UAW 2250’s Cook Bell named president of St. Louis CLUW chapter

APWU 8’s Robertson will serve as vice president

Kim Cook Bell, chairwoman of United Autoworkers Local 2250’s Women’s Committee, has been appointed president of the St. Louis chapter of the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW).

Cook Bell is replacing Sonja Gholston-Byrd who stepped down from the seat after announcing she was leaving her position at CWA Local 6300 as vice president of Metro St. Louis to join the United Way of Greater St. Louis as director of Labor engagement/Labor liaison. Gholston-Byrd served as CLUW’s president the last six years and will remain active with the organization as a trustee.

‘RECRUIT AND ENGAGE’

Cook Bell, a UAW Local 2250 member since 2014, has served on the CLUW Executive Board since 2015. Upon joining her union, she immediately became involved with the local’s Women’s Committee. In 2016, she was named co-chairwoman of the committee and this year, she was appointed chairwoman.

She is also active on Local 2250’s Community Services and Voluntary Community Action Program (V-CAP) committees. The V-CAP program educates the membership and community about issues, candidates and policies that affect all working families and helps elect candidates that support working people and Organized Labor.

Cook Bell thanked Gholston-Byrd for her dedication and service to CLUW as president and said she was looking forward to continuing to work with her on the board to further the group’s mission of unifying union women to determine common problems and concerns and developing solutions.

“My immediate goals are to recruit and engage more local women union leaders and to get more union women actively involved in identifying social and economic issues that affect us,” Cook Bell said.

ROBERTSON VICE PRESIDENT

In addition to Cook Bell being named president, Robin “Robbie” Robertson, secretary-treasurer/union steward for APWU St. Louis Gateway Local 8, has been appointed vice president of the chapter. The seat was left vacant when Alice Jones-Moore died earlier this year.

Robertson joined CLUW in 2014 and was elected to the position of trustee in 2015. She joined her union in 2008, became a certified steward 2010 and was elected secretary treasurer in 2013.  She was a member of UFCW Local 655 from 2000 to 2003.

Robertson said she is looking forward to continuing to empower, enlighten and encourage other labor union women from the public and private sectors, automotive industry and building trades.

“Incorporating these sisters will give a broader insight of the uniqueness each sister brings to CLUW, she said. “Unity requires us to work collectively toward the same goals and objectives to make our community better.”

Both Cook Bell and Robertson will fill the unexpired terms until the chapter’s election in March 2018. For more information on CLUW, call Cook Bell at 636-544-5411 or email her at kcook928@hotmail.com.