425:. In 1988, she married fellow union activist Miguel Contreras whom she met while at HERE Local 11. Soon thereafter, in May 1989, Maria Elena ran for and was elected President of Local 11. She served in that capacity from 1989 to 2006. Years later, Durazo won the local presidency with 85% of the vote becoming one of the first Latinas to lead a major union. From May 1989 until March 2006, Durazo served as the president of Local 11. In 1993, during the union's campaign against the New Otani Hotel, (the first hotel to be built non-union in downtown Los Angeles) Durazo led workers on civil disobedience protests. Her participation in the sit-in protest led to her being arrested along with several other New Otani workers, many of whom were dragged away by police officers. She was later elected onto the executive board of HERE International Union in 1996, and in 2004 was elected Executive Vice President of UNITE-HERE International.
441:, passed. Contreras who preceded Ludlow as the executive secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor represents 600,000 workers, and it reached the climax of its influence under Durazo, its first women leader. Durazo helped land allies on the Los Angeles City Council and county Board of Supervisors and pushed through a minimum wage law requiring large Los Angeles hotels to pay workers at least $ 15.37 an hour one of the nations highest base wages. Durazo was appointed as the interim Executive Secretary-Treasurer following the resignation of
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421:(HERE) Local 11. In 1987, Durazo led a reform slate against the entrenched local leadership of Andrew (Scotty) Allen whose administration had resisted efforts of immigrant workers to participate in local governance. Durazo appeared to have the upper hand, but the election was set aside by the international union, and the local was placed in a trusteeship led by
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Durazo was conferred an
Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the California State University Board of Trustees. "We are very proud to award Maria Elena Durazo the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters for 2014. Her significant impacts on the quality of life in this region demonstrate what can
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while being a member of the Budget and Fiscal Review
Committee, the Judiciary Committee, the Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee, and the Budget Subcommittee #5 on Corrections, Public Safety, Judiciary, Labor, and Transportation.
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Since her election, Durazo has worked and passed bills related to education, housing, agriculture, and women's and disabilities rights. She currently holds leadership positions as the Chair of the Senate's Local
Government Committee and as the
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for president, and took a three-week leave of absence from her job as
Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor in order to campaign for Obama. She then became a national co-chair of the
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559:, stated on-air that "We are proud that a woman who has had on her life story the opportunity to see from the field the issue of immigrants' rights has become a voice for so many who cannot raise their own voices."
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From 2000 to 2004, she served on the
National AFL-CIO's Immigration Committee and is now the current chair of the committee. In 2003, Durazo became the National Director of the Immigrant Workers' Freedom Ride.
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acknowledged that "as the executive secretary-treasurer of the Los
Angeles County Federation of Labor, she presides over what is widely perceived as the most successful group of unions in the country."
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in
February 2006, and was voted as the permanent replacement on May 15, 2006 where she served until October 2014. On August 4, 2010, she was reelected as Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO.
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In 2013, Dan Schnur, then director of the Jesse M. Unruh
Institute of Politics at USC, said that "Maria Elena Durazo is probably the single most influential individual in Los Angeles politics."
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In 2010, Durazo was elected onto the national AFL-CIO Executive
Council as an Executive Vice President. She was elected as a Vice Chair of the
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December 2014. She currently serves as the Executive Vice President of the governing Executive Council of the national
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On August 11, 2008, Durazo was elected to serve as the new chair of the UCLA Labor Center advisory committee. The vote was by
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Like many others who have come to play a role in the labor movement in California, Durazo got her start amongst
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be achieved through dedication, hard work, and a commitment to community," said President William A. Covino.
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named Maria Elena the third most influential non-elected California official in its 2010 Top 100 List.
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in Los Angeles, before beginning her involvement in the labor movement as an organizer for the
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712:"Labor heavyweight Maria Elena Durazo will run for Kevin de León's state Senate seat"
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750:"Senator Durazo's Statement Regarding Her Committee and Leadership Appointments"
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announcing the reelection of Maria Elena Durazo to Executive Secretary-Treasurer
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announcing the election of Maria Elena Durazo to Executive Secretary-Treasurer
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On April 6, 2017, Durazo announced that she intended to run for the
406:, California and graduated in 1975. In 1985, she graduated from the
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374:. As the daughter of Mexican immigrants, she spent summers in the
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official. She served as the Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the
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Prior to being elected to the State Senate, she was an American
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818:
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Hispanic and Latino American state legislators in California
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Press release by the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor
577:"Rusty Hicks chosen to run L.A. County Federation of Labor"
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Hispanic and Latino American people in California politics
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was her main motivation for running for public office.
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Marita Hernandez, "Organizer Wins Post of President,"
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Durazo was named Most Valuable Local Labor Leader by
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837:at the Center for Labor Research and Education at
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555:CNN's top news anchor in the Spanish language,
536:magazine in their 2014 Progressive Honor Roll.
1520:Hispanic and Latino American women in politics
457:, and was a pledged delegate for Obama at the
419:Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union
864:
8:
489:24th district of the California State Senate
412:International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union
1550:American trade unionists of Mexican descent
1505:Democratic Party California state senators
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1575:Saint Mary's College of California alumni
148:May 15, 2006 – December 31, 2014
318:, from 2018 to 2022 she represented the
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1525:American politicians of Mexican descent
697:"California Democratic Delegation 2008"
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499:. In her announcement, she stated that
243: 1988; died 2005)
1560:Hispanic and Latino American activists
455:Obama for President campaign committee
347:Los Angeles County Federation of Labor
136:Los Angeles County Federation of Labor
1510:Women state legislators in California
448:On January 15, 2008, Durazo endorsed
306:(born March 20, 1953) is an American
134:Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the
7:
677:"Obama gets major labor endorsement"
675:Abcarian, Robin (January 16, 2008).
1555:American workers' rights activists
844:Join California Maria Elena Durazo
14:
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710:Panzar, Javier (April 6, 2017).
1545:Trade unionists from California
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1570:People's College of Law alumni
787:Aron, Hillel (December 2013).
763:Mozingo, Joe (June 22, 2013).
613:"Press release by the AFL-CIO"
575:Rainey, James (Nov 18, 2014).
322:and has been representing the
320:24th State Senatorial district
1:
491:in 2018, when the incumbent,
477:Democratic National Committee
433:Executive Secretary-Treasurer
396:United Farmworkers of America
355:Democratic National Committee
326:since 2022 which encompasses
103:Democratic National Committee
1540:American trade union leaders
1467:California State Legislature
656:Press release by the AFL-CIO
505:2016 presidential elections
353:and as a Vice Chair of the
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1565:Activists from Los Angeles
1484:List of past legislatures
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417:In 1983, she joined the
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897:President of the Senate
881:California State Senate
513:Assistant Majority Whip
483:California State Senate
312:California State Senate
281:People's College of Law
265:Los Angeles, California
44:California State Senate
408:Peoples College of Law
1276:Lola Smallwood-Cuevas
699:. thegreenpapers.com.
437:In 2005 her husband,
117:Serving with
1396:Catherine Blakespear
1216:Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh
752:. 15 February 2024.
459:National Convention
328:Central Los Angeles
16:American politician
1252:María Elena Durazo
1240:Anthony Portantino
988:Marie Alvarado-Gil
835:Maria Elena Durazo
789:"The Wage Warrior"
661:2013-12-24 at the
643:2007-09-29 at the
545:The New York Times
503:'s victory in the
400:St. Mary's College
304:María Elena Durazo
277:St. Mary's College
206:Madera, California
190:María Elena Durazo
101:Vice Chair of the
23:María Elena Durazo
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770:Los Angeles Times
717:Los Angeles Times
682:Los Angeles Times
600:Los Angeles Times
582:Los Angeles Times
394:, founder of the
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423:Miguel Contreras
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366:Early career
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166:Succeeded by
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91:(2018–2022)
85:Constituency
62:
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1580:1953 births
1420:Brian Jones
1408:Toni Atkins
1288:Josh Newman
1264:Henry Stern
1204:Susan Rubio
1096:Josh Becker
1060:Aisha Wahab
952:Brian Dahle
934:Brian Jones
910:pro tempore
826:Appearances
799:Los Angeles
794:Los Angeles
602:May 6, 1989
557:Ismael Cala
470:acclamation
372:farmworkers
343:trade union
171:Rusty Hicks
154:Preceded by
74:Preceded by
1499:Categories
1459:Republican
1450:Democratic
1348:Tom Umberg
1192:Scott Wilk
1144:John Laird
908:President
623:2013-06-06
533:The Nation
497:termed out
308:politician
287:Occupation
272:Alma mater
217:Democratic
196:1953-03-20
127:Grace Meng
123:Ken Martin
1228:Ben Allen
976:Bill Dodd
563:Footnotes
479:in 2013.
361:Biography
261:Residence
144:In office
115:2013–2021
111:In office
53:Incumbent
1384:Dave Min
659:Archived
641:Archived
316:Democrat
251:Children
380:peaches
351:AFL-CIO
291:AFL–CIO
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830:C-SPAN
723:Apr 7,
520:Honors
463:Denver
404:Moraga
388:grapes
386:, and
336:Vernon
334:, and
223:Spouse
208:, U.S.
125:, and
239:(
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66:
1452:(31)
839:UCLA
725:2017
495:was
314:. A
186:Born
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