January 25, 2022
Contact: Michelle Loo, apala@apala.org
Washington, DC - On Tuesday, February 1, Bernie Burnham will take office as the first Asian American Pacific Islander and person of color elected President of the Minnesota AFL-CIO.
Burnham is a Pacific Islander educator who started as an elementary school teacher in the Duluth Public School District. She became heavily involved in the labor management process and eventually was elected President of the Duluth Federation of Teachers. Most recently, Burnham co-chaired the Minnesota AFL-CIO’s Committee on Racial & Economic Justice and served as the Vice President of Education Minnesota.
Jigme Ugen, APALA Minnesota President and SEIU Healthcare MN Executive Vice President states, “This is a historic and exciting moment for the labor movement in the midwest. Besides being the first person of color and AAPI to be elected President of the MN AFL-CIO, Bernie brings decades of Union membership with diverse experiences around racial and social justice at the local and national level. She is an inspiring choice to lead our labor movement into the future.”
Burnham is a dues paying member of APALA and we look forward to her leadership in Minnesota to empower workers and win for working families.
Contact: Michelle Loo, apala@apala.org
Washington, DC - On Tuesday, February 1, Bernie Burnham will take office as the first Asian American Pacific Islander and person of color elected President of the Minnesota AFL-CIO.
Burnham is a Pacific Islander educator who started as an elementary school teacher in the Duluth Public School District. She became heavily involved in the labor management process and eventually was elected President of the Duluth Federation of Teachers. Most recently, Burnham co-chaired the Minnesota AFL-CIO’s Committee on Racial & Economic Justice and served as the Vice President of Education Minnesota.
Jigme Ugen, APALA Minnesota President and SEIU Healthcare MN Executive Vice President states, “This is a historic and exciting moment for the labor movement in the midwest. Besides being the first person of color and AAPI to be elected President of the MN AFL-CIO, Bernie brings decades of Union membership with diverse experiences around racial and social justice at the local and national level. She is an inspiring choice to lead our labor movement into the future.”
Burnham is a dues paying member of APALA and we look forward to her leadership in Minnesota to empower workers and win for working families.
RSS Feed