Who Is Chris Shelton

Christopher Shelton is an American labor union activist who currently works as president of the Communications Workers of America (CWA).

Shelton has largely continued the policies of his predecessor, Larry Cohen, and supports left-wing pro-labor policy goals. He opposed President Donald Trump (R) and is a strong supporter of President Joe Biden (D), calling him “the most pro-labor President in my long, long career in the labor movement.” 1

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In 2019, Shelton’s compensation as CWA president was $217,435. 2

Career

In 1968, Christopher Shelton joined the CWA while working for New York Telephone as an outside technician. That year, he became a shop steward for Local 1101. He climbed the ranks until he joined the national CWA leadership in 1988. 3 4

In 2000 and 2003, Shelton worked as Verizon Regional Bargaining Chair. In 2008 and 2011, he served as overall chair of Verizon bargaining for CWA District 1, District 2-13, and IBEW New Jersey and New England and chaired negotiations in New Jersey for 40,000 state workers. In 2006, 5 Shelton took office as vice president of CWA District 1, representing 160,000 members in more than 300 CWA locals in New Jersey, New York, and New England. 6 7

In 2015, Shelton was elected president of the CWA without opposition, succeeding Larry Cohen, who had held the post for the previous ten years. 8 9

Politics

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Christopher Shelton has continued former CWA president Larry Cohen’s left-wing political agenda, which supports pro-union policies and economic regulations and generally aligns with the Democratic Party. 10

In his opening address as president, Shelton said the union needed to build “unity and militancy” and continue former president Cohen’s campaign against business interests in politics. 11

On the union’s relationship with the two major political parties, Shelton stated: 12

It’s time to quit relying on the Democrats to move this (progressive) agenda forward… Yes, we are going to fight in every state and every congressional district to defeat the crazy, wing-nut Republican tea partiers who want to roll back history to a time when African Americans and women and gays and lesbians knew their place, kept their mouths shut, and were forced to hide in the closet. And we have to elect a Democratic president in 2016 if only because the next president is likely to make up to four appointments to the Supreme Court.” 13

In October 2021, Shelton called former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party a threat to democracy. He stated that the party had “lost its mind and accepted the spirit of hate in the insurrectionist mob of January 6.” 14

In January 2022, Shelton described attempts by Republican Senators to block the confirmation of Gigi Sohn as a Federal Communications Commissioner as “yet another Republican attempt to undermine our democratic system and the functioning of the federal government. They might not be scaling the Capitol walls, wearing face paint, threatening to hang elected officials who don’t kowtow to their demands, and publicly parading confederate flags in the halls of the Capitol, but Senate Republicans are trying to undermine the 2020 election results by playing every game possible to prevent a duly elected Administration from having qualified nominees serving on federal agencies. We have seen time and time again that Republicans will use every trick in the book to prevent oversight of their powerful corporate benefactors.” 15

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Shelton has also warned about the dangers posed by “corporate Democrats who oppose us.” 16

In December 2021, Shelton wrote an op-ed condemning General Electric and other large companies for undermining the American economy through outsourcing. 17

Shelton has expressed support for the establishment of a new “independent, anti-corporate, pro-union” political party modeled after the Working Families Party. 18

Support for President Joe Biden

In a statement after the 2020 election, Christopher Shelton praised President Joe Biden’s support for unions, support for business regulations, and COVID-19 policies. 19

In June 2024, Shelton spoke at the 2022 National Legislative Political Conference: “You’re damn right I’m in Biden’s pocket. And you know why: Because without a doubt, Joe Biden is the most pro-labor President in my long, long career in the labor movement. No question. No contest.” Shelton praised President Biden’s appointment of Jennifer Abruzzo, a former special counsel to the CWA, as general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board, and former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh (D) as Labor Secretary. 20

In July 2022, Shelton attended a meeting with President Biden to discuss the CHIPS Act, which provides government support to jumpstart the domestic semiconductor manufacturing industry. The bill was endorsed by the CWA. 21

1. “Remarks of the CWA President Chris Shelton to the 2022 National Legislative Political Conference.” CWA. June 14, 2022. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://cwa-union.org/news/remarks-of-cwa-president-chris-shelton-2022-national-legislative-political-conference.
2. “Communications Workers of America (CWA).” Union Facts. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://www.unionfacts.com/employee/Communications_Workers_of_America/CHRISTOPHER/SHELTON/.
3. “Christopher M. Shelton.” Economic Policy Institute. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://www.epi.org/people/christopher-m-shelton/.
4. “Leadership.” CWA. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://www.epi.org/people/christopher-m-shelton/.
5. “Communications Workers of America (CWA).” Union Facts. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://www.unionfacts.com/employee/Communications_Workers_of_America/CHRISTOPHER/SHELTON/.
6. “Christopher M. Shelton.” Economic Policy Institute. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://www.epi.org/people/christopher-m-shelton/.
7. “Leadership.” CWA. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://www.epi.org/people/christopher-m-shelton/.
8. “Christopher M. Shelton.” Economic Policy Institute. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://www.epi.org/people/christopher-m-shelton/.
9. “Leadership.” CWA. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://www.epi.org/people/christopher-m-shelton/.
10. “CWA’s new leadership eyes labor’s political independence.” People’s World. June 16, 2015. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/cwa-s-new-leadership-eyes-labor-s-political-independence/.
11. “CWA’s new leadership eyes labor’s political independence.” People’s World. June 16, 2015. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/cwa-s-new-leadership-eyes-labor-s-political-independence/.
12. “CWA’s new leadership eyes labor’s political independence.” People’s World. June 16, 2015. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/cwa-s-new-leadership-eyes-labor-s-political-independence/.
13. “CWA’s new leadership eyes labor’s political independence.” People’s World. June 16, 2015. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/cwa-s-new-leadership-eyes-labor-s-political-independence/.
14. Gruenberg, Mark. “CWA’s Shelton: Almost all the GOP is a democracy threat.” People’s World. October 19, 2021. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/cwas-shelton-almost-all-the-gop-is-a-democracy-threat/.
15. Shelton, Christopher. “Enough Is Enough: The Senate Should Stop Playing Games and Confirm Gigi Sohn.” Tech Dirt. January 25, 2022. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://www.techdirt.com/2022/01/25/enough-is-enough-senate-should-stop-playing-games-confirm-gigi-sohn/.
16. “CWA’s new leadership eyes labor’s political independence.” People’s World. June 16, 2015. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/cwa-s-new-leadership-eyes-labor-s-political-independence/.
17. Shelton, Chris. “General Electric has tried everything, except investing in American workers.” Fortune. December 22, 2021. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://fortune.com/2021/12/22/general-electric-has-tried-everything-except-investing-in-american-workers-ge-manufacturing-usa-unions-supply-chains-offshoring-unemployment-cwa-chris-shelton/.
18. “CWA’s new leadership eyes labor’s political independence.” People’s World. June 16, 2015. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/cwa-s-new-leadership-eyes-labor-s-political-independence/.
19. “CWA President Chris Shelton’s Statement on Biden’s win: The Work of Healing Our Country Can Now Begin.” CWA. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://www.cwa1037.org/cwa-president-chris-sheltons-statement-on-bidens-win-the-work-of-healing-our-country-can-now-begin/.
20. “Remarks of the CWA President Chris Shelton to the 2022 National Legislative Political Conference.” CWA. June 14, 2022. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://cwa-union.org/news/remarks-of-cwa-president-chris-shelton-2022-national-legislative-political-conference.
21. “CWA President Shelton Joins President Biden to Urge Passage of the CHIPS Act.” CWA. July 25, 2022. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://cwa-union.org/news/releases/cwa-president-shelton-joins-president-biden-urge-passage-of-chips-act.

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