CWA Convention Delegates Elect New National and District Leaders

Christopher Shelton, vice president of CWA District 1 for 10 years, was elected CWA president by acclamation of delegates to the union's 75th convention in Detroit. Sara Steffens, who had been serving as secretary-treasurer of the Newsguild-CWA, was elected CWA secretary-treasurer.

CWA President Shelton takes the oath of office.

Below: President Shelton swears in CWA's new secretary-treasurer, Sara Steffens.

Shelton called on CWAers to "unite and fight because we are fighting to defend the living standards not just of our members, but of the entire working class. That is our job and that is our mission."

Shelton succeeds Larry Cohen who stepped down after serving as president for ten years and spending 39 years organizing in CWA.

Shelton started his union career when he went to work for New York Telephone in 1968 as an outside technician. He was elected a CWA Local 1101 shop steward in 1968 and held several offices in the local before joining the union's national staff.

As TNG-CWA Secretary-Treasurer, Steffens managed the TNG-CWA operating budget, its investments and other funds. She assisted locals with fiscal and legal compliance and also served on the NewsGuild's collective bargaining and legal services committees.

In other election results:

Lisa Bolton, president of CWA Local 7777, was elected vice president of the Telecommunications and Technology sector; Brooks Sunkett was re-elected vice president of the Public, Health Care and Education Workers sector; and four at-large diversity members of the Executive Board were elected: Carolyn Wade, president of CWA Local 1040, was re-elected for the Northeast region; Vera Mikell, executive vice president of CWA Local 2205, Southeast region; Anetra Session, president, CWA Local 6327; Central region, and Frank Arce, executive vice president, CWA Local 9400, Western region.

CWA vice presidents and other executive board members took the oath of office, administered by CWA President Chris Shelton. Here, the four at-large diversity members, the PPMWS executive officer and the director of TNG-SCA Canada are sworn in.

In election results for District Vice Presidents:

• In District 1 (New Jersey, New York and New England), Dennis Trainor, assistant to the vice president, was elected.
• In District 2-13 (mid-Atlantic), District 4 (Midwest) and District 6 (Southwest), delegates re-elected Vice Presidents Ed Mooney, Linda Hinton and Claude Cummings.
• In District 3 (Southeast), Richard Honeycutt, president, CWA Local 3605, was elected.
• In District 7 (Plains, Mountain states and Northwest), Brenda Roberts, assistant to the vice president, was elected.
• In District 9 (California, Nevada and Hawaii), Tom Runnion, District 9 staff, was elected.