Lela Klein

Overview

Lela Klein is the co founder and executive director of the Greater Dayton Union Co op Initiative (GDUCI) an incubator for worker owned businesses that broaden economic opportunities and strengthen blue collar communities. Lela has spent her career fighting for economic justice and equity for working people around the world. As an organizer in the labor movement Lela participated in domestic and international campaigns gaining experience with democratic worker led organizations. Prior to co founding GDUCI she was general counsel of the IUE CWA a 45000 member manufacturing union where she led major strategic projects advocated on behalf of working people and created a mentorship program to foster leadership among young manufacturing employees. Lela was also an organizer and later an attorney with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). After witnessing the destructive impact of the global recession on American workers Lela returned to her hometown of Dayton Ohio in 2012 to use her legal and organizing training to build innovative worker centered solutions. Lela holds a JD from Harvard Law School and a BA from Cornell University.