PITTSBURGH — Delegates to the 2013 CWA convention in Pittsburgh debated competing plans to coordinate national telecommunications bargaining Monday.

By a two-to-one margin, delegates defeated on a roll-call vote (photo) a proposal to create a national telecom sector headed by a vice-president with broad powers. The vote was seen as a response to controversies arising from the recent AT&T contract talks.

Instead of a new “telecom czar,” delegates voted to create a national bargaining council to coordinate talks. Advocates said this would preserve the authority of local and regional leaders while keeping complex talks on track.

The CWA delegates also voted to restructure union finances and strengthen headquarters review of CWA-backed projects.

Nearly 1,500 delegates are attending the biennial meeting. The Pacific Media Workers Guild is represented by Michael Cabanatuan, a member of the guild’s national board; executive  officer Carl Hall; interpreter Michael Ferreira; and Southern California staff representative Silvia Barden.

The meeting concludes Tuesday.