CWA Locals and Leaders Honored for Organizing Efforts at 2023 CWA Convention

The Hat Award for outstanding achievements in organizing is named for CWA's founding president, Joe Beirne, who would pass his hat at each organizing meeting to collect the funds he needed to cover travel costs of getting to the next group of telephone workers he was to visit. It is CWA's highest honor.

This year, CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. presented the award to President Emeritus Chris Shelton in recognition of his lifetime of service to CWA and his outstanding leadership as president for the last eight years, during which more than 47,000 workers joined CWA through new organizing campaigns.

President Cummings also presented "The Morton Bahr CWA STRONG Award" in honor of the former CWA President's vision, tenacity, and union building. This year’s recipients were Local 1180 President and National Executive Board Member Gloria Middleton, who was recognized for her successful efforts to build an impressive internal organizing campaign, and Local 1104 President Tom Benedetto, in recognition of his leadership in figuring out new strategic and innovative ways to organize while facing a number of challenges, including the pandemic.

Since the last CWA convention, CWA locals from around the country have brought in over 11,000 new members through external organizing campaigns. Locals that helped more than 100 workers join CWA and win a voice at work were honored with a plaque and subsidies to support future organizing efforts.

CWA District 1, District 6, Local 1101, Local 6215, and Local 6327 were recognized for their contributions to CWA's Political Action Fund (PAF). Local 13572, Local 7026, Local 4319, Local 3310, and Local 1037 were honored for fund-raising on behalf of the Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

Congratulations to all the winners!

At the 2023 CWA Convention, locals received organizing awards in honor of their extraordinary work.