Staff Roster

Claude Cummings Jr.

Vice President District 6
512-330-0871
Ccummings@cwa-union.org

 

Claude Cummings Jr., who has served as an at-large member of the Executive Board of the Communications Workers of America since 2007, was elected Vice President of CWA District 6 in July 2011, and was re-elected in July 2015, and July 2019 representing workers in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas.  Claude has also been appointed to lead the Human Rights Department for the National CWA. 

Before being elected to a Union Official, Cummings was employed by Southwestern Bell Telephone Company in 1973 (now AT&T) 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. He was first elected President of the Local in 1999; previously serving as Vice President and held other leadership positions in the local.  Cummings was the first Black male elected to all of these positions.  Since being elected as the District 6 Vice President Cummings has led negotiations of CWA Bargaining committees, across the District, that have led to wage increases, better medical benefits, signing bonuses, job security and additional jobs for the bargaining unit members.

He serves as 1st Vice President of the Houston Chapter of NAACP, recently elected 2nd Vice President Texas State NAACP Conference, the Labor Committee for the National NAACP, member Texas AFL-CIO Executive Board, Board Member Push Democracy Forward, a faith-based non-partisan organization that focuses on protecting our Democracy, while also serving as President of the Harris County Coalition Black Trade Unionists, Trustee for the National Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, At large member A. Phillip Randolph Institute Executive Board, member Texas Coalition of Black Democrats, Harris County Democratic Party, member Texas Progressive Executive Council, member of Southern Christian Leadership Conference, The Rainbow Coalition, and National Action Network.

A leading voice in local and state politics, Cummings worked for passage of a state law to enable AT&T to provide video services to customers, which lead to the hiring of thousands of new unionized technicians across the country to install the new video service.  He also served as a delegate to past Democratic National Conventions.  He is a longtime community activist, supporting and directing civil rights efforts.  During his career, he has been a strong advocate for jobs with livable wages in this country, in 2016 addressing the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington D.C. urging them to vote against trade bills that move jobs out of this Country adversely affecting communities and Labor Unions. He often meets with Civil Rights Leaders to address the need for Labor and the Civil Rights Movement to work together to encourage Congress to pass Pro Labor Legislation that will build the middle class in this country. He hosts a weekly radio show “Power To The People” that addresses labor and political, and social issues around the country, and a monthly radio show with the NAACP that address labor and civil rights issues.

Over the past 11 years, he has worked with other organizations to organize robust and innovative GOTV programs in order to elect Worker Friendly Candidates in CWA District 6 and other states. His dedication has led him to work with Rev. William Barber and the Poor Peoples Campaign and with great pride represented CWA at the 50th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday, speaking at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama.

He is a proud supporter of World Youth Organization, Sickle Cell Association of Houston, Helping Hands to the Community, The Sisters Network, Communities Together, Acres of Angels, SHAPE Community Center, Faces of Our Children, Kashmere Former Athletes Association, The Black Heritage Society, Harris County Democratic Women, Black Women’s PAC, the Coalition of Labor Union Women, serving for many years as Chairman of the Board of Faith Revitalization, Inc., working tirelessly with any organization to help the community in times of need. He has received awards of recognition from many of these organizations.

He is a 1970 graduate of Kashmere High School, where he was Senior Class President, graduating with honors.  Following graduation he attended Tuskegee Institute.  He serves as Chairman of the non-profit organization He Heard My Cry Ministries, Inc. and Chairman of Deacons at He Heard My Cry Christian Fellowship Church. He is a member and manager of the  National Recording Artist and Award Winning Gospel Group Endurance of Houston.

He is married to Ruth Cummings; they have three children: Kenyetta, Katrina, Claude III, and eight grandchildren: Laura, Ale`ycia, Yuri, Deiondre, Brianna, Jillian, Claire, and Laila along with great-grandchild, Shai and Milah.

Sylvia J. Ramos
Assistant to Vice President
512-330-0871
sramos@cwa-union.org
 

Sylvia started her career with Southwestern Bell Telephone Company in 1981 in San Antonio, Texas as a Directory Assistance Operator.  In 1984 she worked as a Service Order Writer and in 1997 accepted a transfer to SBC Business Billing as a bilingual Service Representative.  She became a Job Steward for CWA Local 6143 in 1982 and was elected to various positions: Chief Steward, Vice-President, and Executive Vice-President.  Sylvia chaired the Organizing and Mobilizing Committees for her Local and was responsible for the Advanced Union Education of the membership.  She led the first Southwestern Bell Mobile Telephone Company organizing campaign to a successful victory.  On September 7, 1998, she was recognized by the AFL-CIO when she received the "A Woman's Place is in Her Union" award.  Sylvia was elected as the AT&T State Strategist for Texas and held that position until she was appointed CWA Staff Representative in Dallas, Texas.  While in Dallas she was assigned to chair numerous bargaining committees such as ABT, Tyco, Verizon Select Services, AT&T Broadband, Comcast, Time Warner, Southwest Electric, and Southern Foods.  She also was involved in numerous organizing campaigns including the Cingular and AT&T Wireless campaigns.  In January 2009, Sylvia was assigned to the Austin Staff office where she was selected to assist in SBC Bargaining.  On July 25, 2011 she was appointed Assistant to the Vice President in Austin, Texas.  Sylvia has three children, Jason, John, and Jacquelyn Nicole.

Derrick Osobase
Administrative Director of Organizing
512-330-0875
dosobase@cwa-union.org

Jason Vellmer
Administrative Director 
314-965-9809
jvellmer@cwa-union.org

Mike LoVuolo
CWA Representative
214-441-9290
mlovuolo@cwa-union.org

Born and raised in Boston, I worked as a travel agent for three years and then went to work for American Airlines in 1982 in their Hartford reservations office. I transferred to Dallas in 1983 where I worked in computer installations for 3 years and went to the airport at DFW where I worked as a Ticket Counter, Gate, and Baggage Service agent and then as an International Instructor for 4 years.

From 1992-1997 I worked with 2 other unions to try and organize the agent workforce at American Airlines. After the CWA won the passenger service unit election at US Airways in 1997, I collected signatures from almost 300 committee members to move our organizing efforts to CWA.

In 1997, I came to CWA as a blue voucher organizer and filed for an election in 1998 for 17,000 agents. Under old NMB rules ballots not returned were counted as NO votes and we obtained 42% in Yes votes. American merged with TWA in 2001 while we were building for another election for 21,000 agents and we were hit with September 11th, crippling the industry and putting tens of thousands of airline employees out of work.

In 2003, along with American agents, I chartered a non-majority Local in Dallas. We elected officers and I became a 75/25 organizer. With close to 400 members I trained stewards to handle grievances and trained inside organizers to continue building for another election. Our local lobbied Congress and we were successful in getting the Airport Rage bill passed. Elected as an officer in 2006, I became Treasurer and eventually Secretary/Treasurer.

As a Special Assignment Organizer from February 2011 through 2014 I continued organizing and filed for a new election in 2011. We lost by 150 votes and filed again, after the American/US Airways merger was announced and won representation for almost 14,000 new members of the CWA/IBT Association.

Kara Hutchason
CWA Representative
314-965-9809
khutchason@cwa-union.org

A.J. Villegas
CWA Representative
314-965-9809
avillegas@cwa-union.org

AJ started his career with Southwestern Bell Telephone in Mission, Kansas as a Clerk in the business office, in 1981. In 1989 he became a Service Representative, still in Mission, Kansas. In 1983, after the strike, he was made a job steward for Local 6327. He was elected Vice President-SWBT for Local 6327 in 1984 and served in that position until 1997. He held numerous positions within the Local, such as; chief steward, steward, organizer, mobilizer and member of various committees. He also earned his Bachelor's Degree from St. Mary College in 1995. In July 2000, he was appointed Staff Representative in Dallas, Texas and later transfered to the Kansas City Staff office in January 2001. A.J. lives in Pleasant Hill, Missouri with his daughter Claire.

Tammera Chaffee
Organizing Coordinator
314-965-9809
tchaffee@cwa-union.org

Tammy began her career with Southwestern Bell in July of 2000 as a Customer Service Representative in the repair department at the Wichita, KS call center, and immediately joined CWA Local 6402. During the fall of 2004, Tammy transferred to the sales office where she saw a growing need for representation. It was at this point that she became a steward. She quickly found her niche and was elected to the position of chief steward by her peers.  She ran for, and was elected to the position of Secretary/Treasurer in the spring of 2010. While holding the role of Customer Service Representative at AT&T and Secretary/Treasurer at CWA Local 6402, Tammy still found time to dedicate herself to internal organizing. She also educated her co-workers of the importance of organizing, both internal and external.  

Also, Tammy began efforts to really dig into the national T-Mobile campaign by successfully establishing a committee of T-Mobile employees, first while she was a chief steward and throughout her role as an officer of the local. She determined the need for developing and educating a small group of local organizers to assist in the campaign. Tammy’s efforts were noticed and in October 2012 she was offered and accepted a Special Assignment Organizer position with CWA. 

Tammy and local organizers have hosted several joint organizing visits from German ver.di members as well as Local 6016 AT&T Mobility members. In August 2014, Tammy was offered and accepted her current position as District Organizing Coordinator for CWA.

Tammy has also been involved in the American Airlines campaign, Envoy (formerly known as American Eagle), and the TSEU Local 6186 organizing blitz at the University of Texas. She developed strong relationships between CWA and other like minded organizations in Wichita to support each others' struggles, and to move Kansas towards becoming a purple state; she currently sits on the board of KPA (Kansas People’s Action), the political arm of Sunflower Community Action.