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March 16, 2007
We recently learned that Elbert "Bert" Thomas, former president of CUE Local #4
(UCLA) and a candidate for statewide CUE president in the last election, has
suddenly passed away in his home in El Granada, California. Bert was sixty
years old and is survived by his wife, Deborah, siblings, children and a host
of friends and colleagues.
Bert was a passionate advocate of CUE and UC clericals. He was elected
president of the UCLA Local #4 in 2002. As president he worked hard to
increase the local's membership and activism. Later, after completing his term
as local president, Bert tirelessly supported UCLA clericals as a steward.
Subsequently, he was elected CUE's local bargainer and he joined the statewide
bargaining team to work on the Successor Contract.
Bert never talked a great deal about himself, but like many of us he came to
Los Angeles from somewhere else. Bert was born in St. Georges Utah, which is
where he will be buried. Bert was employed at the UCLA Medical Center for 10
years in the Blood and Platelet Center, where he was jokingly known as Dr.
Blood.
His work at UCLA was just his day job. Bert was an accomplished actor and
performer, having earned a membership to the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). Bert
had a great voice, strong and resonant, which gave him the opportunity to do
work for KPFK.
In his role as CUE activist, he often brought his drum, which was a huge
plastic water cooler bottle that he fashioned into an acoustic instrument. His
"Bargaining Bubbles" and other communiqués were invariably funny and poignant
in their assessments of UC and its minions.
He will be remembered for his wonderful humor and his great energy in pursuit
of many worthy causes.
-- CUE Statewide Executive Board
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