Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 7901 is back in the hands of members as of October, when it was released from trusteeship by its national union.
Local 7901 was historically the union for Bell telephone workers. Today it has about 300 members, including workers at AT&T and 20 small employers, mostly nonprofits.
Local 7901 was placed in trusteeship in August 2023 at the request of three of its area vice presidents. A trusteeship is the suspension of local elected leaders by a national union, which then appoints trustees to temporarily take charge. Trusteeships are regulated by federal labor law and are supposed to restore democratic procedures, correct corruption or financial malpractice, or rebuild a union that’s failing to perform basic functions.
In Local 7901’s case, its secretary/treasurer and executive vice president had resigned after internal conflicts, leaving president A.J. Mendoza in sole charge of the local’s finances. According to disclosures filed with the Department of Labor, the local wasn’t holding meetings, filling vacant executive board positions, or holding officer elections.
CWA District 7 staff representative Jeanne Stewart was named trustee, and Mendoza was removed from office.
Members elected new officers at a meeting on October 24. They are:
- President Meg Ward
- Executive Vice President Hawa Abdullahi
- Treasurer Robin Herrera
- Secretary Dana Lopez
- Area 1 Vice President Nick Caleb
- Area 2 Vice President Anthony Moran
- Area 3 Vice President Enrique Ruiz
- Area 4 Vice President Keri Ferraro
The local’s office is in the Portland headquarters of the Oregon AFL-CIO. Its leadership is now all volunteer. Stewart, the Seattle-based CWA staff representative who helped rebuild the local during its trusteeship, remains the union rep for the local.
WHO LOCAL 7901 REPRESENTS
- AT&T Communications
- AT&T Mobility
- AT&T Mobility WFH
- Avaya
- BARK
- Beneficial State Bank
- Breach Collective
- Casa of Oregon
- Community Alliance of Tenants
- Fair Housing Council of Oregon
- First Unitarian Church
- Image Comics
- KBOO Radio
- OFNHP union
- Our Children’s Trust
- Public Employees Representatives Union (PERU)
- Portland Jobs with Justice
- Q Center
- RISE Partnership
- Rose Coded
- Seven Seas Entertainment
- THRYV/DEX
- Voz Workers’ Rights Education Project
