Carla Floyd, a past president of Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 7901, passed away at her Southeast Portland home June 27. She was 62.
Floyd served four terms as president of Local 7901 — from 1987 to 1996. During that time she negotiated numerous collective bargaining agreements and represented workers of various employers. She led the local during strikes against Dex One in 1989 and USWest in 1998, and was responsible for saving many jobs during the massive re-organization that USWest (Qwest’s predecessor) went through in the 1990s.
Carla Jo Floyd was born in Portland, Oregon, Sept. 28, 1949, to Heini and Dorothy Ziegler. She was raised in Corbett, Oregon, and graduated high school there. She attended several colleges in Oregon and served as a Vista volunteer prior to starting her career with Pacific Northwest Bell more than 38 years ago.
Before being elected president of Local 7901, Floyd was an active shop steward and executive vice president. She chaired many committees within the local, including Community Services.
Floyd also served as the labor representative on the Multnomah County Civil Service Board.
At the time of her death, Floyd was working for CWA District 7 as the health benefits coordinator at Century Link (formerly Qwest).
Floyd is survived by her daughter, Amanda Floyd; sister, Brenda Atkinson; and grandson, Ethan Sanders.
A memorial service was held July 20 at Rose City Funeral Home in Portland.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations in Floyd’s name be made to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Donate on line here, or send a check to ASPCA Attn: Linda Tiramani, 520 8th Avenue 7th Floor, NY, NY 10018.
