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CWA Loses District 2 Staff Rep, 3 Retired Leaders
Jann Buttiglieri, a District 2 staff representative in Maryland who worked with Verizon, Lucent and community college locals, among her assignments, lost a three-month battle with cancer Dec. 17. She was 51.
Her helpful nature earned her the nickname "Mother," District 2 Vice President Pete Catucci said, because "she was not one to criticize others, but a special person who would educate you through talking, and asking you what you wanted to accomplish, what was your goal."
She fought passionately against injustice. "Her struggle to make things right was her never-ending commitment," Catucci said. "I have never seen anyone more committed or dedicated to the ministry of our members or the less fortunate."
Buttiglieri came to CWA in 1995 from Verizon, where she was a health care benefits coordinator. In addition to her husband, Charlie, the assistant to the president of the Baltimore Central Labor Committee, she is survived by four children, three
grandchildren, her mother and two brothers.
Theodore "Tevie" Volk Jr., who rose from the ranks at Southern Bell to become vice president of CWA's former District 10, died at his Talladega, Ala., home Dec. 7 after a nine-month battle with lung cancer. He was 80.
Volk briefly worked for the phone company in Macon, Ga., before serving in the U.S. Army in Europe during the last three years of World War II. Afterwards, he returned to Southern Bell and quickly became active in the union, ultimately being elected president of CWA Local 3217.
In 1955, CWA hired him as the South Carolina director. He served as Canadian director from 1964 to 1967, then returned to the United States as area director in Birmingham and later administrative assistant to the vice president. He was elected vice
president of the district, which included Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana and Mississippi, in 1983 and retired in 1986.
Jack Baccari, a District 3 staff representative who knew Volk for 30 years, said Volk's patient, steady nature made him a tremendous asset, especially in times of labor strife and negotiations. "I think that his patience made him one of the best negotiators CWA ever had," he said. "The company was never able to get under his skin."
Volk is survived by his wife, Hazel, four daughters, 10 grandchildren and two sisters.
Harold Mincey, retired administrative assistant to the District 3 vice president, died Dec. 14. He was 56.
Mincey served four years as an air policeman in the U.S. Air Force from 1963 to 1967, including a tour in Vietnam. After his discharge he worked briefly as an electrician's helper at Hodges Electric Co. in Wilmington, N.C.
In September 1967 he signed on with Southern Bell Telephone, working 13 years as an installer, PBX technician, service consultant and cable repairman. Meanwhile, he rose through the ranks of Local 3615, serving as vice president and, later, president. He helped lead a one-week strike against Southern Bell Telephone in 1971 and lobbied the state legislature extensively on CWA's safety and health issues.
Mincey joined the staff as a CWA representative, assigned to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in June 1981. After transferring to the Atlanta office in 1982, he handled grievances with Southern Bell at the executive level for the several years.
He was promoted to administrative assistant by District 3 Vice President Jimmy Smith in July 1996, shortly after Smith's first election to that office. Smith characterized him as, "a friend who was certainly concerned about people and about making their lives better."
Mincey retired in April 1999 and lived in Conyers, Ga., at the time of his death. Survivors include his wife Cynthia.
Lonnie Daniel, retired assistant to the vice president of District 10, now District 3, died Dec. 19 at a local hospital in Mobile, Ala., due to complications of Alzheimer's disease. He was 86.
CWA Representative Jack Baccari recalled Daniel's efficiency when he was named assistant to District 10 Vice President Willard Brown. That district, formed in 1971, comprised Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi.
"Lonnie was a crackerjack administrator," said his friend Baccari. "Every T had to be crossed and every I dotted. If you needed to establish a process for something, Lonnie was very good at it."
Baccari said that at a time when the Birmingham, Ala., office had to make the transition from a state office to a district office serving five states, Daniel created job descriptions, set up procedures for CWA-COPE and authored a grievance manual for
clerical staff.
Daniel rose from administrative assistant to full assistant in August 1978 and retired in February 1980.
He began his CWA career as a member of what is now Local 3402 in Alexandria, La., joining Southern Bell in 1938. He served his local in various capacities, including as a member of the Southern Bell bargaining committee in 1951.
In June of that year he joined the CWA staff as Mississippi director, working out of Jackson, and said Baccari, helped lead a 72-day strike against Southern Bell in 1954. Various promotions in District 3 sent him to Atlanta in 1958 as a special representative; back to Jackson in 1960 as area director for Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama; to Atlanta in 1964 as west area director; and to Nashville in 1968, with the same title.
Daniel is survived by his wife of 65 years, Virgialynn Daniel, three sons, two daughters, 10 grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
Her helpful nature earned her the nickname "Mother," District 2 Vice President Pete Catucci said, because "she was not one to criticize others, but a special person who would educate you through talking, and asking you what you wanted to accomplish, what was your goal."
She fought passionately against injustice. "Her struggle to make things right was her never-ending commitment," Catucci said. "I have never seen anyone more committed or dedicated to the ministry of our members or the less fortunate."
Buttiglieri came to CWA in 1995 from Verizon, where she was a health care benefits coordinator. In addition to her husband, Charlie, the assistant to the president of the Baltimore Central Labor Committee, she is survived by four children, three
grandchildren, her mother and two brothers.
Theodore "Tevie" Volk Jr., who rose from the ranks at Southern Bell to become vice president of CWA's former District 10, died at his Talladega, Ala., home Dec. 7 after a nine-month battle with lung cancer. He was 80.
Volk briefly worked for the phone company in Macon, Ga., before serving in the U.S. Army in Europe during the last three years of World War II. Afterwards, he returned to Southern Bell and quickly became active in the union, ultimately being elected president of CWA Local 3217.
In 1955, CWA hired him as the South Carolina director. He served as Canadian director from 1964 to 1967, then returned to the United States as area director in Birmingham and later administrative assistant to the vice president. He was elected vice
president of the district, which included Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana and Mississippi, in 1983 and retired in 1986.
Jack Baccari, a District 3 staff representative who knew Volk for 30 years, said Volk's patient, steady nature made him a tremendous asset, especially in times of labor strife and negotiations. "I think that his patience made him one of the best negotiators CWA ever had," he said. "The company was never able to get under his skin."
Volk is survived by his wife, Hazel, four daughters, 10 grandchildren and two sisters.
Harold Mincey, retired administrative assistant to the District 3 vice president, died Dec. 14. He was 56.
Mincey served four years as an air policeman in the U.S. Air Force from 1963 to 1967, including a tour in Vietnam. After his discharge he worked briefly as an electrician's helper at Hodges Electric Co. in Wilmington, N.C.
In September 1967 he signed on with Southern Bell Telephone, working 13 years as an installer, PBX technician, service consultant and cable repairman. Meanwhile, he rose through the ranks of Local 3615, serving as vice president and, later, president. He helped lead a one-week strike against Southern Bell Telephone in 1971 and lobbied the state legislature extensively on CWA's safety and health issues.
Mincey joined the staff as a CWA representative, assigned to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in June 1981. After transferring to the Atlanta office in 1982, he handled grievances with Southern Bell at the executive level for the several years.
He was promoted to administrative assistant by District 3 Vice President Jimmy Smith in July 1996, shortly after Smith's first election to that office. Smith characterized him as, "a friend who was certainly concerned about people and about making their lives better."
Mincey retired in April 1999 and lived in Conyers, Ga., at the time of his death. Survivors include his wife Cynthia.
Lonnie Daniel, retired assistant to the vice president of District 10, now District 3, died Dec. 19 at a local hospital in Mobile, Ala., due to complications of Alzheimer's disease. He was 86.
CWA Representative Jack Baccari recalled Daniel's efficiency when he was named assistant to District 10 Vice President Willard Brown. That district, formed in 1971, comprised Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi.
"Lonnie was a crackerjack administrator," said his friend Baccari. "Every T had to be crossed and every I dotted. If you needed to establish a process for something, Lonnie was very good at it."
Baccari said that at a time when the Birmingham, Ala., office had to make the transition from a state office to a district office serving five states, Daniel created job descriptions, set up procedures for CWA-COPE and authored a grievance manual for
clerical staff.
Daniel rose from administrative assistant to full assistant in August 1978 and retired in February 1980.
He began his CWA career as a member of what is now Local 3402 in Alexandria, La., joining Southern Bell in 1938. He served his local in various capacities, including as a member of the Southern Bell bargaining committee in 1951.
In June of that year he joined the CWA staff as Mississippi director, working out of Jackson, and said Baccari, helped lead a 72-day strike against Southern Bell in 1954. Various promotions in District 3 sent him to Atlanta in 1958 as a special representative; back to Jackson in 1960 as area director for Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama; to Atlanta in 1964 as west area director; and to Nashville in 1968, with the same title.
Daniel is survived by his wife of 65 years, Virgialynn Daniel, three sons, two daughters, 10 grandchildren and six great grandchildren.