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CWA Newsmakers
Several CWA staff, including those below, have recently retired. Staff retirement notices will continue in the next CWA News.
John S. Zawackis, 63, CWA representative in District 3. Instrumental in the affiliation of the Pennsylvania Telephone Guild with CWA in 1986, Zawackis was tapped for the position of CWA representative for organizing by President Emeritus Glenn Watts and assigned to District 3's Fort Lauderdale office. District 3 Vice President Gene Russo, in May 1988, transferred Zawackis to the District's Atlanta office, where he handled AT&T, BellSouth and Lucent Technologies grievances. Zawackis was employed by Bell of Pennsylvania as a truck chauffeur from June 1955 to June 1957, and from 1969 as a coin collector. He served as union representative, district chairman and division president.
Norma C. Powell, administrative assistant to three district vice presidents. Powell, 61, began her career in 1968 as a long distance operator for Illinois Bell Telephone. She transferred to South Central Bell in 1971 and served as a steward and executive board member of CWA Local 3902. She joined the union staff as a CWA representative for organizing, under District 10 Vice President Willard Brown. In 1980, District 10 Vice President Theodore Volk, in Birmingham, Ala., promoted her to administrative assistant. Following the consolidation of Districts 10 and 3, Powell, in 1994, moved to the District 3 Decatur, Ga., office where she spearheaded mobilization in support of bargaining and the union's legislative and political activities under District Vice Presidents Gene Russo and James E. Smith.
Robert L. Proffitt, 62, CWA representative in District 7's Portland, Ore., office. Proffitt first went to work for CWA in 1983 as a temporary CWA representative. In 1985, on leave from Pacific Northwest Bell, he became CWA's Quality of Work-Life facilitator for AT&T. He joined the union staff as a CWA representative in June 1987 under District 7 Vice President Walter Maulis and continued in that position under Vice President Sue Pisha. Profitt began his career at Pacific Telephone and Telegraph in 1956 as a lineman. When he moved from California to Oregon in 1965, he worked a year at United Telephone Co. of the Northwest, organized the company for CWA, then left to work for Pacific Northwest Bell. He served as an steward, secretary and president of CWA Local 9211 and, after the two locals merged, as vice president and president of Local 9212.
E. Kenneth Sharp, administrative assistant to District 4 Vice President Jeffrey Rechenbach. Sharp, 60, a former president of CWA Local 4640 and vice president of the Eau Claire, Wis., Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO, was hired in July 1969 as temporary District 5 staff. Politically active on the union's behalf thoughout his career, he became a CWA representative in January 1970. Over the next several years, from 1972, he served as administrative assistant to the vice president, area director for Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, and Indiana state director. In September 1977 he was named assistant to District 5 Vice President W.C. Button. He became administrative assistant to the District 4 vice president in May 1986, following consolidation of the two districts. Sharp began his career in November 1961 as a central office repairman for Wisconsin Telephone Co. In Eau Claire, following a stint with the U.S. Air Force.
Robert N. McNeely Jr., administrative assistant to District 3 Vice President James E. Smith. McNeely, 57, joined the union staff in April 1982 as a CWA representative with the AT&T Technologies Sales Unit in Greesboro, N.C. and quickly rose to assistant to National Sales Director Kenny Bergstrom. In May 1986, McNeely was transferred to Somerset, N.J., as a CWA represresentative for AT&T Technologies and, later, Communications and Technologies. He moved to the District 3 office in Columbia, S.C. in March 1988, and in July 1991, to Greensboro, N.C. He was transfered to Decatur, Ga., and promoted by Smith to administrative assistant in October 1996. McNeely joined Western Electric in 1961 as a repairman. He is a former president of CWA Local 3695 and is credited with organizing the first Sales clerical unit at AT&T.
John S. Zawackis, 63, CWA representative in District 3. Instrumental in the affiliation of the Pennsylvania Telephone Guild with CWA in 1986, Zawackis was tapped for the position of CWA representative for organizing by President Emeritus Glenn Watts and assigned to District 3's Fort Lauderdale office. District 3 Vice President Gene Russo, in May 1988, transferred Zawackis to the District's Atlanta office, where he handled AT&T, BellSouth and Lucent Technologies grievances. Zawackis was employed by Bell of Pennsylvania as a truck chauffeur from June 1955 to June 1957, and from 1969 as a coin collector. He served as union representative, district chairman and division president.
Norma C. Powell, administrative assistant to three district vice presidents. Powell, 61, began her career in 1968 as a long distance operator for Illinois Bell Telephone. She transferred to South Central Bell in 1971 and served as a steward and executive board member of CWA Local 3902. She joined the union staff as a CWA representative for organizing, under District 10 Vice President Willard Brown. In 1980, District 10 Vice President Theodore Volk, in Birmingham, Ala., promoted her to administrative assistant. Following the consolidation of Districts 10 and 3, Powell, in 1994, moved to the District 3 Decatur, Ga., office where she spearheaded mobilization in support of bargaining and the union's legislative and political activities under District Vice Presidents Gene Russo and James E. Smith.
Robert L. Proffitt, 62, CWA representative in District 7's Portland, Ore., office. Proffitt first went to work for CWA in 1983 as a temporary CWA representative. In 1985, on leave from Pacific Northwest Bell, he became CWA's Quality of Work-Life facilitator for AT&T. He joined the union staff as a CWA representative in June 1987 under District 7 Vice President Walter Maulis and continued in that position under Vice President Sue Pisha. Profitt began his career at Pacific Telephone and Telegraph in 1956 as a lineman. When he moved from California to Oregon in 1965, he worked a year at United Telephone Co. of the Northwest, organized the company for CWA, then left to work for Pacific Northwest Bell. He served as an steward, secretary and president of CWA Local 9211 and, after the two locals merged, as vice president and president of Local 9212.
E. Kenneth Sharp, administrative assistant to District 4 Vice President Jeffrey Rechenbach. Sharp, 60, a former president of CWA Local 4640 and vice president of the Eau Claire, Wis., Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO, was hired in July 1969 as temporary District 5 staff. Politically active on the union's behalf thoughout his career, he became a CWA representative in January 1970. Over the next several years, from 1972, he served as administrative assistant to the vice president, area director for Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, and Indiana state director. In September 1977 he was named assistant to District 5 Vice President W.C. Button. He became administrative assistant to the District 4 vice president in May 1986, following consolidation of the two districts. Sharp began his career in November 1961 as a central office repairman for Wisconsin Telephone Co. In Eau Claire, following a stint with the U.S. Air Force.
Robert N. McNeely Jr., administrative assistant to District 3 Vice President James E. Smith. McNeely, 57, joined the union staff in April 1982 as a CWA representative with the AT&T Technologies Sales Unit in Greesboro, N.C. and quickly rose to assistant to National Sales Director Kenny Bergstrom. In May 1986, McNeely was transferred to Somerset, N.J., as a CWA represresentative for AT&T Technologies and, later, Communications and Technologies. He moved to the District 3 office in Columbia, S.C. in March 1988, and in July 1991, to Greensboro, N.C. He was transfered to Decatur, Ga., and promoted by Smith to administrative assistant in October 1996. McNeely joined Western Electric in 1961 as a repairman. He is a former president of CWA Local 3695 and is credited with organizing the first Sales clerical unit at AT&T.