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Early CWA Leader, Retired EVP George Miller Dies at 82
CWA pioneer George Miller, who served the union for more than four decades and headed its political and legislative programs for many years, died July 11 after a long illness. He was 82.
“He was one of the hardest-working, most dedicated trade unionists I’ve ever known,” said CWA President Morton Bahr, who was Miller’s assistant when Miller was vice president of District 1, covering New York, New Jersey and New England.
Miller retired in 1980, after six years as an executive vice president. He began his union service in 1939 when he started work as an installer for Western Electric Co. in Knoxville, Tenn., his hometown. Two years later, he became a switchman for Southern Bell in Kentucky.
He soon became active in CWA’s predecessor, the National Federation of Telephone Workers, serving in Local 310 of NFTW’s southern region as steward and later as president. In 1946, he became the NFTW’s Kentucky director. Miller led members there in CWA’s first nationwide strike against the Bell System in 1947.
In 1953, Miller was named assistant to the District 1 CWA vice president and moved to Newark, N.J. A decade later, he was elected the district’s vice president. Bahr remembers the years between 1961 and 1967 as the most tumultuous in CWA’s history, a time when the Teamsters repeatedly went after CWA’s New York telephone workers. “Under George’s leadership, we withstood three raids by the Teamsters,” he said.
Miller came to Washington, D.C. in 1969 to be the assistant to founding CWA President Joseph A. Beirne, and Bahr took over as the District 1 vice president.
Long active in politics, Miller was elected to the New Jersey State Assembly in 1958, becoming the first Democrat his county had sent to the Assembly in 43 years. In just two years, he sponsored 62 labor bills and saw many became laws. In 1960, he was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention that nominated John F. Kennedy for president.
In 1968, as a member of the committee appointed by the governor, Miller helped shape legislation that gave New Jersey public workers the right to organize. At CWA, he worked vigorously to step up organizing in the public sector.
In 1971, as Beirne’s assistant with responsibility for political and legislative programs, Miller spearheaded CWA’s first Legislative-Political Conference. Three years later, he was elected executive vice president, one of three EVPs at the time. He continued to be responsible for CWA’s political and lobbying work.
Bahr said Miller’s legacy lives on through the success of the annual conferences. “Looking at the conferences today, you see the soundness of his vision,” he said. “CWA is one of the most politically respected unions in the country, in large part because we continue to educate our members about the political process and we bring them to Washington for lobbying experience on the Hill.”
Miller and his wife, Mary, retired in Florida but moved to Annapolis, Md., in 1993. In addition to his wife, he is survived by two sons, Jim, of Boulder, Colo., and John, of Bedminster, N.J.; two daughters, Judy Brody of Frederick, Md., and Carole Robertson of Niwot, Colo.; seven grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.
“He was one of the hardest-working, most dedicated trade unionists I’ve ever known,” said CWA President Morton Bahr, who was Miller’s assistant when Miller was vice president of District 1, covering New York, New Jersey and New England.
Miller retired in 1980, after six years as an executive vice president. He began his union service in 1939 when he started work as an installer for Western Electric Co. in Knoxville, Tenn., his hometown. Two years later, he became a switchman for Southern Bell in Kentucky.
He soon became active in CWA’s predecessor, the National Federation of Telephone Workers, serving in Local 310 of NFTW’s southern region as steward and later as president. In 1946, he became the NFTW’s Kentucky director. Miller led members there in CWA’s first nationwide strike against the Bell System in 1947.
In 1953, Miller was named assistant to the District 1 CWA vice president and moved to Newark, N.J. A decade later, he was elected the district’s vice president. Bahr remembers the years between 1961 and 1967 as the most tumultuous in CWA’s history, a time when the Teamsters repeatedly went after CWA’s New York telephone workers. “Under George’s leadership, we withstood three raids by the Teamsters,” he said.
Miller came to Washington, D.C. in 1969 to be the assistant to founding CWA President Joseph A. Beirne, and Bahr took over as the District 1 vice president.
Long active in politics, Miller was elected to the New Jersey State Assembly in 1958, becoming the first Democrat his county had sent to the Assembly in 43 years. In just two years, he sponsored 62 labor bills and saw many became laws. In 1960, he was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention that nominated John F. Kennedy for president.
In 1968, as a member of the committee appointed by the governor, Miller helped shape legislation that gave New Jersey public workers the right to organize. At CWA, he worked vigorously to step up organizing in the public sector.
In 1971, as Beirne’s assistant with responsibility for political and legislative programs, Miller spearheaded CWA’s first Legislative-Political Conference. Three years later, he was elected executive vice president, one of three EVPs at the time. He continued to be responsible for CWA’s political and lobbying work.
Bahr said Miller’s legacy lives on through the success of the annual conferences. “Looking at the conferences today, you see the soundness of his vision,” he said. “CWA is one of the most politically respected unions in the country, in large part because we continue to educate our members about the political process and we bring them to Washington for lobbying experience on the Hill.”
Miller and his wife, Mary, retired in Florida but moved to Annapolis, Md., in 1993. In addition to his wife, he is survived by two sons, Jim, of Boulder, Colo., and John, of Bedminster, N.J.; two daughters, Judy Brody of Frederick, Md., and Carole Robertson of Niwot, Colo.; seven grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.