Category Archives: Unions
Mario Azpeitia, First Latino to Head a National Union
Mario Azpeitia (1899–1982), the first Latino to serve as president of a national union, led the Cigar Makers’ International Union (CMIU) from 1949 to 1974. The child of Cuban immigrant parents with a Basque surname, Azpeitia was born in Key … Continue reading
Posted in Activist Profiles, Unions
Tagged CMIU, Communist Party, Florida, John F. Kennedy, Johnson, Roosevelt
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Armando Ramirez, Pioneering Labor and Political Leader
Armando Ramirez was one of the most important Latino leaders in the US during the 1930s and 1940s. His career had an amazing trajectory and it is one of the great untold stories. I was writing a book based on … Continue reading
Posted in Activist Profiles, Elected Officials, Northeast, Presidential Politics, Unions
Tagged CIO, Communist Party, President, Roosevelt, UCAPAWA/FTA
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Mexican Americans in Chicago began to engage in politics through their unions. Picture of Packinghouse Workers Organizing Committee (PWOC) and Steel Workers Organizing Committee (SWOC) float in the 1940 Mexican Independence Day parade. Continue reading
