AFSA joins the labor community in mourning the loss of Dolores Huerta, a longtime advocate for workers’ rights and social justice. Her work changed the lives of countless working people, and her legacy continues to remind us why standing together matters.
As co-founder of the United Farm Workers, Huerta helped farmworkers fight for better wages, safer working conditions, and the right to bargain collectively. She spent decades organizing workers, challenging powerful interests, and making sure the voices of people who were too often overlooked were heard. Her determination helped build a movement that continues to influence workers and unions today.
The AFL-CIO’s tribute to Huerta speaks to what made her such an important figure in the labor movement: her ability to bring people together and inspire them to fight for what they deserved. She helped lead historic organizing efforts and opened doors for others at a time when women and people of color faced significant barriers. Her words, “Sí, se puede” — “Yes, we can” — became a rallying cry that still resonates with working people.
At AFSA, we recognize that our work may look different from the work Huerta championed, but the values behind it are much the same. School administrators work every day to support their schools, their staff, and their communities. We understand the importance of having a voice, being treated fairly, and working together to make things better for the people who depend on us.
Huerta also understood that the work was never about one person. It was about bringing others along, helping new leaders find their voices, and making sure the next generation was ready to carry the movement forward. That lesson remains important for all of us in organized labor.
As part of the broader AFL-CIO family, AFSA is proud to stand alongside fellow unions in recognizing Huerta’s contributions. Her life reminds us that progress takes persistence, that solidarity matters, and that the fight for fairness does not stop with one workplace or one generation.
We are grateful for the path Dolores Huerta helped create and for the many people she inspired to continue the work. AFSA extends its condolences to her family, friends, fellow organizers, and all those who were touched by her life and activism.
Dolores Huerta’s impact will not be forgotten. Her work lives on in the people who continue to organize, speak up, and stand together for working families.
Rest in power, Dolores Huerta. Sí, se puede.
