MIKE ZEPEDA

1925-2003

A labor, civil rights and Democratic leader who influenced the nation, Mike Zepeda organized for AFSCME and was a leader in the Coastal Bend Labor Council during a labor career that spanned decades. 

Zepeda began his half-century labor career as a member of the Steelworkers Local 4813, working for Reynolds Metal Co. He later was a plaintiff in three significant civil rights cases, including lawsuits that desegregated Corpus Christi schools and paved the way for minority representation on the City Council and School Board. While representing a wide range of public employees, Zepeda served with distinction as the president of the Texas Labor Council for Latin America Advancement. Zepeda was also a member of the Texas AFL-CIO Scholarship Committee and served as a retiree coordinator. 

A World War II veteran who served in the Philippines Islands, Zepeda was well known for leading programs that delivered goods and services to needy students in Corpus Christi and elsewhere. Zepeda marched with UFW leader Cesar Chavez and carried the same spirit in everything he touched.