About Us

The roots of Local 1183 trace back to a pivotal moment in the early 1970s when Board of Elections' employees formally secured collective bargaining rights. Following hearings before the Public Employment Relations Board and the Office of Collective Bargaining, representation elections were held in May 1971. 

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On May 27, 1971, the Office of Collective Bargaining certified the Communications Workers of America (CWA) as the exclusive collective bargaining representative for a unified bargaining unit of Board of Elections employees, encompassing both supervisory and non-supervisory titles. This certification established a single, agency-wide bargaining unit that reflected the unique structure of the BOE, an agency where employees are highly cross-trained, workloads fluctuate dramatically around election cycles, and staff regularly perform duties across titles and functions.

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From the beginning, Local 1183’s bargaining unit was shaped by the recognition that BOE employees share a strong community of interest and a common mission regardless of title. Over the decades, as election administration modernized and new functions emerged, the Union successfully fought to ensure that new titles performing bargaining-unit work were included and protected. 

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Through a series of amendments to the original 1971 certification, additional titles, such as technical, analytical, training, and information-technology roles, were accreted into the unit, preserving unity and preventing erosion of collective bargaining rights.

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Most recently, Local 1183 continued this tradition by securing the inclusion of Senior Administrator titles responsible for early voting operations, reflecting the expansion of early voting and the evolving demands placed on BOE staff in the modern era.

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Today, CWA Local 1183 stands on more than 50 years of collective action, advocacy, and representation. As part of the national Communications Workers of America, the Local remains committed to fighting for fair wages, strong benefits, safe working conditions, and dignity and respect on the job. Through contract negotiations, enforcement, and member engagement, Local 1183 continues to protect the rights of BOE employees while strengthening the public service they proudly provide, ensuring that democracy in New York City works not just on Election Day, but every day.