CWA Leaders Milburn, Gurganus, Amber Retire

Andy Milburn

CWA Vice Presidents Andy Milburn, District 6, and Jimmy Gurganus, Telecommunications, retired at CWA's 73rd convention. Arnold Amber also will retire following the election of a new Canadian director.

CWA President Larry Cohen recognized Milburn and Gurganus, along with Amber, for the lifetime of service they gave to CWA and to improving the lives of working families. Cohen also commended Jeff Rechenbach, who retired as secretary-treasurer, for "his 40 years of work building CWA." Read more about Rechenbach in the July 14, 2011 newsletter.

Milburn served 11 years as vice president, having first been elected in 2000. Under his leadership, District 6 regularly led CWA in raising the most member contributions for political action. He established innovative programs, including a worker-to-worker organizing campaign that focused on connecting union and non-members to build membership.

Milburn began his career in 1974 as a lineman for Southwestern Bell in Austin, Texas, and also worked as a station installer and customer service technician. He became a CWA representative in Houston in 1990, and was named assistant to the District 6 vice president in 1999.

Jimmy Gurganus

Gurganus, who retired as vice president for telecommunications on the merger of that sector with Communications and Technologies, was first elected vice president in 2002.

During his nine years in office, Gurganus worked through several mergers and spin-offs among the independent telephone companies. Most recently, he worked with District 7 Vice President Mary Taylor to ensure that CWA members' jobs and conditions were safeguarded in the Qwest-CenturyLink merger.

Gurganus served as president of CWA Local 3681 for 27 years before joining the CWA staff.

Arnold Amber

Amber has been Director of CWA|SCA Canada and its predecessor organization, TNG Canada/CWA, since 1995. He also served for six years as a member of the executive board of the International Federation of Journalists.

While working at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Amber was an award-winning producer and executive producer with the television news department. He also worked as a reporter, program editor and television host.

In 2007, CWA convention delegates voted to make the Canadian director a full position on the CWA Executive Board. Ballots in the election for a new director, delayed due to a postal strike, will be counted July 23.