Dolores Huerta Labor Institute Launched

District's Huerta Dolores Labor Institute

The LACCD Board of Trustees presented certificates to several labor organizations during the meeting that launched the district's Dolores Huerta Labor Institute. Pictured clockwise from top left are Student Trustee Luis Gomez; Trustees Michael D. Waxman, Kelly G. Candaele, Nancy Pearlman, and Warren T. Furutani; Chancellor Rocky Young, Michael Contreras, Board President Sylvia Scott-Hayes, Dolores Huerta and, Trustees Georgia L. Mercer and Mona Field.

First institute in Los Angeles County

to educate community college students on labor issues and history

(Los Angeles, CA) –Educators, labor and community leaders gathered today to announce the launching of the Dolores Huerta Labor Institute. The first of its kind to educate community college students on labor issues and history, the new center in its startup phase will be housed at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College. Ms. Huerta was honored and spoke at the ceremony.

“For the first time ever, the Los Angeles labor movement will have a new way to spread the good word about unions to community college students throughout Los Angeles County,” said Dolores Huerta. “This is great news considering the important role that labor unions play each day in improving the lives of working families in Los Angeles County.”

The Dolores Huerta Labor Institute will assist faculty in delivering labor education to many of the 130,000 students each year at the nine campuses of the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD). In addition to classes, the institute will also offer special lectures, film series and workshops.

“This institute’s focus will be to bring together the faculty from across the nine campuses to formulate and develop new curriculum,” says Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees President Sylvia Scott-Hayes. “Because we will be able to share research and information, students will leave our colleges well-informed and better prepared for the workforce.”

This innovative program draws on the expertise of the directors of both L.A.’s Labor Centers: John McDowell of Los Angeles Trade-Tech College and Kent Wong of UCLA as well as Carl Friedlander, President of the Los Angeles College Faculty Guild, AFT Local 1521. Miguel Contreras, late Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, helped conceive the plan for the Center.

The Dolores Huerta Institute is appropriately named after United Farm Workers Co-Founder Dolores Huerta. Huerta revolutionized the labor movement in the 1960’s using tactics of non-violence and ultimately dedicating her life to the struggle for justice, dignity and a decent standard of living for one of our countries most exploited groups, farm workers. Today she serves as President of the Dolores Huerta Foundation. It is not unusual to find her traveling regularly to cities across North America educating the public on public policy issues affecting immigrants, labor, women, and youth. She speaks at colleges and organizations throughout the country in support of “La Causa”.

The Dolores Huerta Institute will be funded by contributions made by Los Angeles County labor unions and the LACCD. Ten local unions including the Southern California Council of Communications Works of America, AFT Local 152, IBEW Locals 11 and 18, Longshoremen Local 63, Plumbers and Pipefittters District Council 616 and Local 250, SEIU Locals 347, 660, UHW and UFCW Locals 770 and 1442, have all agreed to contribute $10,000 a year for the next three years totaling 300,000 dollars. LACCD will match labor’s contributions dollar for dollar which will lead to a three-year start-up with a $600,000 total budget over that period.

“The Dolores Huerta Institute will produce a new dynamic generation of union activists and leaders that will fight for the working families of tomorrow,” said Executive Secretary Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, Maria Elena Durazo.

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