T.O. Moses Dies, Former Telecommunications VP

Former Telecommunications Vice President T.O. Moses, who served CWA members for more than half a century before his retirement in 2002, died June 7 in Lubbock, Texas, at age 78.

Moses went to work as a switchman for Southern Bell in 1949 and went on to hold every elective post with CWA Local 3414, Monroe, La. He joined the CWA staff in 1967, working with locals in St. Louis, Mo., and Lubbock and Austin, Texas, and handling negotiations with General Telephone of the Southwest. He was appointed administrative assistant to the vice president of District 12 in 1981 and was named assistant to the vice president of District 6 after the districts merged in 1986.

Moses was elected telecommunications vice president in 1989. During his leadership, the first bargaining councils were established at Century Tel and Citizens Communications. He helped negotiate the cooperative resource council at GTE which brought a national focus to important member issues.  Friends and colleagues fondly remember his wry and folksy humor that he often deployed to resolve conflict and move contract talks forward. When he retired, convention delegates elected him vice president emeritus by acclamation.