CWA Members a Peaceful Presence at Rowdy Town Hall Meeting in Virginia

CWA Local 2222 members Tim Firebaugh, Joe Cooper, Don Lewis and Dolores Trevino-Gerber served as marshals for a town hall meeting in Virginia with Rep. James Moran. Below, CWAers from D6 and other union activists stand up for health care reform at a town hall meeting in Beeville, Tex., with Rep. Ruben Hinojosa.

CWAers helped staff a town hall meeting in northern Virginia that drew an overflow crowd of people in favor of health care reform, as well as the antis carrying Nazi signs and bullhorns.

"It was 80 percent to 20 percent, in favor of people who support reform," said Tim Firebaugh, congressional district coordinator for CWA Local 2222. "The problem was the 20 percent. They were there to disrupt. When Governor Howard Dean was introduced they got so loud that you couldn't even hear the man speak."

Dean, former head of the Democratic National Committee and a physician, joined Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) at a local high school. Long lines formed outside hours before the 7 p.m. event, with the vast majority of people chatting quietly and holding pro-reform signs.

Firebaugh and other union members, coordinated by the Northern Virginia Area Labor Federation, acted as marshals to keep the lines in order and direct people to the auditorium and restrooms. Their peaceful demeanor didn't stop opponents from calling them "union thugs."

One woman in line accosted CWA's health care campaign coordinator Dolores Gerber when she saw a CWA insignia on Gerber's shirt. Gerber said: "She asked why 'union thugs' were at the event.  I told her I was a union member and proud of it and I was a constituent of congressional district 8, was she?  She fumbled around and said it was a public meeting."