George K. Bloom, 'tough' labor leader and negotiator, dies at 73

Local labor leader George K. Bloom, of South Setauket, a force behind the 2011 strike against telecommunications giant Verizon, died earlier this month in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, of natural causes. He was 73.

Bloom, born on April 18, 1951, at Freeport General Hospital to parents George and Mildred, would go on to be a major player in Long Island’s labor movement, serving as president of the Communications Workers of America Local 1104 in Farmingdale from 2005 to 2014. He died on May 9. 

“Not only did my dad leave his legacy on our family, he left his mark on the labor movement through his fight for worker rights,” said his son George Bloom, of Bay Shore. 

The elder Bloom grew up in Merrick with siblings Claire, Monica, Patricia and Gerard, and graduated in 1969 from Calhoun High School, where he played basketball. He went on to be the first in his family to attend college, earning his degree at Suffolk County Community College.

After his time in school, he went into the telecommunications industry working for Verizon — then called the New York Telephone Company — first in installation before working his way up to cable maintenance splicer, a job he held for 30 years.

In 1973, Bloom married Donna LaRosa, of Massapequa, and moved to South Setauket where he and his wife had two sons, George and Brian.

Bloom’s son George said despite his father’s union responsibilities, he was always present to support his children, whether it be showing up for soccer or lacrosse games, or other school milestones.

“His family was first,” he said.

In 1982, Bloom was elected business agent of Local 1104, and in 2005 he was elected president of the local. As president, Bloom grew the union’s strike fund and helped lead a strike against Verizon in 2011.

“He was a good, decent, honorable man who cared about his members and his community,” said John Durso, president of the Long Island Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO.

Durso, who knew Bloom for nearly 15 years, served with him on the executive board of the Long Island Federation of Labor. Durso said Bloom was a “vital part of our executive board and the leadership of labor on Long Island.”

“His work during the Verizon strike, his desire to bring rights to graduate students, to everybody in the labor movement … there are thousands of union members whose lives are better because of the work George Bloom and his team did,” Durso said.

Under his leadership, Bloom’s union organized research assistant and graduate students across the SUNY school system, growing total union membership to 10,000 by 2015, when he retired.

Tracey Edwards, chairwoman of the Long Island Power Authority, a senior vice president at Las Vegas Sands Corp. and former regional president of operations for Verizon, said Bloom was a consummate professional and negotiator when it came to union contracts and disputes.

“George was very tough, and he meant what he said,” Edwards said. “He was a true labor leader, a professional, and just such a truly wonderful human being.”

Edwards said though she and Bloom often found themselves on opposite ends of the negotiating table, it was never personal, and he wanted what was best for both the union and the company.

“We could battle, but we battled professionally,” she said. “When you think about great union leaders, he’s one of them.”

In addition to his labor advocacy, Bloom worked with and was recognized for his efforts helping local charities including United Way of Long Island and the March of Dimes. He was also an avid swimmer, gardener and golfer.

In addition to his wife and sons, Bloom is survived by his grandchildren, Cadence, Gracen, Brandon, Brianna and Brooke. The family will hold a service on Wednesday at 10:15 a.m. at St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church in Bay Shore.