Crew Signal · CWA-AFA Series
CWA-AFA Structure & Governance
How the Communications Workers of America is organized, and where AFA fits within its constitutional structure.
1. Overview of the Communications Workers of America (CWA)
The Communications Workers of America (CWA) is a federation of more than 400,000 members in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It is governed by the CWA Constitution, which delegates authority through three interconnected levels of representation:
- National – the Convention and Executive Board
- Geographic – the Districts
- Industrial – the Sectors or Divisions
The highest authority within the union is the CWA Convention, where delegates from every district and sector vote on constitutional amendments, policy resolutions, and officer elections.
2. Two Structural Axes: Districts and Sectors
CWA operates on two parallel structural axes that intersect at the Executive Board:
| Axis Type | Leadership | Represents |
|---|---|---|
| Geographic Districts 1–7 | District Vice Presidents | Members organized by location |
| Industrial Sectors | Sector Vice Presidents | Members organized by industry or occupation |
3. CWA Districts
CWA maintains seven geographic districts, each governed by an elected District Vice President who sits on the Executive Board.
- District 1 — Northeast
- District 2-13 — Mid-Atlantic
- District 3 — Southeast
- District 4 — Midwest
- District 6 — Southwest
- District 7 — Mountain States
- District 9 — Western States & Hawaii
4. CWA Sectors
Sectors — including CWA-AFA — represent occupational groups across all districts.
- CWA-AFA — Flight Attendants
- NABET-CWA — Broadcast Technicians
- IUE-CWA — Industrial Workers
- TNG-CWA — NewsGuild
- PHEW-CWA — Public/Health/Education Workers
5. The CWA-AFA Sector
CWA-AFA is a sector within CWA — not a district — and elects its own Sector Vice President who sits on the CWA Executive Board.
- LECs – Local Councils at individual bases
- MECs – airline-level governing bodies
- AFA International – all MECs, reporting directly to CWA
Through this structure, CWA-AFA maintains occupational focus for Flight Attendants while fully participating in CWA governance.
6. Funding and Dues Flow
Dues flow upward from Local Councils to CWA-AFA International and then to CWA National.
| Level | Funding | Retention | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Unions / LECs | Dues | ~20–25% | Representation & base operations |
| CWA-AFA | Per-capita from locals | ~45–50% | Industry-wide bargaining, safety, legal, communications |
| CWA National | Per-capita from sectors | ~25–30% | Organizing, politics, audits, national staffing |
7. Districts vs. Sectors
| Aspect | Districts | Sectors |
|---|---|---|
| Basis | Geography | Industry / Occupation |
| Leadership | District Vice Presidents | Sector Vice Presidents |
| Executive Board Seat | Yes | Yes |
| Primary Role | Regional administration | Industry-specific representation |
| Funding Source | National Treasury | Per-capita dues from locals |
8. Summary
CWA’s governance model balances sector autonomy with national accountability. CWA-AFA functions as a self-governing sector for Flight Attendants while benefiting from CWA’s shared resources, infrastructure, and national strategy.