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Shelton Takes Oath as District 1 Vice President
Chris Shelton took the oath of office as District 1 Vice President on March 31, formally succeeding the retiring Larry Mancino at a swearing-in ceremony in New York presided over by President Morton Bahr. Shelton has served as Mancino's assistant since June 2003.
As District 1 vice president, Shelton said he will establish an advisory committee of local presidents representing every sector and every geographical area. District 1 comprises over 300 locals from New Jersey to Canada, representing 170,000 members.
"I want to make sure that all of the locals are taken into account when anything is done." Shelton said he's learned from his predecessor that "every decision I make, I have to live with, and if it's a good decision for the members, it's the right decision."
Shelton began his union career as a shop steward and, soon after, chief steward in Local 1101, shortly after going to work for New York Telephone in 1969 as an outside plant technician. He served the local as a grievance coordinator, prosecutor, legislative activist and organizer.
Among his organizing accomplishments was the unit known as the "New York 50," the former Nynex Mobile technicians who are now CWA's only beachhead so far at the virulently anti-union Verizon Wireless.
Shelton joined the staff as a CWA representative in January 1989. Working closely with downstate New York locals, he negotiated contracts in the printing and public sectors and various agreements with Verizon. He was elected to the executive board of the CWA Staff Union in 1996 and served until 2000 when he was promoted to downstate New York and Connecticut area director. Three years later he was named assistant to the vice president.
He served as regional bargaining chair for Verizon bargaining in 2000 and 2003 and chaired the critical health care bargaining subcommittee for Districts 1, 2, 13 and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Shelton said he has copied the bargaining styles of Bahr and Mancino, "two of the best negotiators I've ever seen."
Mancino was elected full-time vice president of CWA Local 1177 in January 1967, and helped lead his local through a 17-week strike in 1971. He helped find jobs for 700 operators that Western Union laid off and negotiated a job security provision guaranteeing members' jobs for a number of years into the future equal to their prior service.
He joined the staff as a CWA representative in 1972, and in October 1978 was promoted to downstate New York area director.
Mancino served as bargaining chair in CWA's first negotiations with New York Telephone after the 1983 divestiture from AT&T and, in July 1985, became assistant to District 1 Vice President Jan Pierce, with responsibility for contracts covering 140,000 members in eight northeastern states.
In January 1991, as CWA president, Bahr brought Mancino to Washington, D.C., as an assistant, and Mancino took charge of negotiations and the union's other dealings with Pacific Telesis, Ameritech, AT&T and US West.
The delegates elected Mancino as District 1 vice president by acclamation at the June 1996 CWA convention and reelected him in 1999 and 2002.
Over the years, Mancino has been extensively involved in community services as vice chairman of the board of directors of the Tri-State United Way, co-chair of its finance committee and member of its executive committee. He also served on the board of directors of the Alcoholism Council of Greater New York.
Looking back on his years of service, Mancino said, "The impact you have on people's lives is unbelievable."
He told of a phone call he received from one member. "The man thanked me for getting his job back and helping him educate his children. His son became a doctor and his daughter became an attorney. Multiply that by thousands of people whose lives you affect over the years."
As District 1 vice president, Shelton said he will establish an advisory committee of local presidents representing every sector and every geographical area. District 1 comprises over 300 locals from New Jersey to Canada, representing 170,000 members.
"I want to make sure that all of the locals are taken into account when anything is done." Shelton said he's learned from his predecessor that "every decision I make, I have to live with, and if it's a good decision for the members, it's the right decision."
Shelton began his union career as a shop steward and, soon after, chief steward in Local 1101, shortly after going to work for New York Telephone in 1969 as an outside plant technician. He served the local as a grievance coordinator, prosecutor, legislative activist and organizer.
Among his organizing accomplishments was the unit known as the "New York 50," the former Nynex Mobile technicians who are now CWA's only beachhead so far at the virulently anti-union Verizon Wireless.
Shelton joined the staff as a CWA representative in January 1989. Working closely with downstate New York locals, he negotiated contracts in the printing and public sectors and various agreements with Verizon. He was elected to the executive board of the CWA Staff Union in 1996 and served until 2000 when he was promoted to downstate New York and Connecticut area director. Three years later he was named assistant to the vice president.
He served as regional bargaining chair for Verizon bargaining in 2000 and 2003 and chaired the critical health care bargaining subcommittee for Districts 1, 2, 13 and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Shelton said he has copied the bargaining styles of Bahr and Mancino, "two of the best negotiators I've ever seen."
Mancino: 40 Years of Activism
Larry Mancino, 69, Brooklyn-born, moved to Staten Island, N.Y., in 1962. Following a stint with the Air Force, he went to work for Western Union and, in 1966, helped bring the 4,000-member bargaining unit into CWA.Mancino was elected full-time vice president of CWA Local 1177 in January 1967, and helped lead his local through a 17-week strike in 1971. He helped find jobs for 700 operators that Western Union laid off and negotiated a job security provision guaranteeing members' jobs for a number of years into the future equal to their prior service.
He joined the staff as a CWA representative in 1972, and in October 1978 was promoted to downstate New York area director.
Mancino served as bargaining chair in CWA's first negotiations with New York Telephone after the 1983 divestiture from AT&T and, in July 1985, became assistant to District 1 Vice President Jan Pierce, with responsibility for contracts covering 140,000 members in eight northeastern states.
In January 1991, as CWA president, Bahr brought Mancino to Washington, D.C., as an assistant, and Mancino took charge of negotiations and the union's other dealings with Pacific Telesis, Ameritech, AT&T and US West.
The delegates elected Mancino as District 1 vice president by acclamation at the June 1996 CWA convention and reelected him in 1999 and 2002.
Over the years, Mancino has been extensively involved in community services as vice chairman of the board of directors of the Tri-State United Way, co-chair of its finance committee and member of its executive committee. He also served on the board of directors of the Alcoholism Council of Greater New York.
Looking back on his years of service, Mancino said, "The impact you have on people's lives is unbelievable."
He told of a phone call he received from one member. "The man thanked me for getting his job back and helping him educate his children. His son became a doctor and his daughter became an attorney. Multiply that by thousands of people whose lives you affect over the years."