Power from the Past

Memory Work Research Initiative

Miguel Contreras and Maria Elena Durazo, 1988

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Low-resolution black and white image of two smiling people, Miguel Contreras and Maria Elena Durazo, near a Local 11 picket line. Durazo is holding an HERE Local 11 picket sign.

In 1987, Maria Elena Durazo challenged the leadership of HERE Local 11. Due to election irregularities, the national office set aside the election and sent Miguel Contreras to serve as the local’s trustee. Contreras hired Durazo as a staff organizer and in 1989 she claimed victory in a second election. From the records of UNITE HERE Local 11.