IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. appointed accomplished union, workers’ rights and social justice attorney Connie Vallas as an Associate General Counsel in the IAM Legal Department. The appointment was effective January 9, 2023.
Over the course of her career, Vallas has represented workers in the areas of negotiations, contract enforcement, administrative appeals, unemployment matters and Unfair Labor Practice charges. She has also led all aspects of internal and external organizing in order to strengthen union membership and fight for issues important to working families on a local and national level.
Vallas joins the IAM from SEIU Local 500 in Maryland, where as Director of Organizing and Campaigns she helped to organize workers across public and private education, human services and non-profit industries. Prior to that, Vallas served for 12 years with SEIU Local 1000, where she represented more than 100,000 state workers throughout California as the union’s Assistant Statewide Field Director.
In addition to fighting for working people, Vallas also has a passion for serving her community. She has held key volunteer responsibilities with the Black Women Organizing Action (BWPOA), the Poor People’s Campaign, the Volunteer Low Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program, the Public Defender’s Office, Domestic Violence Clinics, the Public Law Center, adolescent outreach programs and Bar associations.
Vallas holds a Juris Doctor from Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from California State University Long Beach.
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