PAUL MONTEMAYOR

1918-1978

Paul Montemayor’s career with organized labor began in 1952 when he joined the United Steelworkers (USW) and helped organize aluminum plants in the Southwest.

Elected international representative in 1958, he served in that capacity until 1968, when he transferred to the Steelworkers’ civil rights office in Pittsburgh. He also served on the Texas Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. 

In 1973, he helped organize the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), a national organization founded by the AFL-CIO to promote participation of workers of Latin descent, and their families, in all phases of the union movement and the nation’s political process. 

In 1974, Brother Montemayor went to Washington, D.C. to head the council as executive director. He resigned from that position in April of 1977 because of illness and returned to Corpus Christi, where he resided until his untimely death in 1978.