President Walko Announces Retirement Effective July 1, 2019

At the CWA Local 1014 Board of Trustees Meeting on December 4, President Karl Walko announced his upcoming retirement, saying, "Effective July 1, 2019, I will resign as President of Local 1014. Vice President Pallante will take my place. I am grateful to Amber that she has accepted this new role.

Starting January 1, 2019, she will begin the transition to President. She will shift to a part-time position at the Camden County Library and begin working additional hours in the Local 1014 office. She and I will share the duties and salaries of President and Vice President from January 1 through June 30. While I will have final say on issues decided by the President up to the date of my resignation, I will look to Amber for her opinion on all matters, recognizing that she will have the responsibility to make the final decisions after that date. I anticipate that she will handle more and more of the issues as we work through the transition.

I hope to make the changeover as smooth as possible; however, your support and assistance will be critical throughout the transition period and into Amber’s term as President. I have been President for 17 years and gained the experience which comes with time as well as the time to create a structure which worked with my strengths and weaknesses. The new President has different qualities and will need time to gain experience and adjust the Local’s structure to fit her own strengths and weaknesses.

During the transition period, I will continue to work on all issues, including City and County negotiations. Beyond July 1, 2019, I will be available to assist the Local as requested. Our able attorney Jim Katz will continue to offer his wise counsel to the new Local 1014 President. Local 1014 leadership and members can also depend on the support of National Representative Jim McAsey and the CWA. During this period of transition, the stability which comes with being part of a larger organization will be extremely important.

While Local 1014 and all union locals, especially public sector locals, face difficult challenges ahead, we also have new energy which comes from being fully engaged in a conflict. As CWA members, we are now part of the broader struggle for workers across our nation. We are on the right side, the side of hard-working Americans, the side of working families, the side of justice. I am proud of what we have done and what Local 1014 will continue to do. I look forward to seeing where new blood, new ideas and new energy will take this Local.

Thank you for all your assistance to me in the past. I ask that you provide your continued assistance to Amber."