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Celebrating the Life of Former CWA President Morty Bahr

CWA celebrated the life and legacy of President Emeritus Morty Bahr at an event in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, whose mother-in-law was a CWA member, attended the event and paid tribute to his long, personal relationship with Bahr.

Bahr, who passed away in July, started his career as a telegraph operator and led CWA for 20 years during some of the industry's most tumultuous times, helping workers adapt and protect themselves through the difficult transition to the digital era. His vision ensured that the union would continue as an advocate for working men and women long into the future, across communications, information technology, and other sectors.

After sharing his own remembrances, CWA President Chris Shelton read remarks from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. "During his more than five decades of service and leadership of CWA, Morty worked tirelessly to lift up America's workers, which are the backbone of our democracy and the foundation of our strength. His transformative leadership at the helm of CWA helped take the industry and its workers into the future," Pelosi said.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, whose mother-in-law was a CWA member, attended the event and paid tribute to his long, personal relationship with Bahr. "I always tried to do whatever I could for Morty. I would move heaven and earth for him, not just because he represented a great union that had helped my family so much, and not just because I believed in the union movement, not just because he came down the road from me in Brooklyn, not even because he looked out for me before anyone else did. I would do anything he asked because you knew when he asked you to do it, he was doing it because it was the right thing to do," Schumer said.