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Cancer Claims Retired CWA Civil Rights Activist Drew Clark
Andrew “Drew” Clark, who helped put CWA’s anti-discrimination policy into practice in the late 1970s and retired last year as a staff representative in Georgia, has died after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 57.
In his early career, Clark worked as a police officer in Atlanta and as a parts fabricator for Lockheed Martin. In 1971, he went to work as a machinist for Western Electric Co. in Norcross, Ga.
He was active in CWA Local 3263, serving as steward, equity committee member, legislative chair and vice president. In May 1977, CWA President Glenn Watts hired Clark to come to Washington and direct equity affairs, a position he held until 1989. He was responsible for establishing and assisting local equity committees, a cornerstone of CWA’s anti-discrimination policy. He also worked with CWA’s Minority Leadership Institute.
“It was the ideal job for him, because he was such a people-oriented person,” said Mary Mays-Carroll, who came to CWA as a community services staff member the same day as Clark and quickly struck up a friendship. “It was an opportunity for him to try to improve the lives of our minority members. It was a job he loved and cared about, and continued to love and care about the rest of his life.”
Mays-Carroll, who succeeded Clark as CWA’s civil rights director, said she talked to him twice a week after he retired and “he was very, very interested in everything that was going on at CWA. He was totally committed to the union.”
In the early 1990s, Clark moved from equity affairs, working as a CWA representative for Communications and Technologies and for District 2. In 1996, he returned to his home state of Georgia and finished his career as a staff representative in District 3.
Clark is survived by his wife, Marian, two daughters, Keisha and Andrea, a step-daughter and two grandchildren. His son, Andrew Jr., died in 1983.
In his early career, Clark worked as a police officer in Atlanta and as a parts fabricator for Lockheed Martin. In 1971, he went to work as a machinist for Western Electric Co. in Norcross, Ga.
He was active in CWA Local 3263, serving as steward, equity committee member, legislative chair and vice president. In May 1977, CWA President Glenn Watts hired Clark to come to Washington and direct equity affairs, a position he held until 1989. He was responsible for establishing and assisting local equity committees, a cornerstone of CWA’s anti-discrimination policy. He also worked with CWA’s Minority Leadership Institute.
“It was the ideal job for him, because he was such a people-oriented person,” said Mary Mays-Carroll, who came to CWA as a community services staff member the same day as Clark and quickly struck up a friendship. “It was an opportunity for him to try to improve the lives of our minority members. It was a job he loved and cared about, and continued to love and care about the rest of his life.”
Mays-Carroll, who succeeded Clark as CWA’s civil rights director, said she talked to him twice a week after he retired and “he was very, very interested in everything that was going on at CWA. He was totally committed to the union.”
In the early 1990s, Clark moved from equity affairs, working as a CWA representative for Communications and Technologies and for District 2. In 1996, he returned to his home state of Georgia and finished his career as a staff representative in District 3.
Clark is survived by his wife, Marian, two daughters, Keisha and Andrea, a step-daughter and two grandchildren. His son, Andrew Jr., died in 1983.