Art Pulaski is an organized labor leader in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. Since 1996, Pulaski has served as Executive-Secretary Treasurer and Chief Officer of the California Labor Federation, which represents 2.3 million workers of 1,200

manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of the secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer ...

, service,

construction Construction are processes involved in delivering buildings, infrastructure, industrial facilities, and associated activities through to the end of their life. It typically starts with planning, financing, and design that continues until the a ...

and

public sector The public sector, also called the state sector, is the part of the economy composed of both public services and public enterprises. Public sectors include the public goods and governmental services such as the military, law enforcement, pu ...

unions. He also served as the Executive Secretary of the San Mateo Labor Council in California from 1984 to 1996. Pulaski's career in organized labor began in

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

at the age of 16, as a stock clerk in a

supermarket A supermarket is a self-service Retail#Types of outlets, shop offering a wide variety of food, Drink, beverages and Household goods, household products, organized into sections. Strictly speaking, a supermarket is larger and has a wider selecti ...

, when he joined the Amalgamated Meat Cutters union. Pulaski holds a

Bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

from Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, and

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

in community organization at the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

. Early in his career, Pulaski built coalitions with union and community groups to reform energy policies and protect retirees, and has helped build stronger alliances between unions, community groups and faith-based organizations for numerous reform campaigns. In 2003, he led the creation of the Stand for California Coalition, a group of

labor union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

s, religious organizations,

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' political freedom, freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and ...

groups and business interests. He also played a leadership role in the development of the Apollo Alliance, a national coalition for cleaner energy and better jobs. Under Pulaski's leadership, the California Labor Federation's achievements have included restoring daily overtime pay, raising the

minimum wage A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. List of countries by minimum wage, Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation b ...

, increasing benefits for injured and unemployed workers, creating collective bargaining opportunities for hundreds of thousands of

workers, and passing the nation's first comprehensive Paid Family Leave law. In 2010, the Federation led the successful campaign to ensure every California democrat in Congress voted in favor of the landmark federal health care reform legislation. Pulaski has served as president of several

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

s, including the California Works Foundation and the Labor Project for Working Families. As president of “We Do the Work,” he helped craft the successful nationally televised PBS series of the same name. He co-founded PalCare, a model childcare center serving the families of workers at San Francisco International Airport. Pulaski has served on numerous gubernatorial panels and commissions on economic progress, workforce development and

higher education Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...

. Pulaski has led the California labor movement in new strategies of political action and

economic development In economics, economic development (or economic and social development) is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and object ...

. Since he took office at the California Labor Federation in 1996 the labor group has more than doubled in size.

References

External links

California Labor Federation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pulaski, Art Living people University of Minnesota alumni Year of birth missing (living people) Trade unionists from California Southern Connecticut State University alumni Amalgamated Meat Cutters people