John Laughter- May - In what year was CWA founded?

In June 1947, a truly national union, the Communications Workers of America came into being. The first CWA convention took place that month in Miami with 200 delegates representing 162,000 workers.

The delegates adopted the first CWA Constitution which converted the former autonomous organizations of the NFTW into a three-level union: the National Union, 39 Divisions and the Locals.

Andrew Duffy (June) Who was the first national CWA president?

Joseph A. Beirne was elected President in 1947 and advised the delegates: "All of us must take a new view of our roles in CWA. No longer can we hope to act as ‘autonomous' groups in scattered parts of the country. No longer should a division president permit his actions, aims or ideals to be bound by a first, last and always view of his local problems. We must embrace the ‘all for one and one for all' philosophy of a single CWA union."

Steve Moore (February) How many days was the strike of 1983? 

1983: CWA Strikes the Bell System

In 1983, only months before the Bell System was to be broken into separate companies, CWA opened national contract negotiations. Not surprisingly, it was a difficult round of negotiations. AT&T was demanding givebacks from workers and seeking substandard job titles. Seven hundred thousand CWA members went on strike on August 7 for better wages, employment security, pension plan changes and health insurance improvements. After a twenty-two day strike, the telephone industry agreed to meet the union's demands. This would be the last time CWA would be able to negotiate at one national table for all its Bell System members because divestiture was only a few months away.