News

Edward J. Spillett Jr., a NABET-CWA staff representative based in Washington, D.C., died Dec. 24 from complications of juvenile diabetes and kidney disease. He was 58.

Victor C. Crawley, retired District 6 vice president, died Jan. 10 at his home in Manchester, Mo. He was 73.

"Vic was a visionary," said T.O. Moses, retired CWA vice president for Telecommunications. "He was a tutor, a co-worker and, most of all, my friend."

The AFL-CIO's Solidarity Center has set up a disaster relief fund for union families to aid the recovery and rebuilding in the Indian Ocean nations devastated by the Dec. 26 tsunami.

The CWA Executive Board called on the AFL-CIO and other progressive organizations to take action to help protect defined benefit pension plans now under assault in California.

The campaign to help bring representation to Verizon Wireless workers continued in force over the holiday season, with members from CWA Districts 1, 2, 4, 6 and 13 leafleting customers, talking with employees and even paying a holiday visit to Verizon Wireless CEO Dennis Strigl.