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First African-American Woman Appointed to Direct a Statewide California Local Labor Union

Damita Davis-Howard vows to organize hundreds of volunteers to reach thousands of voters to defeat Propositions 75 and 76.

(California, USA)—Damita Davis-Howard, a long time labor leader, social justice activist, and religious and community leader, has been appointed as executive director of the statewide Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 535, becoming the first African-American woman to direct a statewide local union in California.

“I’m proud to be the first African-American woman to lead a 30,000-member statewide union of this size and diversity. This is an example of the kinds of changes that SEIU and the Change To Win Federation are making,” said Davis-Howard.

Davis-Howard, who was confirmed by SEIU Local 535’s 200-member executive board, said that one of her top priorities is to organize hundreds of Local 535 volunteers to canvas their local communities and call thousands of voters to defeat all of the governor’s special election propositions. The local union is focusing on defeating Proposition 75—the initiative that would place political restrictions only on public sector workers and Proposition 76—the initiative that would give the governor sweeping new power to call a "fiscal emergency" and make unilateral budget cuts and programs.

“The governor tried to strip death and disability benefits from firefighters, police, and their widows and orphans and working people beat him,” said Davis-Howard. “He sought harsh ‘Robo-Cuts’ that would have gutted funding for public schools, tried to slash nursing ratios in hospitals putting patients at risk, and tried to roll back the wages of homecare workers to minimum wage and working people beat him. Now Arnold wants no opposition, no checks and balances. The governor must silence his opposition—the working people of California. But we will not be silenced. It’s not just politics, it’s personal.”

Davis-Howard, as SEIU Local 535 program director, has been responsible for the oversight and coordination of SEIU Local 535 strategic statewide political campaigns. SEIU Local 535 has been at the forefront in organizing against the governor's special election agenda throughout the state.

In the community, Davis-Howard has served as member and chair of the board of governors of the Alameda Alliance for Health, the organization that oversees provision of quality health care to Medi-Cal recipients and underserved children and families in Alameda County.

Davis-Howard has been married for over 20 years to Reverend William C. Howard who is pastor at Mt. First Sinai Missionary Baptist Church in East Oakland.

Davis-Howard, originally from San Francisco’s Hunters Point, resides in Oakland with her husband and two young children. She is also an alumnus from University of California at San Diego.

Davis-Howard began her career with SEIU Local 535 as an Alameda County eligibility worker. As a rank-and-file member, she was elected as SEIU Local 535 worksite shop steward and executive board member. She has been a member and officer of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists since 1990, founding member of the Ethnic and Cultural Diversity Caucus of Local 535, member of the SEIU African American Caucus, delegate to Contra Costa and Alameda County central labor councils, Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW), and the National Women’s Political Caucus. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated.

Davis-Howard joins other labor leaders reaching historic milestones this year. “The Change To Win Federation is demanding that the world, this country and our labor movement make room for Anna Burger, the first woman to head a major labor federation and Edgar Romney, the first African American to be a principal officer in a labor federation and myself to assume our rightful place as leaders,” said Davis-Howard.”

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SEIU Local 535 represents 30,000 public and
private sector workers in California.

Contact for more information: Carlos A. Rivera at 415-359-6153 or crivera @seiu535.org

Damita Davis-Howard Biography

Damita Davis-Howard has been appointed as executive director of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 535, becoming the first African-American woman to direct a statewide labor union in California. SEIU Local 535 represents more than 30,000 public and private sector workers throughout California.

Davis-Howard has served as SEIU Local 535 program director since January 2001. She has been responsible for the oversight and coordination of SEIU Local 535 strategic statewide political campaigns. In 1990, she was hired as a field representative and northern California regional director. She was the first African-American and woman to hold both the northern California regional director and program director positions in the local union’s 40 year history.

Davis-Howard began her career with SEIU Local 535 as an Alameda County eligibility worker. As a rank-and-file member, she was elected as SEIU Local 535 worksite shop steward and executive board member. She has been a member and officer of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists since 1990, founding member of the Ethnic and Cultural Diversity Caucus of Local 535, member of the SEIU African American Caucus, delegate to Contra Costa and Alameda County central labor councils, and is a member of the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW), and the National Women’s Political Caucus. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated.