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Gavel Passes to Cohen, CWA's Fourth President
CHICAGO, Aug. 30 -- In his first speech as president of CWA, Larry Cohen issued a challenge to the union's 1,000 employers in the United States and Canada to work with union members to "define what leadership really means."
"We believe leadership means working together for health care, not squeezing working families and standing on the sidelines while a national crisis grows worse every day," Cohen said, speaking to applauding delegates at CWA's 67th annual convention at Chicago's Navy Pier.
"We believe leadership means working together to provide meaningful careers for employees, not hollowing out our companies by outsourcing nearly everything," he said. "We believe leadership means standing by our retired members, your former employees, and not breaking the commitments made to them."
Cohen, 56, is only the fourth president in CWA's history. He succeeds 20-year President Morton Bahr, who has been recognized and celebrated throughout the convention for his tireless work, integrity, innovation and generous spirit.
"I am honored and humbled to follow Morty Bahr," Cohen said. "You have passed on a member-run union, mobilized, ready for action and able to bargain successfully with some of the world's largest employers. You are universally admired throughout the trade union movement, in the halls of Congress and in the communications industry. We love you and we are grateful for your 20-year stewardship of our union."
Cohen, recognized as one of the movement's most effective and energetic organizers, was elected CWA executive vice president in 1998, after serving as Bahr's assistant and director of organizing the previous 12 years. A native of Philadelphia, he began his union work as an unrepresented state worker in New Jersey, where he led the successful drive that brought 36,000 state workers into the CWA family.
Speaking Monday, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney praised Cohen as "a writer, a speaker, a thinker, an international strategist, and a leader in the noblest tradition of our movement." Largely because of Cohen's vision and hard work, Sweeney said the Employee Free Choice Act, to allow workers to organize and bargain contracts without fear of management retaliation and stalling tactics, now has 201 co-sponsors in the U.S. House and 38 in the Senate.
CWA Secretary-Treasurer Barbara Easterling, who was reelected to her office at the convention, said passage of the act is critical as anti-worker forces in Washington turn back the clock on workers' rights.
"We are forced to fight our organizing battles with sticks and stones while management gets to use nuclear weapons," Easterling said, describing how workers are routinely fired for union organizing, forced to attend management's captive audience meetings and face threats that their jobsites will close if they choose to unionize.
"They are thwarting the will of the people," she said. "Polls show that 42 million unorganized American workers would like to join a union. The Employee Free Choice Act would empower these workers to take control of their destiny by requiring union certification through card check, the most democratic, fair and effective way to organize."
Delegates also heard Tuesday from newly elected CWA Executive Vice President Jeff Rechenbach, who praised the union's great diversity, solidarity and commitment to make life better for all Americans. "The willingness to stand up together, to make sure that workers get a fair share from the sweat of their brow, that's what we're all about," he said.
Cohen, Easterling and Rechenbach were sworn in Tuesday morning with other newly elected and reelected national and district vice presidents, all serving three-year terms.
In the only contested election, District 9 Vice President Tony Bixler was reelected. Also reelected were Pete Catucci, District 2, and Andy Milburn, District 6. District 1 delegates elected Chris Shelton to his first full term. He succeeds Larry Mancino, who retired in April. Noah Savant was elected in District 3, succeeding Jimmy Smith, who retired in January. In District 4, Rechenbach's former administrative assistant, Seth Rosen, was elected. Annie Hill was elected in District 7, succeeding John Thompson, who retired in February. In District 13, James Short was elected, succeeding Vince Maisano, who retired in April.
Monday, delegates unanimously reelected Vice Presidents Ralph Maly, Communications and Technologies; Jimmy Gurganus, Telecommunications; Brooks Sunkett, Public, Healthcare and Education Workers and Bill Boarman, Printing, Publishing and Media Workers. James Clark, elected by IUE as its president this spring, was elected to his first full term as a CWA vice president.
"We believe leadership means working together for health care, not squeezing working families and standing on the sidelines while a national crisis grows worse every day," Cohen said, speaking to applauding delegates at CWA's 67th annual convention at Chicago's Navy Pier.
"We believe leadership means working together to provide meaningful careers for employees, not hollowing out our companies by outsourcing nearly everything," he said. "We believe leadership means standing by our retired members, your former employees, and not breaking the commitments made to them."
Cohen, 56, is only the fourth president in CWA's history. He succeeds 20-year President Morton Bahr, who has been recognized and celebrated throughout the convention for his tireless work, integrity, innovation and generous spirit.
"I am honored and humbled to follow Morty Bahr," Cohen said. "You have passed on a member-run union, mobilized, ready for action and able to bargain successfully with some of the world's largest employers. You are universally admired throughout the trade union movement, in the halls of Congress and in the communications industry. We love you and we are grateful for your 20-year stewardship of our union."
Cohen, recognized as one of the movement's most effective and energetic organizers, was elected CWA executive vice president in 1998, after serving as Bahr's assistant and director of organizing the previous 12 years. A native of Philadelphia, he began his union work as an unrepresented state worker in New Jersey, where he led the successful drive that brought 36,000 state workers into the CWA family.
Speaking Monday, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney praised Cohen as "a writer, a speaker, a thinker, an international strategist, and a leader in the noblest tradition of our movement." Largely because of Cohen's vision and hard work, Sweeney said the Employee Free Choice Act, to allow workers to organize and bargain contracts without fear of management retaliation and stalling tactics, now has 201 co-sponsors in the U.S. House and 38 in the Senate.
CWA Secretary-Treasurer Barbara Easterling, who was reelected to her office at the convention, said passage of the act is critical as anti-worker forces in Washington turn back the clock on workers' rights.
"We are forced to fight our organizing battles with sticks and stones while management gets to use nuclear weapons," Easterling said, describing how workers are routinely fired for union organizing, forced to attend management's captive audience meetings and face threats that their jobsites will close if they choose to unionize.
"They are thwarting the will of the people," she said. "Polls show that 42 million unorganized American workers would like to join a union. The Employee Free Choice Act would empower these workers to take control of their destiny by requiring union certification through card check, the most democratic, fair and effective way to organize."
Delegates also heard Tuesday from newly elected CWA Executive Vice President Jeff Rechenbach, who praised the union's great diversity, solidarity and commitment to make life better for all Americans. "The willingness to stand up together, to make sure that workers get a fair share from the sweat of their brow, that's what we're all about," he said.
Cohen, Easterling and Rechenbach were sworn in Tuesday morning with other newly elected and reelected national and district vice presidents, all serving three-year terms.
In the only contested election, District 9 Vice President Tony Bixler was reelected. Also reelected were Pete Catucci, District 2, and Andy Milburn, District 6. District 1 delegates elected Chris Shelton to his first full term. He succeeds Larry Mancino, who retired in April. Noah Savant was elected in District 3, succeeding Jimmy Smith, who retired in January. In District 4, Rechenbach's former administrative assistant, Seth Rosen, was elected. Annie Hill was elected in District 7, succeeding John Thompson, who retired in February. In District 13, James Short was elected, succeeding Vince Maisano, who retired in April.
Monday, delegates unanimously reelected Vice Presidents Ralph Maly, Communications and Technologies; Jimmy Gurganus, Telecommunications; Brooks Sunkett, Public, Healthcare and Education Workers and Bill Boarman, Printing, Publishing and Media Workers. James Clark, elected by IUE as its president this spring, was elected to his first full term as a CWA vice president.