Staying connected to communities, local organizations and leaders
Previously printed on May 22, 2025 on the CWA RMC website:
https://cwa-union.org/news/cwas-rmc-retirees-keep-our-union-spirit-alive

CWA’s Retired Members’ Council has more than 60,000 members who come from all Districts and Sectors of CWA. It is led by Gwen Parker, the first woman to be elected as CWA National RMC President. After a long career working in the telecom industry, she retired from BellSouth/AT&T in 2013. The RMC has added 606 lifetime members since she took office in January 2024.

Parker now serves as both the CWA District 3 RMC President and National RMC President. She has unflagging energy and is committed to continuing the fight for CWA members after they leave the workforce. She is assisted by twenty-two Executive Board Members, made up of presidents and vice presidents from every CWA District and Sector.

Though retired, RMC members remain committed to the labor movement and CWA. In a statement from the RMC, they write, “We may be retired from our jobs but not from the life of our union! We work to protect our retiree benefits currently under attack, including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and prescription drug costs. We assist retirees with health benefits and pensions. We monitor federal, state, and local legislation and communicate with retired members to keep them informed and able to support the activities of current and former CWA members.”

To become a member of the RMC, simply follow this link. A one-time $25 payment gives you a lifetime membership, membership in the Union Plus discount program, and additional benefits. Dues-paying CWA Retired Member Council (RMC) members have access to the National Disaster Relief Fund.

You can also follow the RMC on Facebook.

Caption for Photo: CWA National Retired Member Council President Gwen Parker (right) has overseen an expansion of lifetime members since taking office in 2024. With her are CWA RMC board members (left to right) District 9 RMC President Peg Bissell, District 9 RMC Vice President Foxyne Hinton, and Public Sector RMC President Lisa Kermish.

About Our President

Lisa Kermish has been part of UPTE’s story from the very beginning.

A retired University of California employee with decades of service, Lisa was among the early group of workers who helped organize what would become UPTE–CWA Local 9119. From UPTE’s inception through its growth into a statewide union representing thousands of UC and national lab employees, she has been deeply involved as a rank-and-file member, organizer, and union leader.

Over the course of her career at UC Berkeley, Lisa combined her professional work with sustained union activism—helping shape organizing strategies, internal governance, and the culture of solidarity that continues to define UPTE today. She later served on the UPTE executive board and has remained an active voice within the broader labor movement.

As President of the UPTE Retirees Association / CWA Retired Member Council Local 9119, Lisa now brings that generational knowledge forward—defending retiree benefits, supporting active UPTE members, and ensuring that the hard-won lessons of the union’s early years are not lost. Her leadership reflects a core belief: retirement marks a transition, not an ending, in the fight for dignity, fairness, and collective power at work.