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Maly Succeeds Irvine as C&T Vice President
James E. Irvine announced at the CWA Executive Board meeting Jan. 10 that he was stepping down as vice president for Communications and Technologies, after 35 years of service to CWA.
The board then voted Irvine’s assistant, Ralph V. Maly Jr, to fill the position and CWA President Morton Bahr administered the oath of office to the new vice president.
“This executive board meeting — the first to include the entire IUE-CWA Executive Council — is critical to our future as a union,” said Irvine, who had been planning to step down at the next CWA convention. “The new vice president for Communications and Technologies will be required to work closely with IUE-CWA President Ed Fire and IUE-CWA vice presidents to develop programs that benefit all of our members, particularly those in manufacturing. I decided that now is the best time for the transition.”
Maly will stand for election at the CWA convention in July. Irvine will continue to serve CWA as a special assistant to the president.
“Jim Irvine is a union builder in the true sense of the word,” Bahr said. “He has faithfully and vigorously represented the workers in C&T in good times and bad.”
Bahr, who has known Maly for 25 years, said: “Ralph is well qualified to move into this position. He comes from a manufacturing background and has certainly had plenty of on-the-job training.”
Irvine began his union career in 1962, while working for AT&T after serving in the U.S. Navy and attending Kent State University.
He has always valued education and is most proud of his contribution as a trustee of the Alliance for Employee Growth and Development, a labor-management program CWA negotiated with AT&T in 1986. More than 160,000 employees at AT&T and Lucent Technologies have benefited from its degree and non-degree lifelong learning programs.
“I’m particularly thankful that we’ve been able to turn the concept into a reality that has helped so many people,” Irvine said.
Irvine became president of CWA Local 4350 in 1965 after serving as a steward, committee chair, and chief steward.
In 1969 he was elected to the CWA Long Lines Bargaining Committee. “Long lines” was the term used then for long distance. He chaired CWA’s AT&T local bargaining table in 1983. In 1986 he was appointed to the AT&T National Bargaining Committee and has served as chairperson for national bargaining with AT&T for the past three negotiations. In 1998, he chaired Lucent negotiations.
Irvine was elected to the CWA Executive Board as Long Lines national director in 1983. In 1984, as CWA was beginning to restructure after the AT&T breakup, he was elected CWA vice president, AT&T Communications. In 1987 he was elected CWA vice president, Communications and Technology.
Maly went to work for Western Electric in 1965 as a production specialist at its Buffalo, N.Y. plant. He served as steward, chief steward, job evaluator and organizing coordinator for CWA Local 1162.
While working in Buffalo, he was assigned to the international union and worked on organizing campaigns in Texas, California, Washington, Georgia and Long Island, N.Y.
In 1972, the Buffalo plant closed and Maly transferred to the Western Electric Atlanta Works. He held various positions in CWA Local 3263 and served five years as its president.
He was hired as a CWA representative in 1989, responsible for manufacturing, repair and distribution, and for administering the AT&T contract in District 1.
Maly was promoted to assistant to Irvine in 1996 and has been responsible for all aspects of the C&T office dealing with the AT&T and Lucent contracts. He served on national bargaining committees in 1986, 1989, 1992, 1995 and 1998. He has chaired bargaining tables covering manufacturing, repair and distribution. In 1998 he chaired the Lucent national bargaining table, the national units table, and assisted in AT&T national bargaining.
Maly graduated from the George Meany Center-Antioch University in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in labor studies. He is working on a master’s degree at the University of Massachusetts.
The board then voted Irvine’s assistant, Ralph V. Maly Jr, to fill the position and CWA President Morton Bahr administered the oath of office to the new vice president.
“This executive board meeting — the first to include the entire IUE-CWA Executive Council — is critical to our future as a union,” said Irvine, who had been planning to step down at the next CWA convention. “The new vice president for Communications and Technologies will be required to work closely with IUE-CWA President Ed Fire and IUE-CWA vice presidents to develop programs that benefit all of our members, particularly those in manufacturing. I decided that now is the best time for the transition.”
Maly will stand for election at the CWA convention in July. Irvine will continue to serve CWA as a special assistant to the president.
“Jim Irvine is a union builder in the true sense of the word,” Bahr said. “He has faithfully and vigorously represented the workers in C&T in good times and bad.”
Bahr, who has known Maly for 25 years, said: “Ralph is well qualified to move into this position. He comes from a manufacturing background and has certainly had plenty of on-the-job training.”
Irvine began his union career in 1962, while working for AT&T after serving in the U.S. Navy and attending Kent State University.
He has always valued education and is most proud of his contribution as a trustee of the Alliance for Employee Growth and Development, a labor-management program CWA negotiated with AT&T in 1986. More than 160,000 employees at AT&T and Lucent Technologies have benefited from its degree and non-degree lifelong learning programs.
“I’m particularly thankful that we’ve been able to turn the concept into a reality that has helped so many people,” Irvine said.
Irvine became president of CWA Local 4350 in 1965 after serving as a steward, committee chair, and chief steward.
In 1969 he was elected to the CWA Long Lines Bargaining Committee. “Long lines” was the term used then for long distance. He chaired CWA’s AT&T local bargaining table in 1983. In 1986 he was appointed to the AT&T National Bargaining Committee and has served as chairperson for national bargaining with AT&T for the past three negotiations. In 1998, he chaired Lucent negotiations.
Irvine was elected to the CWA Executive Board as Long Lines national director in 1983. In 1984, as CWA was beginning to restructure after the AT&T breakup, he was elected CWA vice president, AT&T Communications. In 1987 he was elected CWA vice president, Communications and Technology.
Maly went to work for Western Electric in 1965 as a production specialist at its Buffalo, N.Y. plant. He served as steward, chief steward, job evaluator and organizing coordinator for CWA Local 1162.
While working in Buffalo, he was assigned to the international union and worked on organizing campaigns in Texas, California, Washington, Georgia and Long Island, N.Y.
In 1972, the Buffalo plant closed and Maly transferred to the Western Electric Atlanta Works. He held various positions in CWA Local 3263 and served five years as its president.
He was hired as a CWA representative in 1989, responsible for manufacturing, repair and distribution, and for administering the AT&T contract in District 1.
Maly was promoted to assistant to Irvine in 1996 and has been responsible for all aspects of the C&T office dealing with the AT&T and Lucent contracts. He served on national bargaining committees in 1986, 1989, 1992, 1995 and 1998. He has chaired bargaining tables covering manufacturing, repair and distribution. In 1998 he chaired the Lucent national bargaining table, the national units table, and assisted in AT&T national bargaining.
Maly graduated from the George Meany Center-Antioch University in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in labor studies. He is working on a master’s degree at the University of Massachusetts.