Norma Powell Fellowship Promotes Diversity in Organizing

Craig Gamble of WashTech/CWA Local 37083 and Dave Skinner of Orlando, Fla, Local 3108 — both African Americans — are the latest of five recipients of Norma C. Powell Fellowships for organizing. Both will receive stipends and work as CWA organizers-in-training.

The fellowship was instituted by the CWA Executive Board to honor the legacy of Powell, a retired administrative assistant to four CWA vice presidents, who died of a heart attack Feb. 2, 2005, and to promote diversity among the union's organizing staff.

"Norma inspired workers to organize by using herself as an example of someone who came from a family with few economic resources, yet was able to achieve and to rise up in the union," said District 3 Vice President Noah Savant.

A tireless organizer, Powell also mobilized members in the South during political campaigns and bargaining rounds with AT&T, Bell South and Sprint.

Gamble, who helped organize about 800 Cingular workers in the Seattle, Wash., area, will continue to work with WashTech to organize high-tech workers in that region.

Skinner, a technician with Bell South who helped organize 900 Cingular call center workers in Orlando, will continue with Local 3108 to organize Cingular retail workers across the state of Florida. Additional recipients of Norma Powell fellowships are Mary Mikan, Local 6132, and Diego Ponce and Alexis Anderson, Local 1037.