More than a year before September 11, 2001, the Service
Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 1877, tried to organize
the LAX security workforce to get more training.
“They were making minimum wage with only four hours of
training, and they were screening the bags,” said Karla
Zombro, an organizer on the campaign and a UCLA graduate.
Zombro, part of a growing wave of Asian American women in the
labor movement, along with the work of two other Asian American
female labor organizers, is now part of a documentary titled
“Labor Women.” The half-hour film will screen for the
first time tonight in Royce Hall, followed by a question-and-answer
discussion with members of the Asian Pacific American Labor
Alliance, various Asian American organizers, and the audience.
Along with Zombro, the women featured in the film are Quynh
Nguyen, also a UCLA graduate, and Jun Chong. Both will be present
at the screening.
At the time of filming, Nguyen worked for the United Food and
Commercial Workers Local 770, trying to organize a pork
slaughterhouse that made Dodger Dogs. Like the LAX security
workforce, a large percentage of the workers Nguyen worked with
were immigrants.
As the non-union, low-wage workforce in Los Angeles becomes more
and more immigrant-based, the desire for minority labor organizers
also grows. The three women in the film are mindful of that
growth.
“The challenge is how to organize a very multi-cultural
workforce,” Nguyen said. “Labor is taking on the
challenge and meeting it.”
“Labor Women” is an attempt to bring that message to
a larger audience and make it aware of this growing group of
organizers in the labor community.
“One of the reasons the film is important is that it
brings awareness that (Asian American female organizers) are part
of the movement,” Zombro said.
In addition, this group of organizers is helping to break down
the stereotyping of Asian women as quiet and submissive.
“In the LAX campaign, some of the most badass organizers
were Pilipino women,” Zombro said.
“These women are really articulate and just ball
busters,” said Renee Tajima-Pena, the film’s
director.
Pena hopes the film can play a role in the breaking of other
stereotypes as well.
“It’s about labor, but in a broader sense it’s
about activism,” Pena said. “It breaks the stereotype
that young people are apathetic.”
“Labor Women” screens tonight at 6 p.m. in Royce
Hall 164.