacement job categories (Ex. Office support, food service, production work). AI deepen the existing inequalities when risk and disruption fall hardest on workers who already face occupational separations, bias and economic insecurity.

AI may help in one aspect with productivity, but removes the human aspect. AI can help with an employee that may need additional training, but can then also be used against the employee to discipline the employee because of training or get fired. AI may help with editing, but it also looks at previous reports (bias) but continues to use the bias. Past performance can be used to predict future productivity. Attendance/ productivity data can shape promotion, discipline or work assignments. Opaque systems can make it hard for workers to challenge the result. Surveillance can become discipline. Bias can become objective scoring. Automation can override professional judgement. Work intensification can become the new normal. Workers should have the right to opt- out, challenge the decision, set limits, dispute the data, when employers use AI.

To build worker power, guardrails need to be put in place to protect workers and hold employers and companies accountable. Workers should have a say before new technology is introduced. Transparency to know the systems and protections of privacy, safety and civil rights. 

The current administration has done everything to have an impact on the US and that does affect everyone, whether you honestly want to accept it or not. They have attacked our democracy, rollback of civil rights, caused harm to workers, devastated our economy, assaults on our education, threats to immigrants, damage to our environment, weakened our healthcare, eroded our freedoms, and divided our nation. Project 2025 is the blueprint to restructure the federal government and concentrate the power in the executive branch. Through a series of Executive Orders this agenda is becoming our reality. They are reshaping our rights, our economy, schools, communities and the balance of democracy. It seeks to limit voting access and election security. Undermines protections for LGBTQ+, women and minorities.Encourages religious freedom laws that allow discrimination. Dismantles diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)initiatives. Weakens unions and collective bargaining. Promotes “right to work” laws and exploitation, puts corporate profits ahead of people. Gives tax breaks to wealthy and corporations; cuts funding to social security, Medicare and Medicaid and increases the national debt while working families struggle. Pushes to eliminate the Dept of Education. Enables mass deportations, separates families and spreads fear in our communities. Rolls back climate protections, increases pollution and fossil fuel dependence; ignores the climate crisis and puts our future at risks. Makes healthcare less accessible and more expensive. Restricts free speech under the guise of national security. Targets journalists and activists. Creates a culture of silence. Fuels hate, fear and misinformation. Destroys trust in institutions and each other. 

What we can do:

Stay informed

Speak out

Support unions and community organizations

Vote in every election

Hold leaders accountable

Our Rights, Our voices, Our Future must be defended. 

It starts now with you, be sure to be informed in all local elections, put people in office to protect our rights and not take them away. If they don’t stand for Human Rights, they should not be holding the seat. When we fight, We Win! We will win as long as we stand together.

Several Bills have been introduced and are sitting with congressional committees. Because the House of Representatives is under Republican control, the leadership has not granted the bills a path to the floor for a full vote.

H.R. 20/S. 852 - the Protecting the Right to Organize ( PRO ) Act

H.R. 2736/S. 1352 - the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act

H.R. 5206/S. 2731- the Empowering Striking Workers Act

H.R. 995/S. 409 - the No Tax Breaks for Outsourcing Act

H.R. 6371 - the No Robot Bosses Act

H.R 4954/S. 2495 - the Keep Call Centers in America Act

H.R 6166 - Lowering Drug Costs for American Families Act

S.939 - Medicare Dental, Hearing and Vision Expansion Act

H.R 4849/S. 2556 - Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act

If these don’t affect you directly, it may affect a family member.

Please stay informed and abreast of what in taking place that is affecting the rights of all humans.

This is about Power! We hold the power, human rights is the most basic obligations we have. Democracy is shared power, not Authoritarianism. It’s about being able to take care of yourself and your family. The fight is in our hands.

Make sure you vote, it is a step in the right direction.