The origins of this celebration date back to 1977, when Representative Frank Horton of New York and Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii introduced resolutions to proclaim a week in May as Pacific/Asian American Heritage Week. When neither of these resolutions passed, Representative Horton introduced a similar resolution in 1978, which was passed by the House and Senate and signed into law by President Jimmy Carter that same year. In 1992, Congress designated the month of May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month to commemorate the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the U.S. on May 7, 1843, and the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869.

Here are three things to know about the work done by AANHPI community members—past and present— to fight for justice for workers and union members nationwide.

HAWAII: 1946 – THE SUGAR STRIKE

On August 31, 1946, over 26,000 sugar workers refused to report to their jobs, shutting down all but one of the 34 sugar plantations across the Hawaiian islands—one of the most expensive strikes in history.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) organized the strike as a protest against poor working conditions, lack of benefits, and employee mistreatment, fueled by an economy that colonial powers had historically controlled.

By 1946, one-fifth of Hawaii’s population, roughly 100,000 people, lived and worked on sugar plantations. With a diverse population of employees, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Filipino workers, the ILWU made inclusivity a key part of their campaign, ensuring representative leadership in the strike committee and conducting multilingual meetings.

The organization of a diverse movement proved to be a success. After 79 days of striking, the ILWU secured housing, medical, pensions, and wage benefits for workers.

Today, Hawaii’s workforce represents the second-highest union density in the nation with 21.9 percent of employees being represented by a union. Ultimately, the 1946 Sugar Strike transformed the social and economic climate of Hawaii and improved working conditions across the region.

CALIFORNIA: 1969 – THE DELANO GRAPE STRIKE

On September 8, 1965, 2,000 Filipino American farm workers refused to report to their jobs picking grapes in the valley north of Bakersfield, California. This movement was organized by Larry Itliong of the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC), a predominantly Filipino union. Itliong and workers had one main goal – better working conditions for grape farmers.

About two weeks later, the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), a group of Mexican American farmworkers led by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, joined the AWOC strike. Together, AWOC and NFWA formed what would be known as the United Farm Workers (UFW).

The UFW was determined to win—and after five years of striking and an international grape boycott, the Delano Grape strikers prevailed. New contracts were signed in 1970.

In the wake of the Delano Grape Strike’s success, Itliong formed a legacy of activism within his community. He resigned from the UFW in 1971 under the belief that the union lacked support for aging Filipino American farm workers. He was an elected delegate at the 1972 Democratic National Convention and oversaw the development of housing for retired Filipino farm workers. His initial involvement in the Delano Grape Strike and lifelong activism represents the role of Filipino Americans within the farm labor movement—the stories that have often gone untold.

NEW YORK CITY, CHINATOWN: 1982 – THE GARMENT STRIKE

On June 24, 1982, over 20,000 garment workers gathered in Columbus Park in New York City’s Chinatown. These workers—predominantly Chinese American women—rallied to demand better working conditions and livable wages.

The strike was organized by the International Ladies Garment Workers Union and was set in motion after contractors refused to renew union contracts that asked workers to give up already scarce benefits.

Holding signs that said, “Union workers: Let’s defend ourselves. Support the union contract,” “In union, there is strength,” and “Defend our rights,” tens of thousands of workers marched through the streets of Chinatown, demonstrating the power they held over the city’s economy and garment industry. The sight of togetherness and strength led contractors to fold. Only a few days after the strike began, contractors agreed to sign the union contracts.

The 1982 Chinatown Garment Strike was a historic victory, providing higher wages and benefits for tens of thousands of workers in the city and amplifying Asian American voices. Garment workers transformed the economic conditions of an industry that historically exploited them, changing the future of the labor movement.

The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, APALA, AFL-CIO, was founded in 1992 allowing API workers, union members, and allies to make strides in advancing immigrant, labor, and civil rights. APALA is a strong representation of efforts in modern AAPI labor movements with 22 chapters and pre-chapters and a national office in Washington D.C. More information can be found here: APALA – Home (apalanet.org)

UFCW OUTreach has many resources available free on their website and by request to help locals celebrate Pride Month, including a new 2023 Union Pride sticker in English, Spanish and French; pronoun pins and stickers; and educational pamphlets in English, Spanish and French.

Many UFCW locals across the U.S. and Canada already participate in Pride Month events, which are another way to show workers who want to organize that the UFCW is LGBTQ+ inclusive. The UFCW OUTreach Pride Guide is available to help locals show their support for all of our LGBTQ+ members during Pride Month and you can get more information here. UFCW OUTreach is also hosting a training session with the UFCW Women’s Network on May 31 and June 6, titled “Bystander Intervention + Conflict De-escalation.” You can find more information about the training session here.

“We urge all local unions to speak out against the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and hate messages happening across our countries,” said UFCW OUTreach Chair Michele Kessler. “Let’s be loud and proud in our support for our LGBTQ+ members and their families. Our work places must be inclusive and safe for all.”

You can learn more about UFCW OUTreach here. If your local is interested in sharing photos of events or highlighting a member during Pride Month, please submit that information to Julie Anderson at janderson@ufcw.org.

This is the sixth year that UFCW OUTreach has provided scholarships to the Creating Change Conference, which is the foremost political, leadership, and skills-building conference for the LGBTQ+ social justice movement. Scholarship recipients will learn about a broad range of social justice issues and develop skills to bring back to their workplaces and local unions.  Past session topics have included labor, gender equality, community organizing, criminal justice, immigration and more.

UFCW OUTreach Executive Board members attending the conference each year have served as a key voice for issues impacting hard-working families and the labor movement. Providing scholarships to UFCW members helps our union family to strengthen new member recruitment and develop new leaders within our union and in the broader LGBTQ+ movement.

The submission deadline for the five scholarships is Monday, Nov. 28. You can get more information about UFCW OUTreach scholarships to this important conference here.

If you have any questions or want to learn more about UFCW OUTreach, contact Michele Kessler at MKessler@ufcw1776.org.

The origins of this celebration date back to President Lyndon Johnson, who first established Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968.  In 1988, President Ronald Reagan expanded the celebration to cover a 30-day period from September 15 to October 15.  Hispanic Heritage Month was enacted into law in 1988, and the start date of September 15 was chosen for the celebration because it marks the anniversary of independence for a number of Latin American countries.

Observing Hispanic Heritage Month allows us to recognize and support the work Hispanic Americans are doing in helping this country and our union grow. Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, the UFCW will pay tribute to the culture and history of Hispanic Americans and their positive impact on the labor movement and promote voter turnout leading up to the midterm elections. If you have members who would like to share their stories about what this month means to them, please reach out to Julie Anderson at janderson@ufcw.org.

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In 2020, Black women made 63 cents for every dollar paid to White, non-Hispanic men compared to 58 cents for every $1 paid to white men in 2022.  For this reason, Black Women’s Equal Pay Day this year will be recognized on Sept. 21 over a month later than in 2021 (August 3rd). Black women are often victims of job segregation based on both gender and race. 

The UFCW is committed to ensuring that Black women have the support they need to overcome the barriers they face at the intersection of sexism and racism. Equal pay for hard-working Black women across the country is long overdue and this month, we encourage members to make their voices heard to draw attention to the growing wage disparity. We should not be satisfied until equal pay days are no longer necessary at all.

You can get more information about Black Women’s Equal Pay Day here.

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The majority of Pride Month events are held in June to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Inn uprising in New York City on June 28, 1969. At the time, police raids on bars catering to LGBTQ+ patrons were common. However, that night, the patrons of the Stonewall Inn fought back, marking the beginning of a movement to outlaw discriminatory laws and practices against LGBTQ+ Americans.

Even though the progress that many activists and leaders have made in spite of considerable obstacles throughout the years, our country continues to face inequities as discriminatory policies threaten the human rights of the LGBTQ+ community. During these challenging times, it’s more evident than ever that union contracts can provide stable protection for members of the LGBTQ+ community as they put decision-making power into the hands of workers.

As the labor movement is rooted in the principles of inclusion and equality, UFCW reaffirms its resolve to keep fighting for dignity and justice for every worker. 

Happy Pride Month!

Read more how union contracts can protect LGBTQ+ workers here.

UFCW OUTreach is providing resources to help members and locals to become more inclusive for LGBTQ+ members and all workers, including free workplace flyers and pronoun stickers.

A union contract is one way to help protect the rights of transgender workers. A union contract puts the decision-making power into the hands of workers and can include strong language that explicitly protects individuals against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression. 

Do you want to learn how to get involved in the transgender rights in the labor movement?

UFCW OUTreach is a constituency group dedicated to advocating for full equality of LGBTQ+ workers in their jobs and unions, and to build a labor movement that embraces diversity, encourages openness, and ensures safety and dignity.

To learn more, visit the OUTreach website.

In 2020, UFCW OUTreach and the UCLA Labor Center conducted a study that highlights LGBTQ+ workers’ contributions to the labor movement and how they and their allies have benefited from union advocacy.

Pride Month commemorates the Stonewall Uprising of June 1969 in New York City. . At the time, police raids on bars catering to LGBTQ+ patrons were common. However, that night, the patrons of the Stonewall Inn fought back, marking the beginning of a movement to outlaw discriminatory laws and practices against the LGBTQ+ community.

UFCW OUTreach  is providing resources to help locals celebrate their diverse and inclusive workplaces as well as to elevate the voices of LGBTQ+ members. OUTreach’s new “Creating An LGBTQ+ Affirming Union” brochure and additional resources can be found here.

UFCW stands in solidarity with our LGBTQ+ family as we recognize the impact that these members of our community have had on the labor movement and the fight for equality and respect.

As a hard-working union family, it’s important now more than ever that everyone is treated equally and justly, both on the job and in their communities. 

There is still a lot of work to be done before transgender people have full equality under the law. In many states, there is nothing to prevent a worker from being discriminated against or fired simply because of their gender identity or expression.

UFCW is proud to join today’s celebrations and will continue to support the transgender community.

Trans rights are human rights!

While black women make substantial contributions to the U.S. economy, they face considerable disparities in the labor market. On average, black women are paid less than Caucasian, non-Hispanic men, and are over-represented in jobs with little job security, few benefits, and limited opportunity for advancement. These poorer quality jobs, combined with restricted access to unions in the states in which black workers are concentrated, hinder access to economic security and overall well-being.

Leveling the playing field

According to a study by The Economic Policy Institute, union membership is one of the key factors that can help determine if black women are paid fairly for their work:

“Black women have traditionally faced a double pay gap—a gender pay gap and a racial wage gap. EPI research has shown that black women are paid only 65 cents of the dollar that their white male counterparts are paid. However, unions help reduce these pay gaps. Working black women in unions are paid 94.9 percent of what their black male counterparts make, while nonunion black women are paid just 91 percent of their counterparts.”

What UFCW members have to say about Black Women’s Equal Pay Day