Civil Rights and Equity: 'A Movement ... Not a Moment'

CWA's National Civil Rights and Equity Conference, held in conjunction with the legislative-political conference, had just gotten underway the evening of April 9 as the newsletter went to press. Some 200 participants looked forward over the next three days to hearing from prominent civil rights activists and participating in panel discussions and workshops challenging them to more fully integrate civil rights issues with the union's core work of organizing, political activism and representation.

In his opening address Wednesday night, CWA President Larry Cohen noted that just a week ago the nation marked the fortieth anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tenn. "King was a visionary, one of the first who saw the connection between the civil rights movement and the labor movement, that both were fighting for social justice and a more equitable society," Cohen said.

"We've made a great deal of progress," he said, noting that four seats have been added to the CWA Executive Board which have been filled by persons of color and women. Alluding to the conference theme, A Movement .. Not a Moment, "we have to keep this energy going," he added, urging participants to work to elect friends of working families to the White House and Congress in November and to help CWA achieve passage of the Employee Free Choice Act, health care for all, jobs and fair trade and retirement security.

"The Employee Free Choice Act is the most important piece of civil rights legislation we've seen in generations," said CWA Executive Vice President Jeff Rechenbach, stressing the importance of the AFL-CIO's "Million-Member Mobilization" to present one million cards to the new president and Congress in January urging passage of EFCA.

Welcomed to Washington, D.C., by Ron Collins, assistant to District 2 Vice President Pete Catucci and by host Local 2336 President Jim Pappas, the participants were scheduled to hear from AFL-CIO EVP Arlene Holt-Baker, the first person of color to serve in one of the federation's top three offices, as well as legendary civil rights activist Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.).

Their agenda included a review of the history of CWA's civil rights program and presentation of the Mays-Carroll Award to honor members who over the past year made outstanding contributions to civil rights and minority practices. The award, named for Eugene Mays, the first African-American CWA officer and staff member, who served as assistant to the vice president of District 1 from 1969 until his death in 1973, and Mary Mays-Carroll, who headed CWA's Civil Rights and Fair Practices office from 1989 until her retirement in 1999, is to be presented to Local 6310 member Keith Robinson, Local 1298 member Tonya Hodges and to Local 1180.

The conference was organized by CWA's National Committee on Equity: Chair and Local 9421 Executive Vice President Lupe Mercado; Local 1180 Secretary-Treasurer Gloria Middleton; Local 2300 President Daisy Brown; Local 3204 Executive Vice President Sheila Williams; Local 4309 President Pam Wynn; Local 6215 member Michele Flood Luce; Local 37082 President Yoko Kuramoto-Eidsmoe; and Local 13101 member Simone Harris; along with Leslie Jackson, CWA representative for Civil Rights and Fair Practices.