Labor & Employment Law

USSA?s Cendana Named New Asian Pacific Labor Alliance Executive Director

By Mike Hall

Gregory Allan Cendana, former president of the United States Student Association (USSA) and a labor, student, and community activist, has been appointed Executive Director of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA).

Cendana succeeds Malcolm Amado Uno, who served as executive director since March 2008 and who now is working at the Department of Labor as a  Special Assistant to Labor Secretary Hilda Solis in the Department?s Office of Public Engagement.

APALA President Luisa Blue says Cendana, who was raised in an immigrant and union family,

is grounded with strong values that are in line with our mission and vision and has a proven track record of success.

Kent Wong, APALA?s founding president and member of the AFL-CIO constituency group?s executive board, says Cendana joins APALA at a time when the labor movement and APALA are increasingly focused on outreach to young workers.

As one of the leading youth and student activists in the country today, Greg will strengthen the worker and student alliances of APALA.

As USSA president, Cendana helped build chapters across the country, increased the budget of the organization, established strong community partnerships, highlighted worker struggles, and played an integral role in the passage of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act and Healthcare and Education Reconciliation Act.

He serves or has served on the boards of the National Jobs with Justice, Asian Pacific Americans for Progress, the Generational Alliance and the National Youth Advocacy Coalition.

Blue says that as a leader in the Asian American and Pacific Islander, youth, and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender communities, Cendana will be able to engage a wide range of constituencies in the labor movement and fight for social and economic justice.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on October 15, 2010 (boomark / email).