Asian American unionists step up fight for equality, 2008 victory

http://www.pww.org/article/articleview/11460/1/383

WASHINGTON — The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, an AFL-CIO affiliate, brought hundreds of trade unionists here July 19-22 to celebrate their struggles and to chart a path for further advances and victory for working families in the 2008 elections.

The theme of APALA’s 9th biennial convention was “Living the Legacy,” saluting the centuries-long struggle of Asian American and Pacific Islander workers against racist oppression and super-exploitation.

A second theme was implementing Resolution No. 2, adopted at the AFL-CIO’s 2005 convention, to improve racial and gender diversity in the federation’s leadership.

APALA President Maria Somma told the delegates the group has tripled in membership since it was founded 15 years ago. There are now more Asian Pacific American union organizers, she said, “due in large part to our partnership with the AFL-CIO Organizing Institute.” Participants included delegates from Change to Win unions along with AFL-CIO members.

Like the rest of organized labor, Somma continued, APALA “has seen the decline in union membership, stagnant wages, disappearing pensions, massive job losses and eroding health care benefits. Unrestricted free market policies are wreaking havoc on workers and benefiting only corporate executives and the wealthy.”

In a plenary on political action, Christine Chen, executive director of Asian Pacific Islander Vote, said Asian and Pacific Islander voter clout is increasing. In Washington state, Democrat Christine Gregoire won the race for governor by only 146 votes last November. Asian American and Pacific Islander votes were her victory margin, Chen said.

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