Duwaine Walker for
CWA Local1040President

Trusted Experience. Leadership That Delivers.
 

For more than three decades, my life has been guided by service, family, and a deep belief in

the dignity of working people. I have served as a public servant, supervisor, union member, advocate, Staff Representative, Branch President, Local Higher-Level Vice President, Executive Vice President, and now President of CWA Local 1040.
 

Through every role, one thing has remained constant: my commitment to people and service. 

My belief in unions began long before I became a union leader. My mother and grandmother were postal workers represented by the American Postal Workers Union. Their union jobs helped create a better life for my family. I learned firsthand that a strong union can provide more than wages and benefits—it can provide dignity, stability, opportunity, and hope for generations.

 

That lesson became even more personal when, as a single father, I took a union position at Northern State Prison to provide stability, healthcare, and a pension for my family.
 

There, my journey as a CWA leader grew. I served first as Executive Vice President because
I believed leadership should be earned through preparation, humility, and experience. In 2008,
I was elected Branch President. We strengthened representation, raised thousands of dollars to assist members and their families during times of bereavement, organized Unity Days, and built something bigger than a branch—we built a union family.
 

In 2015, the late President Carolyn C. Wade and President Emerita Michele Long-Vickers

selected me to serve as a CWA Local 1040 Staff Representative. That opportunity allowed
me to do what I believe I was called to do: stand beside working people and fight for their rights.

As a Staff Representative and union leader, I have negotiated numerous contracts, fought for better wages and working conditions, handled grievances, advocated for workplace safety, and represented members when they needed their union most.
 

I helped fight for significant wage increases for the Morris County Telecommunicator Officers
by addressing staffing shortages, burnout, and morale, and by leveraging a third-party study on competitive pay. In another case, I pursued a grievance after discovering that an employer had failed to provide Temporary Disability Insurance coverage—an issue that came to light when a member battling cancer was denied benefits. We fought, went to mediation, and got the benefit restored.
 

That is what union leadership means to me: being there when it matters.

My experience has prepared me to lead Local 1040 with knowledge, stability, accountability, and passion. I understand budgets. I understand contracts and labor relations. I understand negotiations. I understand workplace safety. And most importantly, I understand our members because I have stood where they stand.
 

I am running for President of CWA Local 1040 because experience matters, service matters, and strong leadership matters.
 

My vision is clear: protect our members, strengthen our worksites, negotiate strong contracts, develop the next generation of union leaders, improve communication and member engagement, and ensure that every member knows their voice matters.
 

This union has never been simply about a position or title for me.
 

It is personal. It is family. It is service.
 

I am asking for your vote and your support so that, together, we can continue building a stronger, more united, and more effective CWA Local 1040.

VOTE DUWAINE WALKER

FOR PRESIDENT — CWA LOCAL 1040
 

• EXPERIENCE YOU CAN TRUST.
• LEADERSHIP THAT DELIVERS.
• SERVICE AND ADVOCACY.