Karl, Frank

Frank Karl was born in the small town of South Bethlehem, NY, just outside of Albany. Later the family moved to Albany, where he attended school. He graduated from Hudson Valley Community College with an Associates degree in 1956, and soon went to work for AT&T (and joined Communications Workers of America, Local 1151) in Albany. He became actively involved in union affairs in 1958, during heated debates over whether the Local should support a Western Electric strike that was on at the time. In the same year he was elected president of the Local, a position he was to hold for the next 33 years.

Frank Karl retired from both AT&T and the CWA in 1990. As president, Karl administered an annual budget of $60,000 and was responsible for a membership, at its peak, of 340, a figure which represents well over 90% of eligible AT&T employees in the area..

Karl served on the CWA's national bargaining committee, which successfully negotiated six successive contracts on behalf of 87,000 AT&T Long Lines employees. In 1978, he was instrumental in establishing one of the first AT&T/CWA labor-management Common Interest Forums; he then served as the Forum's co-chair through 1990; he was also co-chair of the National AT&T/CWA Safety Advisory Council. In 1980, Karl helped to design and implement the first joint labor-management Employee Assistance Program (EAP) in the Bell System, a program that provided a range of counseling and support services to union members.

After retiring in 1990, Frank Karl and Barbara, his wife of 50 years, realized a lifelong dream of building a house in the Adirondack Mountains. Karl, ill-suited to the sedentary life, got involved in local politics, and was soon elected Town Supervisor of Franklin, NY, a post he held for two consecutive terms. He later served on several local boards and committees to work on veterans' rights and environmental issues.

Karl earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial and Labor Relations, as well as a Masters degree in Labor and Policy Studies, both from Empire State College (SUNY). Frank and Barbara Karl raised five children.

From the guide to the Frank Karl Papers, Bulk, 1980-1990, 1940-1990, (Bulk 1980-1990), (Tamiment Library / Wagner Archives)