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CWA Loses Two Retiree Activists
Ray Myers, Chuck Latimer made CWA and Workers' Rights Their Life-long Cause
Above: Ray Myers (r.)
Below: Chuck Latimer.
This past week, CWA lost two committed members, two men who spent their working lives and their retirement years building CWA and supporting the rights of working people. Both died as they lived, as CWA activists.
Ray Myers, executive president of the Retired Members' Council, died March 15 in Lancaster, Pa., at age 73. He was editing an email to his retiree chapter members when he had a fatal heart attack.
Chuck Latimer, vice president of RMC District 9, died a few days earlier in San Diego, after returning from an Alliance for Retired Americans meeting in Las Vegas, where he represented CWA. Latimer was 81.
Myers began his lifetime of work with the labor movement in Pennsylvania in 1957, working for Bell of Pennsylvania, now Verizon, and as a member of now CWA Local 13000. Elected president of Local 23 of the Federation of Telephone Workers of Pennsylvania covering the Chester and Delaware counties area, Myers continued to serve in that position following the merger of that organization with CWA in 1984.
He was an activist throughout his working years and well into retirement, never missing the opportunity to join workers on a picket line and to build and support CWA's retiree efforts. He was elected executive president of the RMC in 2010 and also was president of the RMC for District 13.
"Ray Myers was a wonderful RMC leader," said CWA President Larry Cohen. "I enjoyed every minute working with him as RMC president and as an active CWA leader in Local 13000. His enthusiasm, energy and commitment couldn't be matched."
"He always knew that upon retirement, you didn't end your life as a union member," said CWA District 2-13 Vice President Ed Mooney.
Latimer was a longtime member and previous vice president of CWA Local 9509 who began his career as a technician with Pacific Bell. And although he retired 26 years ago, local president Bob Borunda said, Latimer remained active in the union ever since.
As vice president for the District 9 RMC, Latimer served as the voice of retirees everywhere. He also was a longtime and active delegate to the San Diego Labor Council.
"Chuck Latimer was a tireless advocate for workers, retirees and his beloved CWA family," said CWA President Larry Cohen. "Although he retired 26 years ago, Chuck never stopped fighting for the causes which were his life's work."
Fittingly, CWA Local 9509 voted this week to rename its union hall the Chuck Latimer Hall, in recognition of the work he did to fix anything and everything, from lighting to phones to the dishwasher, said Secretary-Treasurer Melinda Hawkins.
The families of both men have asked that contributions be made to the Jobs with Justice Education Fund, 1325 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20005.