Karen See Elected to Lead CLUW

by James Parks, Oct 26, 2009

CLUW President Emerita Joyce Miller administers the oath of office to the new CLUW national officers.

Delegates to the 15^th Bienneial Convention of the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) earlier this month looked to the future by electing a new slate of officers. Karen See, a member of the Postal Workers (APWU), was elected president, succeeding Marsha Zakowski.

More than 600 delegates and observers at the convention in Los Angeles discussed strategies for building the organization and recruiting younger members.

See says the convention theme, “The Rising Tide of Change: Activism, Leadership–Union Women!!” summarizes her goal of rejuvenating  CLUW and getting union women more involved in the leadership of  the union movement.

I feel a new excitement about the possibilities for the work CLUW can accomplish. I am looking forward to working with the officers and members of CLUW to improve the lives of all working women. We will be more active in our communities as we build partnerships with community allies, together fighting for the needs of women and families.

See, who has served as CLUW’s membership and field organizer since 2007, says organizing will be a key priority of her administration. She says her election also reflects the need for women to have a more forceful voice in their unions as rank-and-file members, in leadership positions and as partners with CLUW’s community allies. With women now becoming the majority of the workforce and the largest growing sector in the labor movement, See said CLUW intends to play a more visible and active role.

Convention delegates also were among the first to access “A Woman’s Nation,” the ground-breaking report on women spearheaded by Maria Shriver and the Center for American Progress

Convention delegates also elected Janet Nelson of AFSCME as executive vice president and Gloria Brimm of UAW as corresponding secretary. APWU member Judy Beard and  Dolores Gorczyca of the Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) were re-elected as treasurer and recording secretary, respectively.

The delegates also voted to expand the national board to include members from unions not previously represented. They then re-elected five vice presidents and elected 11 new ones.

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