[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 159 (Thursday, November 11, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2356]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO ROBERT J. FLAVIN

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 10, 1999

  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a long 
time friend and Rochester Telephone employee, Robert J. Flavin, who 
passed away on Friday in Rochester, New York. Bob served as the 
President of Local 1170 of the Communications Workers of America for 36 
years.
  I was honored to attend his memorial service yesterday as this great 
labor leader and champion of the working people was remembered. As a 
sign of the high regard the Rochester community had for Bob, on Sunday 
he was given the Rochester Labor Council, AFL-CIO and United Way 
Community Service Award posthumously in recognition of his life's work. 
To further honor Bob, the organizations also announced that the award 
would be renamed in his memory.
  Bob Flavin spent his career fighting for the rights of communications 
employees, helped Rochester Telephone evolve into the national 
telecommunications firm known as Frontier Corporation, and was 
instrumental in negotiating a recent labor agreement between Rochester 
Telephone and Local 1170. His long legacy includes ending the labor 
dispute between CWA and the former Rochester Telephone Corp. in 1996 
and 1997 over the withdrawal of the pension plan. Recently, Bob Flavin 
had been particularly active in building support from the rank and file 
within his CWA labor organization for the now-completed merger of 
Frontier with the international telecommunications firm, Global 
Crossing Ltd.
  Bob was proud of his association with and admiration of Frontier's 
CEO, Joseph Clayton. Mr. Clayton rode with his employees yearly in the 
Labor Day Parade and he and his family attended the union's events. His 
concern and affection for Bob during his final illness should be a 
model for management/labor to follow. Our pain at losing Bob is eased 
by knowing Bob's final years as a labor leader were his best years 
because of Joe Clayton.
  Beyond his many professional contributions to the Rochester 
community, I remember in particular Bob's love of his family and his 
great faith. Anyone who knew Bob, knew of his love for his wife of 50 
years, Carolyn, and their three sons: Michael, Pat and Timothy, who all 
still live in Rochester. Among the over 1,000 people who attended his 
funeral, both his CWA members and Global Crossing management expressed 
sadness at Bob's passing, and so did many community leaders with whom 
Bob worked. He will be deeply missed by all of us in the Rochester 
community.

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