IUE-CWA Service Contract Alliance

Members working under the Service Contract Act, or SCA, comprise a unique group who face specific challenges in contract negotiations and representation issues.

Because of frequently changing employers and government rules, maintaining consistent health benefits, building retirement security and winning job security are critical areas of importance.

We are increasingly seeing coordination among the major government contractors to share information on managing the unionized workforce, grievance and arbitration tactics and other areas that don’t cross into their ability to competitively bid. Our aim is to build a strong network of SCA locals to effectively combat the growing employer manipulation of SCA against the interests of our members.

A key part will be information sharing and developing negotiating approaches to rectify some of the collective bargaining challenges the locals face, particularly in the areas of work rules and benefits. We also want to engage in union building to strengthen the local leadership’s and members’ understanding of what the union brings to them. This is particularly important in right-to-work states.

We also want to change the attitudes of the employers/contractors to unions and create benefit programs that they can buy into to increase stability for our members.

Specifically, our goals are to:

1. Share information and coordinate activity on contracts, negotiations and grievances and arbitrations.
2. Develop benefit programs, specifically in health care and pensions, to increase stability for SCA members.
3. Build a pro-union affiliation and identity that includes steward training and mobilization preparations.
4. Advocate legislatively for veterans issues that impact SCA membership.
5. Monitor and advocate for Executive Orders and legislative changes that benefit members, and educate members on their impact.
6. Provide political issue and mobilization training.
7. Analyze specific safety and health issues that impact SCA membership and provide training in those areas.
8. Educate employers on the advantage of a unionized workforce and the benefit alternatives.
9. Expand the Alliance through organizing new SCA units.