2007 Woman of the Year
Cynthia S. Arrington
President, IUE-CWA 82161
Cindy presently serves as President of IUE-CWA 82161. She joined IUE Local 161 when hired by the General Electric Company at the age of 18. After attending her first IUE function, she became filled with the compassion to be part of an organization that works towards the betterment of all.
She had held various Executive Board, Delegate and committee positions as her local. In 1986, Cindy held the position of Recording Secretary until she was laid off in 1988 for eight months. After she returned to work, she had the opportunity to serve as Trustee. Cindy held this position until she was elected again in 1994 as Recording Secretary. She served as Recording Secretary until she was elected Vice President in year 2001 and worked as Vice President until se was elected president in 2005. Cindy made history at her local in year 2005 when she became the first female to serve in the capacity.
In addition, she has held the position of Shop Steward and Assistant Chief Steward. Sister Arrington has been a Delegate to the Roanoke United Central Labor Council and Delegate to the Virginia AFL-CIO for 21 years, and has served as a delegate to the IUE-CWA International Conference Board and District for the last ten years.
Cindy serves on a 13-member Coordinated Bargaining Committee, which negotiates the national agreement for the GE Unions in the United States. This year, she was part of the committee that made history in winning an annual permanent pay increase for the GE pensioners.
Over the years, Cindy has experienced how political policy choices impact our daily lives as workers and family. In addition, she understands the connection between workers in families, dignity in opportunity, and communities in society. Therefore, she has been politically involved since the election of Jimmy Carter and actively participated in the local, state, and national campaigns. Cindy has also served on the Executive Board of the Virginia CWA Political Council in Richmond, Virginia. And as delegate to the 6th District Democratic Party.
In 1985, Cindy was one of the first founders of the Western Virginia Chapter of the Coalition of Labor Union Women.
Cindy is the daughter of Harry Stapleton and the late Barbara Stapleton and is a proud mother and grandmother of her son, Justin, and grandson, Jalen.