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The Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) is a
nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
,
nonpartisan Nonpartisanism is a lack of affiliation with, and a lack of bias towards, a political party. While an Oxford English Dictionary definition of ''partisan'' includes adherents of a party, cause, person, etc., in most cases, nonpartisan refers sp ...
Latino organization affiliated with the AFL-CIO and the Change to Win federation. It was founded in 1972 to provide Latino
trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...
members in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
with a more effective voice within the AFL-CIO, to encourage Latino participation in the democratic process, and to encourage the organization of Latino workers into labor unions. LCLAA is the voice of Latinos within the AFL-CIO, and one of seven official constituency groups within the organization. It is based at AFL-CIO headquarters in Washington, D.C. LCLAA has 26 chapters in the United States and
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
, and represents millions of Latino trade unionists.


History

LCLAA was founded in 1972 as part of a wave of constituency group organizing within the AFL-CIO. The AFL-CIO had chartered its first retiree organization, the National Council of Senior Citizens (NCSC), in 1962 and a civil rights organization called the A. Philip Randolph Institute in 1965. The Coalition of Black Trade Unionists followed in 1972 to give a broader, more effective voice within the AFL-CIO to black workers, and the Coalition of Labor Union Women was chartered in 1974. But it was the large influx of Latino workers brought about by the chartering of the
United Farm Workers The United Farm Workers of America, or more commonly just United Farm Workers (UFW), is a labor union for farmworkers in the United States. It originated from the merger of two workers' rights organizations, the Agricultural Workers Organizing ...
in 1966 that led to a push by Latino labor union activists for a separate organization of their own. Several years passed, however, before the growing militancy and political muscle of the emerging Latino movement moved AFL-CIO president
George Meany William George Meany (August 16, 1894 – January 10, 1980) was an American labor union leader for 57 years. He was the key figure in the creation of the AFL–CIO and served as the AFL–CIO's first president, from 1955 to 1979. Meany, the son ...
to agree to a Latino constituency group. In 1972 the AFL-CIO brought together hundreds of Latino labor activists and members of local Latino labor committees to form LCLAA. The organization's founding conference was held in Washington, D.C., on November 16, 1973. LCLAA's first president was
Ray Mendoza José Díaz Velázquez (July 6, 1929 – April 16, 2003) was a Mexican ''Luchador'', or professional wrestler, better known under his ring name Ray Mendoza. Diaz had great success in the National Wrestling Alliance, where he was a five time Wor ...
, a member of the
Laborers' International Union of North America The Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA, stylized as LiUNA!), often shortened to just the Laborers' Union, is an American and Canadian labor union formed in 1903. As of 2017, they had about 500,000 members, about 80,000 of whom ...
.


Goals and programs

LCLAA has three primary goals. The first is to work with unions and community groups to organize Latino workers into unions. The second is to advance the social, economic, political, and civil rights of Latinos by building coalitions with and among other unions and other national groups. The third goal is to promote Latinos' participation in the American democratic process. LCLAA engages in a wide variety of projects in the furtherance of these goals. It has a significant
lobbying In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying, whic ...
and legislative presence in Washington, D.C., and coordinates the work of state-level legislative work on certain issues such as immigrant rights and access to social services. LCLAA also conducts research on a number of policy issues affecting Latinos and non-citizen immigrant workers (whether Latino or not). It is currently very active in the U.S. immigration policy debate. LCLAA also conducts
voter registration In electoral systems, voter registration (or enrollment) is the requirement that a person otherwise eligible to vote must register (or enroll) on an electoral roll, which is usually a prerequisite for being entitled or permitted to vote. The r ...
, education, and mobilization efforts throughout each election cycle.


Structure

LCLAA is governed by its members in accordance with the constitutions of the LCLAA and AFL-CIO. Membership is open to any union member, active or retired. The membership meets biannually in even-numbered years (a policy and education conference is held in even-numbered years.) representatives to the national meeting are elected by local LCLAA chapters, international unions, AFL-CIO state federations, certain large AFL-CIO central labor councils and certain qualifying local AFL-CIO unions on the basis of a complex yet proportional representation formula.


Leadership

The membership elects nine national officers. The officers include a president, secretary-treasurer, executive vice president, and six vice presidents to four-year terms. The membership also elects an executive board of 36 members to four-year terms as well. In addition to the elected members, the nine officers of the organization also automatically sit on the board. The board governs the affairs of LCLAA between membership meetings. It meets at least once a year, although it may meet more often than that, and may also make organizational or structural changes in the organization during the period between membership meetings. The officers recommend, and the executive board approves, the appointment of an Advisory Board. The duties of the Advisory Board, however, are not spelled out in the LCLAA constitution. LCLAA may establish, at its discretion, state and local councils. These councils are required to affiliate with their respective state and local AFL-CIO bodies. State and local councils do not exist in all areas, however, and the LCLAA constitution provides for at-large membership where they do not. In 2018 the following were elected officers of LCLAA: Yanira Merino, a member of the Laborers' International Union of North America (LiUNA), President; Aida Garcia, a member of the
Service Employees International Union Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is a labor union representing almost 1.9 million workers in over 100 occupations in the United States and Canada. SEIU is focused on organizing workers in three sectors: healthcare (over half of members ...
, Executive Vice President; and in 2020 Evelyn DeJesus, a member of the American Federation of Teachers, was appointed Secretary-Treasurer. In 2020 Jose Vargas became LCLAA's Executive Director. Merino is the first woman and first immigrant to serve as President of LCLAA. In 2014, LCLAA held its 20th National Membership Convention in
Houston, TX Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 ...
, the following were elected officers of LCLAA: *National President: Milton Rosado,
United Auto Workers The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers (UAW), is an American Labor unions in the United States, labor union that represents workers in the Un ...
* Executive Vice President: Aida Garcia,
Service Employees International Union Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is a labor union representing almost 1.9 million workers in over 100 occupations in the United States and Canada. SEIU is focused on organizing workers in three sectors: healthcare (over half of members ...
* Secretary-Treasurer: Jose Vargas,
American Federation of Teachers The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is the second largest teacher's labor union in America (the largest being the National Education Association). The union was founded in Chicago. John Dewey and Margaret Haley were founders. About 60 per ...
Current Board members * National President: Yanira Merino,
Laborers' International Union of North America The Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA, stylized as LiUNA!), often shortened to just the Laborers' Union, is an American and Canadian labor union formed in 1903. As of 2017, they had about 500,000 members, about 80,000 of whom ...
* Executive Vice President: Aida Garcia,
Service Employees International Union Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is a labor union representing almost 1.9 million workers in over 100 occupations in the United States and Canada. SEIU is focused on organizing workers in three sectors: healthcare (over half of members ...
* Secretary Treasurer: Evelyn DeJesus,
American Federation of Teachers The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is the second largest teacher's labor union in America (the largest being the National Education Association). The union was founded in Chicago. John Dewey and Margaret Haley were founders. About 60 per ...
* Vice President: Gary Allen,
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is an AFL–CIO/ CLC trade union representing approx. 646,933 workers as of 2006 in more than 200 industries with most of its membership in the United States and Canada. Or ...
* Vice President: Jorge Rodriguez,
United Automobile Workers The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers (UAW), is an American labor union that represents workers in the United States (including Puerto Rico) ...
* Vice President: Guillermo Perez, United Steelworkers Union * Vice President: Robert Martinez,
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is an AFL–CIO/ CLC trade union representing approx. 646,933 workers as of 2006 in more than 200 industries with most of its membership in the United States and Canada. Or ...
* Vice President: Johnny Rodriguez,
United Food and Commercial Workers The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) is a labor union representing approximately 1.3 million workers in the United States and Canada in industries including retail; meatpacking, food processing and manufacturing; hosp ...
* Vice President: Sergio Rascon,
Laborers' International Union of North America The Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA, stylized as LiUNA!), often shortened to just the Laborers' Union, is an American and Canadian labor union formed in 1903. As of 2017, they had about 500,000 members, about 80,000 of whom ...
Unions Represented on LCLAA's National Executive Board: *
AFL–CIO The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO) is the largest federation of unions in the United States. It is made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 12 million ac ...
*
American Federation of Government Employees The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is an American labor union representing over 670,000 employees of the federal government, about 5,000 employees of the District of Columbia, and a few hundred private sector employees, mo ...
*
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) is the largest trade union of public employees in the United States. It represents 1.3 million public sector employees and retirees, including health care workers, correcti ...
*
American Federation of Teachers The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is the second largest teacher's labor union in America (the largest being the National Education Association). The union was founded in Chicago. John Dewey and Margaret Haley were founders. About 60 per ...
*
Amalgamated Transit Union The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) is a labor organization in the United States and Canada that represents employees in the public transit industry. Established in 1892 as the Amalgamated Association of Street Railway Employees of America, the un ...
*
Communications Workers of America The Communications Workers of America (CWA) is the largest communications and media labor union in the United States, representing about 700,000 members in both the private and public sectors (also in Canada and Puerto Rico). The union has 27 ...
*
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is an AFL–CIO/ CLC trade union representing approx. 646,933 workers as of 2006 in more than 200 industries with most of its membership in the United States and Canada. Or ...
*
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) is a trade union, labor union that represents approximately 775,000 workers and retirees in the electricity, electrical industry in the United States, Canada, Guam, Panama, Puerto Rico, a ...
* International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers *
International Union of Operating Engineers The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) is a trade union within the United States-based AFL–CIO representing primarily construction workers who work as heavy equipment operators, mechanics, surveyors, and stationary engineers ( ...
* International Union of Painters and Allied Trades *
Laborers' International Union of North America The Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA, stylized as LiUNA!), often shortened to just the Laborers' Union, is an American and Canadian labor union formed in 1903. As of 2017, they had about 500,000 members, about 80,000 of whom ...
*
National Education Association The National Education Association (NEA) is the largest labor union in the United States. It represents public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college stud ...
*
Office and Professional Employees International Union The Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) is a trade union in the United States and Canada representing approximately 88,000 white-collar working people in the public and private sectors. It has members in all 50 US sta ...
*
Service Employees International Union Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is a labor union representing almost 1.9 million workers in over 100 occupations in the United States and Canada. SEIU is focused on organizing workers in three sectors: healthcare (over half of members ...
*
Transport Workers Union of America Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) is a United States labor union that was founded in 1934 by subway workers in New York City, then expanded to represent transit employees in other cities, primarily in the eastern U.S. This article dis ...
*
United Association The United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada, commonly known as the United Association (UA), is a labor union which represents workers in the plumbing and pipefit ...
*
United Auto Workers The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers (UAW), is an American Labor unions in the United States, labor union that represents workers in the Un ...
*
United Food and Commercial Workers The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) is a labor union representing approximately 1.3 million workers in the United States and Canada in industries including retail; meatpacking, food processing and manufacturing; hosp ...
*
United Mine Workers The United Mine Workers of America (UMW or UMWA) is a North American labor union best known for representing coal miners. Today, the Union also represents health care workers, truck drivers, manufacturing workers and public employees in the Unite ...
*
United Steelworkers The United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, commonly known as the United Steelworkers (USW), is a general trade union with members across North America. Headquar ...


References

*"Black Unionists Warn: 'Don't "Restructure" Us Out." ''Black Commentator''. February 3, 2005. *"Campaign to Stop Killer Coke Gains Support from International Labor." ''Political Affairs''. December 6, 2004. *Greene, Lester Muata. "Black Unionists Need Independent Voice in Debate." ''Labor Notes''. July 2005. *"Labor's Outreach Efforts Fill a Need." ''The American Federationist.'' January 17, 1987.
LCLAA Constitution, as amended through the 20th National Membership Convention, August 6-9, 2014
*Weissman, Robert and Russell Mokhiber. "Fronting for Big Coal: Halting Global Warming Would Be Racist, PR Insists". ''FAIR Extra!'' September/October 2000.


External links


LCLAA Web site

Library of Congress photograph of a person holding an LCLAA sign
{{Portal, Organized labour Trade unions in the United States AFL–CIO History of labor relations in the United States 1973 establishments in the United States Hispanic and Latino American organizations Trade unions established in 1973