Los Angeles County Federation of Labor
Emerging as one of the most dynamic labor leaders in Los Angeles County, María Elena Durazo was elected to serve as executive secretary-treasurer on May 15, 2006.
Before leading the federation, Maria Elena was president of the hotel workers union, UNITEHERE Local 11, a position she held from May 1989 until her appointment as interim executive secretary-treasurer. During her time as president, Maria Elena restructured Local 11 to become one of the most active unions in Los Angeles County.
In July 1996, Maria Elena became the first Latina elected to the executive board of HERE International Union. Her election to the executive board was followed by her 2001 election as general vice president of HERE International, a position that lead her to represent approximately 250,000 workers in the hospitality industry from the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada. In 2003, Maria Elena became national director of the Immigrant Workers’ Freedom Ride, a national mobilization campaign initiated by HERE International to address the nation’s immigration laws.
One of Maria Elena’s most significant achievements was her election in 2004 to serve as executive vice president of the newly formed UNITE HERE International, leading her to represent more than 440,000 active members and more than 400,000 retirees throughout North America. |
