Statement from UNAC/UHCP President Charmaine S. Morales, RN, on the Passing of Dolores Huerta

Statement from UNAC/UHCP President Charmaine S. Morales, RN, on the Passing of Dolores Huerta

Today, we mourn the loss of Dolores Huerta, a trailblazing labor leader whose courage, determination, and belief in the power of working people changed our country. In addition to being a revolutionary labor leader, she was a lifelong civil rights activist, co-founder of the United Farm Workers, and a foundational figure in the Chicana/o civil rights movement.

Dolores understood something that remains at the heart of the labor movement today: real change happens when working people recognize their collective power and stand together.

She spent her life organizing workers who too often had been overlooked and undervalued. She walked picket lines, negotiated at the bargaining table, organized communities, and helped generations of workers understand that they deserved dignity, respect, and a voice in the decisions that shaped their lives.

Her leadership also opened doors for women and people from communities that had historically been excluded from positions of power. She showed us that leadership does not require waiting for permission. It requires courage, conviction, and a willingness to stand alongside others in the fight for something better.

Her words, “Sí, se puede,” became far more than a slogan. They became a reminder of what is possible when people believe in one another and act collectively.

On behalf of UNAC/UHCP and our members, I extend my deepest condolences to her family, loved ones, and all those whose lives she touched.

May we honor her memory by continuing to organize, continuing to speak up, and continuing to build power for working people.

Sí, se puede. Always!