Harry Swaim Dies, Retired District 3 Staff Rep

Harry Swaim, 74, retired District 3 staff representative, died May 26, at the Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfeesboro, Tenn.  "Harry was a gentle giant, always working most of the time unnoticed, for the rights of working men and women," said District 3 Vice President Noah Savant.

Swaim became active in CWA from the moment he went to work for South Central Bell in 1954. During the next 21 years, he rose through the ranks of Local 3806, in Memphis, serving as steward, secretary-treasurer, vice president, and president. He appointed a CWA representative in 1975 and moved wherever he was needed – from Alabama, to Louisiana, and finally to Tennessee. He retired in 1999.

"There's nothing Harry wouldn't do for you," reflected a colleague, retired District 3 Vice President Gene Russo. "During a tough round of bargaining with the old United Sprint bargaining unit in Johnson City, he moved to Johnson City from his office in Nashville and stayed put until a contract was reached."

He is survived by his wife, Jeanette, sons Eddie, Michael, Jay and Victor, along with eleven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.