APALA Staff Join OPEIU

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Employees at the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA)’s national office unanimously decided to form a union with the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 2 on Friday, October 2, 2020. By taking this step, staff are seeking to live the values of APALA and enable the organization to better protect and advance workers’ rights within the labor movement and Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                               
October 6, 2020
Contact: Kelly Russo, OPEIU Local 2                                                     
Email: [email protected]
 
Staff at the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance Form a Union with Local 2
 
Employees at the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA)’s national office unanimously decided to form a union with the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 2 on Friday, October 2, 2020. By taking this step, staff are seeking to live the values of APALA and enable the organization to better protect and advance workers’ rights within the labor movement and Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.
 
APALA promptly indicated its intent to voluntarily recognize its staff’s union on Tuesday, October 6, 2020. The organization, founded in 1992,  is the first and only national organization of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) workers who are advancing worker, immigrant and civil rights. Since its founding, APALA has played a unique role in addressing the workplace issues of the 660,000 AAPI union members and in serving as the bridge between the broader labor movement and the AAPI community.
 
"We are excited to grow the labor movement by organizing APALA's staff. We hope to provide yet another example of AAPI union membership and serve as a resource to other workers considering unionization. It takes all of us to grow worker power!" Vivian Chang, Civic Engagement Manager, explains.
 
Program Manager Kristina Romines says, "as a proud APALA staffer, I am thrilled that leadership has voluntarily recognized all staff in our union, including managers. Our unionization efforts show the vital role unions can have in any workplace, across all industries, and particularly within the nonprofit sector. All workplaces can be improved by transparent and collective decision-making, and I look forward to continuing our dialogue with leadership on the issues that matter to our staff and our movement."
 
 About OPEIU Local 2
 
The Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 2 represents over 8,000 members throughout DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Our union is an active leader in the Nonprofit Employees United campaign, which supports thousands of nonprofit workers across the country. We negotiate and enforce contracts, organize and train our members, and develop leadership that extends beyond the workplace. We are constantly working to defend and advocate for not only our members’ rights, but for the rights of all working people as well. 

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