Newsmakers

Oregon State Representative Diane Rosenbaum, a member of CWA Local 7901 for 24 years, has been elected president of the National Labor Caucus of State Legislators, a bipartisan group that gives union-member and pro-worker legislators a chance to share ideas and develop a common legislative agenda. Rosenbaum said she's looking forward to working with the group's 450 members "who are committed to fighting for working families by stopping the export of American jobs, expanding access to quality, affordable health care, and restoring the freedom to form a union." The Portland-based lawmaker serves as the Oregon Legislature's assistant House Democratic leader, and has been vice chair of the Business, Labor and Consumer Affairs Committee since 2001. She led two successful campaigns to raise Oregon's minimum wage, working with the Oregon AFL-CIO to add an annual cost-of-living increase in 2002. Speaking to more than 1,000 labor delegates at the Democratic Convention in Boston, Rosenbaum said, "We are teachers and nurses and fire fighters, as well as elected officials. We stand up for workers because we understand the issues from our own experience."

More than a year after Hurricane Isabel's devastating floods wreaked havoc on many of his Baltimore County neighbors, Mike Vivirito, shown at left with Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski, is still helping cut through red tape to get them federal aid. That's one of the reasons why Vivirito, president of District 2's Retired Members' Council and president of his community association, was honored in October as a Baltimore County Hero. The awards, presented at a county festival that raised money for storm victims, went to 10 area residents for service above and beyond the call of duty after the September 2003 storm. Although Vivirito's own bayside home was spared, many neighbors - including other CWA retirees - suffered three to six feet of flooding, destroying their houses and furnishings. During the storm, Vivirito used rafts to help rescue several dozen people. Afterwards, he used political connections he'd built over the years beginning as a CWA Local 2101 officer to make sure victims with national flood insurance got FEMA checks. In one instance, the agency offered a newly homeless family a mere $46,000. After Vivirito talked with politicians, including Maryland's senators, representatives and the county administrator, the family got an initial check for $146,000, and he's made sure other homeowners got similar assistance. "My union ties have been so important," he said. "Having this rapport with government leaders certainly didn't hurt in getting people the help they need."