Retired CWA Representative Frank Lupinacci Dies

Frank Lupinacci, a retired staff representative in District 13 remembered as a tough negotiator with a sense of humor, died Jan. 13 of complications from Alzheimer’s Disease.

Lupinacci, who was 74, started work in 1947 as an installer for Pennsylvania Bell. From his early days in the Federation of Telephone Workers of Pennsylvania, he fought for contracts giving workers basic rights. “He used to tell us, ‘There are things you wouldn’t believe, that members take for granted today, that we didn’t have,” said his son, Frank Lupinacci Jr., who is retired from Pennsylvania Bell. “I was very proud of my dad, and very proud to go to work for the company.”

Lupinacci served as president of FTWP Local 43, on the north side of Pittsburgh. Later, he served as the Pittsburgh division vice president, one of four FTWP divisions set up statewide to govern locals. When the union merged with CWA in 1984, he became a CWA representative. He was noted for his handling of grievances, arbitration and bargaining, District 13 Vice President Vince Maisano said.

“Frank always had a way about him. He could be as tame and meek as can be, and then be very forceful when the time was necessary,” he said. “He commanded a lot of respect from his colleagues, as well as the companies he bargained with.”

Lupinacci was also active politically. He served the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO as a vice president and acted as the director of the Committee on Political Education for the Pittsburgh Council of the AFL-CIO. He retired in 1990.