MLK's dream fulfilled by labor's march

(As we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King on what would have been his 95th birthday, I’m reflecting on how much further we have to go to achieve his vision of racial and economic justice. These two goals are intertwined—you can’t have one without the other, and you can’t achieve either without organized labor pushing for dignity for all workers.)

 It’s no secret that the labor movement has recently encountered a surge in public attention. The first union leader in more than 60 years just became the senator of California: Laphonza Butler, former President of our long-term care union here in California. And from Hollywood to Detroit, workers joined together across the country to make their voices heard, which has people on both sides of the aisle taking notice. 

I was born into the labor movement, with parents and grandparents who were leaders in the United Farm Workers union. My grandmother, Jessie De La Cruz, was one of the first female leaders of that union.  I‘ve had the privilege of working for nearly three decades in the world of organized labor, including in my current role as the president SEIU 2015—the largest union in California representing nearly 450,000 long-term care workers.