Longtime CWA #7901 president Madelyn Elder retiring
M ADELYN E LDER
NOVEMBER 7, 2014
By DON McINTOSH
Associate Editor
Labor union fighter Madelyn Elder, 60,
is stepping down after 21 years in office at
Portland-headquartered Communications
Workers of America (CWA) Local 7901.
Elder served five three-year terms as presi-
dent, following two three-year terms as sec-
retary-treasurer.
She’ll be succeeded by Jeanette Turner,
Local 7901’s current executive vice presi-
dent, who was running unopposed when
nominations closed Oct. 29.
CWA Local 7901 represents workers in
telecommunications and at a handful of
nonprofit organizations.
In the 15 years Elder served as president,
Local 7901 membership plummeted from
1,800 to less than 800 as the local faced
round after round of layoffs and closures.
Membership would be even smaller today if
it weren’t for several organizing wins, in-
cluding about 300 workers at 19 AT&T re-
tail stores. The union’s core land-line busi-
ness — which once provided good union
jobs to thousands of CWA members in the
Portland area — today employs 175.
In recent years, Elder led hard-fought
campaigns to unionize and secure union
contracts at some non-traditional employ-
ers for CWA, including the computer recy-
cling nonprofit Free Geek, the canvass or-
an AT&T call center in
ganization Grassroots Strate-
Portland. AT&T was her
gies Inc., and community radio
first union job, after a
station KBOO-FM. She also
succession of low-wage
helped a group of Portland taxi
employers like Burger
drivers overcome hurdles to
King, Motel 6, and Best
form a union-affiliated co-op,
Western. She got in-
Union Cab. And she fought for
volved in the union as a
more than two years to get a
steward, but soon aroused
bare-bones contract for 24
management’s ire. Fired
workers at a Fund for the Public
at AT&T, she went to
Interest call center, which raises
work for the union, and
funds for state PIRGs. Elder
was later reinstated at
also had her share of outright
AT&T on condition she
losses. In 2010, she answered a
not
return to work. But
call for help from exploited
J EANETTE T URNER
AT&T closed the call
mistreated workers at Dosha, a
center.
local chain of Aveda-branded
As president, Turner says her priority
salons. Workers voted to unionize with
CWA, but 17 months later, unable to get a will be training stewards, and getting mem-
union contract, the union walked away. As bers to become active— particularly
Local 7901 membership shrunk, Elder went younger workers at AT&T retail stores.
down to part-time at Local 7901. Since She’ll also learn to bargain contracts for the
2010, she’s also worked part-time at Ore- first time for several of the local’s non-profit
gon Tradeswomen Inc., a non-profit that re- bargaining units.
Also running unopposed for Local 7901
cruits women to pursue careers in tradition-
office are SEIU Local 503 organizer Joye
ally-male building trades.
Elder will stay through the end of the Camacho, secretary-treasurer, and Centu-
ryLink employee Jeff Hall, executive vice
year to train her replacement.
Turner, 37, grew up in Antioch, Califor- president. Local 7901’s new officers will be
nia, and is the granddaughter of a union car- sworn in at the union’s Dec. 11 general
penter and a “Rosie the Riveter.” She joined membership meeting, and will take office
CWA in 2006 when she went to work for Jan. 1.
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
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