[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 120 (Thursday, September 22, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1942-E1943]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       CONGRATULATING CWA PRESIDENT MORTON BAHR ON HIS RETIREMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN D. DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 22, 2005

  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my good friend 
Morton ``Morty'' Bahr, on his retirement as President of the 
Communications Workers of America after over 50 years of service to the 
union and the nation.
  Morty Bahr has been with CWA for longer than I have been in Congress, 
and together we have fought and won many battles on behalf of working 
men and women. After his service as a radio operator for the Merchant 
Marine during World War II, Morty joined CWA in 1951 as an in-plant 
organizer for Mackay Radio and Telegraph in New York. In 1957, he 
joined the staff of CWA and succeeded in his first assignment: 
organizing 24,000 plant workers at New York Telephone. He later served 
as vice president of District 1 covering New York, New Jersey and New 
England, and was elected CWA president in 1985.
  When Morty assumed the top leadership role, CWA was still reeling 
from the breakup of the AT&T Bell System, a system that employed half a 
million union workers. After the split, both labor and management 
recognized that workers would need to develop new skills to remain 
competitive within AT&T and throughout the industry. Under Morty's 
leadership, the union formed the Alliance for Competitive Growth and 
Development, an innovative partnership dedicated to the career success 
of each individual union-represented

[[Page E1943]]

worker. I am happy to say that the Alliance has been a great success, 
with 170,000 participants, nearly 1 million course enrollments and over 
12.5 million hours of training.
  Morty Bahr is a pioneer of the Information Age. His effort to furnish 
workers with the tools they need to improve their lives not only 
created the telecommunications technicians who are integral to our 
economy, but it also made America the leader in all manner of 
communications. This effort is of particular importance today, as 
America faces the daunting task of maintaining its role as a global 
leader in the research and development of new science and technology.
  The Alliance is only one of the many revolutionary partnerships and 
programs Morty has guided and nurtured throughout his career. Others 
include the National Coalition for Telecommunications Education and 
Learning (NACTEL), one of the first partnerships of major telecom 
companies working together with their unions to advance education. 
NACTEL is an online learning partnership with CWA, IBEW, Verizon, SBC, 
Qwest and Citizens/Frontier.
  Morty and his wife Florence recently celebrated their 60th wedding 
anniversary and have two children, five grandchildren and two great-
grandchildren. As Morty begins his retirement, I hope you will join me 
in wishing Florence and him a healthy and relaxing journey. His 
heartfelt dedication to the workers of this nation will not be 
forgotten.

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