St. Louis, Mo. – In an historic election, Claude Cummings Jr. was elected as president of the Communications Workers of America.
Elected by delegates to the union’s 79th convention was Claude Cummings Jr. as president and Ameenah Salaam as Secretary-Treasurer. Cummings is the first Black man elected as CWA President. Salaam is the first Black woman to serve as Secretary-Treasurer.
Cummings succeeds Chris Shelton who stepped down after serving as president for eight years and spending 55 years mobilizing, representing and organizing with CWA.
Since 2011, Cummings has served as vice president of CWA District 6, representing more than 45,000 members in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas.
A Houston, Tex., native, Cummings started his union career when he went to work for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company (now AT&T) in 1973 and worked as a Frame Attendant and Communications Technician, maintaining systems for NASA, among other corporate customers. Prior to his election to District 6 Vice President he was President of CWA Local 6222 representing more than 8,000 members, having served previously in other leadership positions in the local, including Vice President.
