(Washington, DC) – Racist yellow peril signs were posted in Lewiston, ME attacking mayoral candidate Ben Chin. The racist signs referred to Chin as “Ho Chi Chin” while featuring communist symbols along with a caricature of Ho Chi Minh. These attacks on Chin’s Asian American identity were posted in buildings that were owned by Joseph Dunne, a property owner who is known as one of the city’s worst landlords.

As the current Political Director for Maine’s People Alliance (MPA), Chin organized in the past against corporate property owners like Dunne and referred to him as a slumlord. Residents of the buildings fought back and demanded these signs be taken down.
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“Dunne’s attempt to connect Chin’s Chinese American identity to the communist party in Vietnam is offensive and ignorant,” said Johanna Puno Hester, APALA National President. “The blatantly racist signs attack is yet another example of anti-immigrant campaigning. We must engage all communities in the political process to address these types of racist xenophobic rhetoric.”

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​(Washington, DC) – Yesterday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) introduced the Workplace Democracy Act to help strengthen America’s middle class by supporting the rights of workers to join unions and have a voice on the job. The Workplace Democracy Act would make joining unions much more accessible by allowing the National Labor Relations Board to certify a union as the collective bargaining representative as long as a majority of eligible workers sign valid authorization cards. Moreover, employers will no longer be able to prevent a union from forming because they would be required to start negotiating within 10 days after certification.

“The Workplace Democracy Act strives to help build America’s middle class by investing in working people to form unions and fight corporate greed,” said Johanna Puno Hester, APALA National President. “The Bureau of Labor Statistics signifies the benefits of a unionized workforce as seen through the higher wages of union workers (27% greater than non-union workers), paid sick leave (21% greater than non-union workers), benefit pension plans (60% greater than non-union workers), and access to stable health benefits (30% greater than non-union workers).” 
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Unions represent the strongest network where workers have a voice on the job. Their ability to unionize gives millions of workers the opportunity to bargain for better wages, benefits, and safe working conditions. “Corporate profits continue to widen the income and wealth inequality gap where 47 million Americans still live in poverty,” said Gregory Cendana, APALA National Executive Director. “Even as Asian American & Pacific Islander union membership sustains growth, APALA is committed to rebuilding America’s middle class by strengthening workers’ voices on the job and their right to form a union.”

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