Matthew Finucane

     Matthew Finucane is currently the Senior Liaison for Minority Outreach with the National Education Association.  He is the former Deputy Director of the AFL-CIO Department of Civil, Human and Women’s Rights, where he worked to advance the rights of the 13 million Americans who belong to unions and their communities, focusing on issues such as affirmative action, immigrant worker rights, labor/community coalitions, and the freedom of workers to join unions.  Prior to joining the civil rights department,  Mr. Finucane was the first Executive Director of  the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO, contributing to several innovative union organizing and community advocacy programs.     He also helped in the formation of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, serving as one of its first officers.

     A union advocate for over 15 years and a former member of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Executive Committee, Mr. Finucane currently co-chairs the Low Wage Immigrant Worker Task Force, a coalition of community and labor organizations promoting immigrant worker rights, and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Immigration Task Force.    Mr. Finucane has also served as a union safety and health director.