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District 6 Vice President Ben Turn Retires; Board Appoints Milburn to Fill Post
Ben G. Turn Jr., vice president of CWA District 6, retired on March 31. The CWA Executive Board has appointed Andy Milburn, Turn’s assistant, to serve as interim vice president until the CWA convention this August, when an election will be held to permanently fill the position.
Of District 6’s many accomplishments under his leadership, Turn said he is most proud of the massive mobilization of locals in 1996, which achieved the ground-breaking card-check and neutrality agreement he negotiated to facilitate organizing throughout Southwestern Bell’s five-state region of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas. He also commended the locals for their pacesetting contributions in raising funds for CWA-COPE, the union’s political action committee.
“Ben’s commitment and leadership in CWA has contributed greatly to our union’s growth,” said CWA President Morton Bahr. “We wish him and his family the very best.”
The original five-year organizing pact, signed in spring 1997 by Turn and Southwestern Bell Operations President Royce Caldwell, provided that the company would recognize CWA as the collective bargaining representative for all units in all lines of business where more than 50 percent of workers sign CWA cards.
The agreement, covering Internet and video services, wireless and one-stop shopping stores, was later extended nationwide to apply to SBC Wireless.
It has enabled locals to organize several thousand new members at Southwestern Bell Wireless in District 6 and at Cellular One, SBC’s out-of-region wireless brand, in Districts 1 and 2, the northeastern and Middle Atlantic states.
“I would like to see CWA achieve Growth Resolution 1, which is to organize over a million members, and become the largest, most diversified union in the United States,” Turn said.
Turn has been honored at every CWA convention since he took office in 1996 for leading his district in CWA-COPE fund-raising efforts. He has taken home several awards for highest membership participation through payroll deduction and for highest number of members enrolled in Platinum Quorum, $240 annual contributions, and Triple Quorum, $320 annually. Under his leadership, District 6 raised more than $1.1 million in 1997, 1998 and 1999. Figures for 2000 will not be published until this year’s CWA convention.
Turn, 52, first hired on with General Telephone Co. in 1963 for a summer job as a cable splicer’s helper. Three years later he began regular employment as a janitor, eventually working as a full-time cable splicer’s helper, reports and records clerk, cable splicer and switching technician.
In 1968 he became a steward in CWA Local 6180 and was later appointed assistant to the local area vice president. He helped bring about the merger of several southwest Texas locals and in 1973 was elected president of Local 12171, ow 6171, headquartered in his native San Angelo.
Turn was appointed a CWA representative in Houston, Texas in 1982. He was promoted to administrative assistant to the vice president of Telecommunications in 1991 and became assistant to the vice president of District 6, in St. Louis, Mo., in 1992.
Married, the father of six and a grandfather, he is retiring for health reasons and to spend more time with his family.
Milburn, 52, began his career in 1974 as a lineman for Southwestern Bell in Austin, Texas. He also worked as a station installer and customer services technician.
Over the years he served as job steward, chief steward, vice president and president of CWA Local 6132.
In 1990, Milburn joined the union staff as a CWA representative in Houston, Texas. Experienced in organizing, grievance handling and political mobilization, he was promoted to assistant to the vice president of District 6 in March 1999.
Of District 6’s many accomplishments under his leadership, Turn said he is most proud of the massive mobilization of locals in 1996, which achieved the ground-breaking card-check and neutrality agreement he negotiated to facilitate organizing throughout Southwestern Bell’s five-state region of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas. He also commended the locals for their pacesetting contributions in raising funds for CWA-COPE, the union’s political action committee.
“Ben’s commitment and leadership in CWA has contributed greatly to our union’s growth,” said CWA President Morton Bahr. “We wish him and his family the very best.”
The original five-year organizing pact, signed in spring 1997 by Turn and Southwestern Bell Operations President Royce Caldwell, provided that the company would recognize CWA as the collective bargaining representative for all units in all lines of business where more than 50 percent of workers sign CWA cards.
The agreement, covering Internet and video services, wireless and one-stop shopping stores, was later extended nationwide to apply to SBC Wireless.
It has enabled locals to organize several thousand new members at Southwestern Bell Wireless in District 6 and at Cellular One, SBC’s out-of-region wireless brand, in Districts 1 and 2, the northeastern and Middle Atlantic states.
“I would like to see CWA achieve Growth Resolution 1, which is to organize over a million members, and become the largest, most diversified union in the United States,” Turn said.
Turn has been honored at every CWA convention since he took office in 1996 for leading his district in CWA-COPE fund-raising efforts. He has taken home several awards for highest membership participation through payroll deduction and for highest number of members enrolled in Platinum Quorum, $240 annual contributions, and Triple Quorum, $320 annually. Under his leadership, District 6 raised more than $1.1 million in 1997, 1998 and 1999. Figures for 2000 will not be published until this year’s CWA convention.
Turn, 52, first hired on with General Telephone Co. in 1963 for a summer job as a cable splicer’s helper. Three years later he began regular employment as a janitor, eventually working as a full-time cable splicer’s helper, reports and records clerk, cable splicer and switching technician.
In 1968 he became a steward in CWA Local 6180 and was later appointed assistant to the local area vice president. He helped bring about the merger of several southwest Texas locals and in 1973 was elected president of Local 12171, ow 6171, headquartered in his native San Angelo.
Turn was appointed a CWA representative in Houston, Texas in 1982. He was promoted to administrative assistant to the vice president of Telecommunications in 1991 and became assistant to the vice president of District 6, in St. Louis, Mo., in 1992.
Married, the father of six and a grandfather, he is retiring for health reasons and to spend more time with his family.
Milburn, 52, began his career in 1974 as a lineman for Southwestern Bell in Austin, Texas. He also worked as a station installer and customer services technician.
Over the years he served as job steward, chief steward, vice president and president of CWA Local 6132.
In 1990, Milburn joined the union staff as a CWA representative in Houston, Texas. Experienced in organizing, grievance handling and political mobilization, he was promoted to assistant to the vice president of District 6 in March 1999.