Luisa Blue is new APALA president

Luisa Blue is the new president of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA). She succeeds John Delloro, who died unexpectedly of a heart attack last June. Blue was first vice president of APALA, one of six AFL-CIO constituency groups.

This is the second time in the top chair for Blue, who served as APALA’s president from 2001–2005, when she became the first woman and the first Filipino to hold that post.

Currently the organizing coordinator for SEIU in California, Blue began her union career in 1977 as shop steward for her San Francisco local union, whose members were primarily registered nurses. She became president of several local unions and was organizing director for SEIU Local 790, where she helped more than 10,000 workers join unions in five years.  She also was instrumental in the successful effort to organize airport screeners— predominantly Asian immigrants—at the San Francisco airport. —
James Park