Linda Sanchez Chosen to Lead Labor Council

Reflecting the changing face of union membership in California, the Orange County Central Labor Council has chosen its first minority to head the 80-year-old group--Linda Sanchez, the younger sister of Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove).

As the new secretary-treasurer, Sanchez will oversee labor’s political programs and lobbying efforts, as well as serve as chief spokesperson for the group that represents more than 80 unions and 106,000 members in Orange County.

She will be succeeding Bill Fogarty, who has headed the group since 1990; he chose not to seek reelection as his four-year term expires next month.

Sanchez, a lawyer who helped her sister defeat Robert Dornan in 1996 for a congressional seat with strong backing from labor, has been an attorney for an electrical workers local in Orange. She was the sole nominee for the top labor post and will be sworn in next month.

She is only the second woman to head the Orange County labor organization, and the group’s first Latina chief. Minorities, predominantly Latinos, now make up more than a majority of the county’s union members, Fogarty said.

Sanchez graduated from UC Berkeley and received her law degree from UCLA. She was admitted to the state bar in December 1995. Sanchez wasn’t immediately available for comment, but UCLA labor expert Kent Wong said the rise of two Sanchez sisters holding such prominent leadership roles was likely to give Orange County’s labor movement a higher profile.

“Labor has not been a prominent player in Orange County in politics nor in organizing, and I think that has begun to change in last few years,” Wong said. “But even more attention and visibility will be a benefit to labor unions there.”

Sanchez’s ascension mirrors Orange County’s rapid evolution from a conservative white suburban community into a melting pot of many races and ethnicities. Within a decade, demographers expect Orange County’s white population to fall below 50%, joining Los Angeles and more than 225 other U.S. counties where other ethnic and racial groups outnumber whites.

Unions in Orange County and elsewhere have been filling their ranks with immigrants, who in the past have been viewed by many labor activists as competitors for jobs or as potential strike breakers. But the U.S. work force also is changing rapidly, as foreign-born workers dominate textiles and other industries, and unions are adapting. Last week the national AFL-CIO reversed its old policy and supported amnesty for illegal immigrants.

Harley Shaiken, a labor expert at UC Berkeley, said the change in Orange County’s labor leadership is a microcosm of national trends.

“The labor movement is organizing larger numbers of women and Latinos on a national basis,” he said. “The labor movement has a long way to go in these areas, but it underscores that important changes are taking place, and that real progress is being made.”

Orange County Central Labor Council’s membership has increased by more than 10% in the last year, partly because of growth in construction and government jobs. Those members account for slightly less than 10% of the county’s work force.

Although historically not a potent force in Orange County, the central labor group, like unions everywhere, plays a big role especially in political races, working phone banks and going door to door to gain support for candidates it endorses.

Some in organized labor questioned whether Sanchez’s relationship with her congressional sister might cause potential conflicts over labor’s political activities.

But by being the sole nominee, labor analysts said, Linda Sanchez already appears to have gained significant support within the labor movement. As a result, she ran for the position unopposed.

Shaiken said it was relatively rare for two siblings to hold high-level positions in labor and politics. But that, he said, would only be an issue when ties between them are undisclosed. “I don’t think any conflicts or ethical issues enter into this.”