1 min read

Season 6, Episode 10

Mathews discusses broadband expansion and the Wisconsin Supreme Court

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Guest Name:


Frank Mathews

Guest Website:


CWA District 4 

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Frank Mathews, Administrative Director for District 4 of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss critical issues facing workers in the telecommunications industry, expanding broadband access and why the Wisconsin Supreme Court election matters for labor. 

Mathews oversees CWA’s District 4, which covers members in five Midwestern states: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. 

Mathews highlighted the CWA's concerns about the future of broadband expansion under the Trump Administration. He emphasized the importance of fiber-optic networks over satellite-based alternatives, citing security and reliability concerns. Mathews urged policymakers and the public to consider the long-term implications of broadband expansion choices.

Elsewhere, the CWA's efforts to pass call center legislation in Michigan exemplify the union's state-by-state approach to protecting jobs. Mathews explained that businesses that move call centers out of the United States should not be rewarded by getting state contracts or loans and grants. According to Mathews, the issue of offshoring is not just a labor concern but a matter of national economic interest and fairness.

Finally, Mathews discussed the upcoming Wisconsin Supreme Court election, highlighting the stakes for workers and unions. He said labor hopes to keep the Wisconsin Supreme Court worker-friendly. He added that the election underscores the importance of state courts in shaping labor policy and workers' rights. Mathews' advice to union members and supporters is clear: engage in these crucial races to ensure fair representation at all levels of government.

Listen to the episode above to hear more from Mathews on the issues impacting CWA District 4 members.


America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.

America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers.

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