# Communications Workers of America

Communications Workers of America is a Pension Fund based in Washington, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Pension Fund
- **Headquarters:** Washington, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** 501 3rd St NW, Washington, DC 20001, United States
- **Founded:** 1938
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** cwa-union.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/cwaunion
- **Wikidata:** Q67604356

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The Communications Workers of America is the largest communications and media labor union in the United States. It represents members in private and public sectors, including telecommunications, customer service, and media. The union was founded in 1947 and is based in Washington, D.C.

## Sectors

- Private Equity
- Private Credit
- Real Estate
- Infrastructure
- Hedge Funds

## Offices

- Colorado Springs, CO, United States

## People

- Claude Cummings Jr. — President
- Ameenah Salaam — Secretary-Treasurer

## Questions

### How does the CWA source its private-market investments?

Sourcing runs primarily through institutional limited-partner commitments and co-investment vehicles, frequently in partnership with labor-aligned asset managers and the SOC Investment Group. The union does not run a direct-investment origination team, but its shareholder-activism apparatus gives it early visibility into corporate governance risks across portfolio companies, which can inform manager selection.

### Does the CWA participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?

The CWA's retirement assets are deployed almost entirely through fund commitments to external managers. The union participates in co-investment opportunities alongside other labor-affiliated institutional investors through the SOC Investment Group, which pools capital from union pension funds for targeted private-equity and credit deals.

### What is the CWA's known posture on co-investments alongside external GPs?

The CWA co-invests selectively alongside labor-sympathetic general partners, with a preference for funds that include worker-training provisions or neutrality agreements in portfolio-company employment policies. Co-investment activity is coordinated through the SOC Investment Group rather than a dedicated internal team.

### Does the CWA maintain separated strike or relief funds?

Yes. The Members' Relief Fund and Strategic Industry Fund operate as segregated pools within the union's financial structure, distinct from pension assets. These funds can disburse strike pay, legal defense costs, and mobilization expenses without drawing on retirement-plan capital, a structural firewall required under federal labor law.

### Where does the CWA's underlying pension capital come from?

Capital originates from collectively bargained employer contributions across the telecommunications, media, airline, and public-service sectors. The largest contributor base is the legacy AT&T workforce, followed by workers at Verizon and various broadcast and digital-media employers. Both active members and retirees participate in the defined-benefit plans.

## Related profiles

- [Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation](https://altss.com/profile/commonwealth-superannuation-corporation)
- [Community Capital Management](https://altss.com/profile/community-capital-management-ccm)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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