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Newsmakers
Bill Quirk, 54, assistant to two District 9 vice presidents, retired May 1. "Without Bill as my assistant, we would never have earned the respect of our major employers - as we have - by militantly seeking justice for our members," said District 9 Vice President Tony Bixler. In 1969, Quirk went to work as a communications technician for Pacific Telephone after taking several college courses and serving in the Navy. He became a steward, legislative-political chair, vice president and executive vice president of Local 9509 in San Diego, Calif. He was the local's secretary-treasurer when he joined the staff as a CWA representative in 1982. Quirk served as assistant to District 9 Vice President Harry Ibsen from November 1990 to May 1992 and to Bixler from June 1996 until his retirement.
Barbara Shiller, who as assistant to the vice president of District 2 chaired four rounds of common issues bargaining with Bell Atlantic, has retired. Schiller, 55, headed Bell Atlantic bargaining in 1986, during a strike in 1989, in 1992 and in 1995-96 when negotiations went five months beyond contract expiration. She began her career as a New York Telephone service representative in Brooklyn in 1972, before that unit was represented by CWA. In September of that year she transferred to C&P Telephone Co. in Hyattsville, Md., and joined Local 2108. A year later, she moved to Richmond, joining C&P of Virginia and Local 2201. She served on the executive board, represented the local to the Richmond Regional Labor Council, and in 1979 became secretary-treasurer. She was elected vice president of CWA's Virginia Political Action Council. After serving as a temporary rep in Richmond, she joined the staff as a CWA representative in September 1981, assigned to the District 2 office in Washington, D.C. District 2 Vice President Pete Catucci named her his assistant in 1986. Her retirement is effective July 26.
Phil Ferrill, a CWA representative in District 6, has retired. Ferrill, 62, joined the staff in March 1989 in St. Louis, Mo., and served under four district vice presidents. He joined CWA in 1960 when he was hired by Southwestern Bell Telephone in St. Louis. Working as a cable repair tech, splicer, station installer and estimate assigner, he learned his way around the industry while serving as steward, chief steward and president of Local 6310, as well as president of CWA's Missouri Presidents Council. Ferrill weathered strikes at SWB in 1983 and AT&T in 1986, and was the recipient of several CWA organizing and COPE awards. As a CWA representative, he chaired Continental Telephone bargaining in 1999. In 1995 he transferred to the Sunset Hills, Mo., office and served briefly as administrative assistant to the vice president. He became area director for contract administration in July 1996, then northern area director from September 1997 until January 1999.
About a year and a half ago, Local 7019 member Robert Finney learned he'd never had the use of one of his kidneys and would soon need the other replaced. After nine months and several surgeries for other health problems, he was accepted onto the National Kidney Foundation's transplant waiting list. Advised by the foundation that he could also start looking for a donor on his own, he submitted the name of Mickie Wegner, a close friend and local steward, who asked to be the first tested for a compatible match. She underwent blood tests at the Arizona Donor Center to ensure she was a match and counseling to prepare her for the major surgery that lay ahead. "I informed my husband of my plans and he was very supportive," Wegner said. Doctors performed the transplant March 21. Wegner's recovery took six weeks, and Finney's took nine. Both said they are thankful for the CWA-bargained medical benefits that made the transplant possible. For more information about kidney transplants or becoming a donor, go to www.kidney.org.
Local 2001 members in Charleston, W.Va. helped collect and distribute 84,000 pounds of food to local pantries in the recent annual food drive sponsored nationally by the Letter Carriers and locally by Branch 531. For 10 years the local has participated in the drive, as an extension of the CLC's United Food Operation, chaired by CWA Representative Elaine Harris. CWA and the Kanawha Valley Labor Council founded UFO 21 years ago. The local collects food at Verizon and AT&T locations from January to April each year. The Letter Carriers also turn over their collections to UFO for distribution to 12 local food pantries. The program started, Harris said, "because people were falling through the cracks. Most are not receiving public assistance but may have lost a job. Many are elderly and have difficulty paying for both food and fuel in the harsh winter months." Shown, from left, are Postmaster Jamie Adkins, Local 2001 retiree Kay Moffet and Harris.
Barbara Shiller, who as assistant to the vice president of District 2 chaired four rounds of common issues bargaining with Bell Atlantic, has retired. Schiller, 55, headed Bell Atlantic bargaining in 1986, during a strike in 1989, in 1992 and in 1995-96 when negotiations went five months beyond contract expiration. She began her career as a New York Telephone service representative in Brooklyn in 1972, before that unit was represented by CWA. In September of that year she transferred to C&P Telephone Co. in Hyattsville, Md., and joined Local 2108. A year later, she moved to Richmond, joining C&P of Virginia and Local 2201. She served on the executive board, represented the local to the Richmond Regional Labor Council, and in 1979 became secretary-treasurer. She was elected vice president of CWA's Virginia Political Action Council. After serving as a temporary rep in Richmond, she joined the staff as a CWA representative in September 1981, assigned to the District 2 office in Washington, D.C. District 2 Vice President Pete Catucci named her his assistant in 1986. Her retirement is effective July 26.
Phil Ferrill, a CWA representative in District 6, has retired. Ferrill, 62, joined the staff in March 1989 in St. Louis, Mo., and served under four district vice presidents. He joined CWA in 1960 when he was hired by Southwestern Bell Telephone in St. Louis. Working as a cable repair tech, splicer, station installer and estimate assigner, he learned his way around the industry while serving as steward, chief steward and president of Local 6310, as well as president of CWA's Missouri Presidents Council. Ferrill weathered strikes at SWB in 1983 and AT&T in 1986, and was the recipient of several CWA organizing and COPE awards. As a CWA representative, he chaired Continental Telephone bargaining in 1999. In 1995 he transferred to the Sunset Hills, Mo., office and served briefly as administrative assistant to the vice president. He became area director for contract administration in July 1996, then northern area director from September 1997 until January 1999.
About a year and a half ago, Local 7019 member Robert Finney learned he'd never had the use of one of his kidneys and would soon need the other replaced. After nine months and several surgeries for other health problems, he was accepted onto the National Kidney Foundation's transplant waiting list. Advised by the foundation that he could also start looking for a donor on his own, he submitted the name of Mickie Wegner, a close friend and local steward, who asked to be the first tested for a compatible match. She underwent blood tests at the Arizona Donor Center to ensure she was a match and counseling to prepare her for the major surgery that lay ahead. "I informed my husband of my plans and he was very supportive," Wegner said. Doctors performed the transplant March 21. Wegner's recovery took six weeks, and Finney's took nine. Both said they are thankful for the CWA-bargained medical benefits that made the transplant possible. For more information about kidney transplants or becoming a donor, go to www.kidney.org.
Local 2001 members in Charleston, W.Va. helped collect and distribute 84,000 pounds of food to local pantries in the recent annual food drive sponsored nationally by the Letter Carriers and locally by Branch 531. For 10 years the local has participated in the drive, as an extension of the CLC's United Food Operation, chaired by CWA Representative Elaine Harris. CWA and the Kanawha Valley Labor Council founded UFO 21 years ago. The local collects food at Verizon and AT&T locations from January to April each year. The Letter Carriers also turn over their collections to UFO for distribution to 12 local food pantries. The program started, Harris said, "because people were falling through the cracks. Most are not receiving public assistance but may have lost a job. Many are elderly and have difficulty paying for both food and fuel in the harsh winter months." Shown, from left, are Postmaster Jamie Adkins, Local 2001 retiree Kay Moffet and Harris.