Maria Elena Durazo
| Maria Elena Durazo | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee | |
|
Assumed office February 25, 2017 Serving with Michael Blake, Ken Martin, and Grace Meng |
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| Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor | |
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Assumed office May 15, 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Martin Ludlow |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
María Elena Durazo San Joaquin Valley, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse(s) | Miguel Contreras (1988-2005, his death) |
| Children | Mario Salazar Alesandra Selva (spouse) Michael Contreras |
| Residence | Los Angeles, California |
| Alma mater |
St. Mary's College People's College of Law |
| Occupation | AFL–CIO Trade Unionist |
María Elena Durazo is an American trade union official. Since May 2006 Durazo has served as the Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. She also serves as the Executive Vice President of the governing Executive Council of the national AFL-CIO and as a Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee of the Democratic Party.
Like many others who have come to play a role of the labor movement in California, Durazo got her start amongst farmworkers. As the daughter of Mexican immigrants, she spent summers in the Central Valley fields picking peaches, strawberries, and grapes. Cesar Chavez, founder of the United Farmworkers of America, inspired her to get involved in the fight for equal rights. Durazo attended St. Mary's College in Moranga, California and graduated in 1975. In 1985, she earned a law degree from the People's College of Law in Los Angeles, before beginning her involvement in the labor movement as an organizer for the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.
In 1983, she joined the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union (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 Miguel Contreras. 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 which 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.
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