Jim Weitkamp served in the Air Force and then signed on as a lineman for Pacific Telephone in southern California in 1977. He worked heavy construction, climbing poles and taking down old lead cable. He served as steward and executive board member of Local 11505 before appointment to CWA staff in 1988. Weitkamp bargained contracts in almost every CWA sector, organized various units, led multiple strikes, and facilitated the merger with the News(paper) Guild in District 9. He was elected vice-president of District 9 in 2009 where he faced challenging contract negotiations with AT&T. He retired in 2014.
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