Communications Workers of America, Local 6201, Fort Worth, Texas.

The first organization of telephone employees in Fort Worth was the company-sponsored Southwestern Bell Telephone Employees Association. In 1937, some of the employees of Southwestern Bell in Fort Worth organized as Local 3028 of the Southwestern Telephone Workers Union. This union became affiliated with the National Federation of Telephone Workers (NFTW) when it formed in 1939. The NFTW had organizational weaknesses, and did not survive the "divide and conquer" strategy of AT&T Corp. while negotiating a settlement to a strike in 1947. A new national union, the Communications Workers of America (CWA), organized later in 1947. The members of Local 3028 voted to join the CWA, and their group became CWA, Local 2003. The first two numbers of the local indicated it was in Division 20 of the national union. When the national organization restructured in about 1950, Texas became part of District 6, and the Fort Worth local became Local 6201. Texas was separated from District 6 in 1974. The state was designated as District 12, and the name of the Fort Worth local changed to 12201. The national CWA reorganized again in 1986, and Texas rejoined District 6. Local 12201 was renamed Local 6201. The local originally met in a rented Southwestern Bell meeting room. To be more independent of their employer, meetings were moved to other locations. The local bought a building in 1973 at 421 S. Adams.

Most of the members of Local 6201 worked for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company or AT&T Corp., formerly known as American Telephone and Telegraph Company. Southwestern Bell was a subsidiary of AT&T. Southwestern Bell operated in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. CWA, District 6 is composed of these same states. Southwestern Bell was part of AT&T until 1984. Because of an anti-trust suit the U.S. government brought against AT&T, the company divested itself of the Bell subsidiaries. Divestiture ended the possibility of national negotiations between CWA and the Bell System.

The records indicate how some concerns of union members have changed over time, but others have remained constant. The minutes from 1941 record requests from telephone operators for improved ventilation, the opportunity to accept brief long distance calls while on duty, and an increase in wages. Records from the late 1970's indicate concern for changes in hours, the safety of cathode ray tubes, and an increase in wages.

From the guide to the Communications Workers of America Records, Local 6201, Fort Worth, Texas AR424., 1939-1996, 1951-1990, (Special Collections, The University of Texas at Arlington Library)