Rest in Peace Zeke Cousins

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Ezekiel “Zeke” Cousins was a big person with a big heart and a big presence. Zeke died of coronavirus on April 10, 2020. Zeke wore a lot of hats at the Local and touched a lot of people. His absence will be felt deeply by his family and friends, and by members throughout the Local as well.

"Zeke was top notch, a really good man, a good union man, and a good friend," said Keith Purce, Local 1101 President. "Zeke will be missed by all the people who had the pleasure of knowing him. Rest In Peace Brother."

Zeke started at the phone company in 1992 in the mail-room at 5030 Broadway. He became an escort, worked as a trunk assignor at East 37 Street, and then became a field technician. He worked at the 91st Street I/R garage; in 2011 he went to 153rd Street. From there he went to 132 St, and then 129 Street where he worked until 2020.

Zeke became a steward at East 37 Street. “It was in his spirit, in his blood” said his long-time friend and fellow technician Neal Duckett. “Zeke wanted everyone to be treated fairly and have an equal opportunity. He didn't like to see anyone disrespected. That’s Zeke, that was his personality.”

Zeke grew up in Harlem and he worked all of his career there. “He felt very strongly about giving back to the community,” said Neal. “He worked in the community where he grew up and he always said we have to do a quality job and we have to give back. He took a lot of pride in that.”

Zeke became a Chief Steward in 2015. “Zeke worked really hard to bring the shop together", Basiyr Jones, a steward at 129 Street remembers. “He started holding regular Thursday morning meetings. ‘Wear your red’ he’d say. ‘We’re going to have a meeting’. It was about building relationships so the shop was all together. He really looked at the whole shop as his family.”

That solidarity paid off when the 2016 strike started. Strikes test people and their leadership and Zeke rose to the occasion. “Zeke was a strong leader and he led by example,” CWA Local 1101 Vice President Mike Baxter said. “He had his people mobilized at all times. When we did field visits during the strike Zeke always had enthusiastic picket lines, and that was because of his leadership. He wasn’t just telling people to be there, he was there himself. They’d come to the early morning pickets at the midtown hotels, and then they’d go up to the 125th Street store where they had a strong picket line throughout the entire strike.”

“As a Chief he was vigilant”, Foluke Robles a tech at 129 Street said. “He was willing to fight for anyone. He always believed if something is happening to one of us, it’s happening to all of us. He had his ‘One Shop One Voice’ mantra and he stuck to that. I don’t know anyone who didn’t know him and revere him,” Foluke said. "Zeke was funny. People loved him.”

"Zeke was fierce and he was principled", Neal said. His Business Agent Pete Torres said it like this. "If Zeke said something, he meant it. It wasn’t just words. If he did something he did it because he believed what he was doing was right."

In addition to being Chief for 129th Street Zeke was Chief for the Parking Production Assistants, a group of more than 600 members who joined the Local in 2018. Zeke worked on the organizing campaign, and became their Chief Steward in 2019.  He was promoted to Division Chief for the Local a few months ago, a recognition of his leadership and of the large number of members he represented.

For many of the PPAs it was their first experience in a union. “Zeke brought his previous experience to us and it helped a lot,” said Derek Lawrence, a PPA steward. “He invested himself in finding out what the real issues were. Zeke always had a straight-forward approach to solving problems. Trust had a lot to do with that. Zeke took on a lot of responsibility and he made sure you did too. It was his character above all things that elevated him. He was strong when he needed to be, firm when he needed to be, and compassionate when that was what was required.”

Lanere Rollins, also a PPA steward agreed. “Zeke called me every day when I came out of the hospital. He’d ask how I was doing, and we’d discuss union business. He was constantly mentoring me, teaching. There was never a time I called when Zeke didn’t pick up the phone.”

Zeke was also a leader on the Local’s Equity Committee and helped build the Local’s participation in the annual African-American Day parade in Harlem the last three years. “The parade was important to Zeke,” Basiyr said. “He used to participate with Al Lee. He wanted us to bring that tradition back to the Local. Zeke wanted to make sure African Americans were represented. He’d tell people ‘come out, this is what we do. This is the community we serve.”

Zeke helped organize the Local’s first trip to the Museum of African American History and Culture in DC last year. He organized a voter registration drive on the buses. “Zeke had a vision that extended beyond his garage” Mike said. “He was politically active, he got members involved in lots of union events, the Labor Day Parade, the African American Day Parade, mobilizations. His vision included everyone in 1101 and in the community.”

Zeke pushed himself and he pushed us. He worked hard to represent his members and to make sure the union worked for everyone. He built a strong shop, and he mentored others to take on leadership roles.  He was passionate and he was spirited and he would have given the red shirt off his back to anyone who needed it. Rest in Peace Zeke. We miss you already.