Chris Shelton and Dennis Trainor

Chris Shelton served as CWA’s fourth president from 2015 to 2023. Shelton began his career as an outside technician at New York Telephone (later NYNEX, Bell Atlantic, and Verizon) in Manhattan in 1968. He signed a union card with Local 1101 on his first day and became a shop steward within six months, later chief steward, and joined CWA staff in 1988. Shelton was a local leader during the 1971 seven-month strike against New York Tel, staff leader during the 1989 strike against NYNEX, and District 1 vice-president during the 2000 strike against Verizon. As CWA president, Shelton founded the CWA STRONG program to build workplace power, strengthen bargaining, and resist outside efforts to destroy our union. 

Dennis Trainor was elected District 1 vice-president in 2015 and was still serving in this position at the time of this interview. Trainor signed on to New York Telephone in 1969 as a splicer and joined Local 1101 the first day on the job. He became chief steward with responsibility for all members in the Bronx at the time of the 1971 seven-month strike against New York Tel. Trainor helped the independent Connecticut Union of Telephone Workers join CWA and then remained in Connecticut, mobilizing members who were on strike to win a good contract. Trainor was appointed to CWA staff in 1999 and elected vice-president of District 1 in 2015. He led the union during the 2016 strike against Verizon, making member mobilization the key to a successful outcome.