LABOR DAY: In celebration of Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 3,
2012, I would like to give recognition to the many dedicated Hispanic Labor Leaders. All of these Hispanic Unionists have fought
and are fighting to continue the improvement of wages, hours, working
conditions and benefits for workers. Their
dedication, hard work and involvement in their Union helped create the
middle class in America.
I CAN ATTEST to the fact that organizing and
representing workers requires hard work and perseverance. My experience is
based on the fact that I was formerly the President of the Chicago
Typographical Union No. 16/CWA 14408, elected during the1985 Chicago
Tribune strike. I have the
distinction of being the only Mexican-American elected President of CTU #16. For 10 years, I was elected the Recording Secretary and Organizer of my Union
and served as delegate in both the State AFL-CIO and Chicago Federation of Labor
for 17 years. Also, for 12 years as Secretary Treasurer of the Chicago Allied Printing Trades Council. In total I was elected 13 times to Union office.
IN 1973, State AFL-CIO President Stanley Johnson appointed me to
represent Illinois Hispanic labor at the National Constitutional Convention of
the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement [LCLAA] held in Albuquerque,
New Mexico. It was an honor for me to represent Hispanic labor of Illinois. Presently, I am the President/founder of the Hispanic American
Labor Council. HALC was organized October 21, 1973.
Jorge Ramirez President, CFL |
ALL OF THE Hispanic labor leaders whom I have had the honor of knowing over the
many years in my Union career have a common trait; they are all active within
their Unions. They hold the positions of Union Officers, Business Managers,
Presidents, Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer, Sgt.-at-Arms, Trustees, Union Representatives, Organizers, Shop Stewards and Union
delegates; and each of them work faithfully in organizing campaigns, negotiating
contracts, serving as strike captains or coordinators, attending many Union
meetings, serving on Union committees and participating in Union elections. They
spend weeks, months and years toiling in the field to organize the unorganized
worker. Their involvement is the backbone of their respective Unions.
HERE are their
names and Union affiliations:
JORGE RAMIREZ, son of Mexican immigrants, is President
of the Chicago Federation of Labor. Ramirez has a law degree from the
Chicago-Kent College of Law and graduated as a student scholarship athlete from
the University of Texas at El Paso in 1993 with a double major in marketing and
computer information system.
Jesse M. Rios Sgt. -at- Arms, CFL |
RAMIREZ was previously the
Secretary-Treasurer of the Federation. Prior to joining the CFL, was elected
Vice President and served as Executive Director of Local 1546 of the United
Food and Commercial Workers International. He serves on numerous commissions
and boards.
JESSE M. RIOS, formerly the President of the American
Federal Government Employees Union, Local No. 648 [AFGE] and presently serving
on the Executive Board of the Chicago Federation of Labor holding the position
of Sgt. of Arms. He was an active Union
member with the United Auto Workers Union prior to becoming the President of
Local 648. He is very knowledgeable on issues affecting Unions and the middle
class. Jesse is the Vice-President of the Hispanic American Labor Council and
he lives in Pilsen.
Jose A. Caez Business Mgr., IBEW 1031 |
JOSE A. CAEZ is the Business Manager/Financial
Secretary of the IBEW Local 1031. Jose’s Union was the largest electrical workers
Union in the State of Illinois. He has been active in his Union for many years
and served on numerous Union committees. Presently, he is a delegate to the
Chicago Federation of Labor and serves on the National Labor Council for Latin
American Advancement [LCLAA] Executive Board and Treasurer of the Hispanic
American Labor Council.
Jose Guerrero Nat. LCLAA Ex. Bd. |
JOSE GUERRERO is
a member of the Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 241. He was formerly the Vice
President of Local 241 and active in Union affairs for many years. He is presently
a member of the Executive Board of the National Labor Council for Latin
American Advancement [LCLAA]. In his
retirement, Jose remains a strong advocate for the causes of the United Farm
Workers of America. Jose said: “I’m proud to be a Union member”.
HISPANIC
LABOR LEADERS past and present:
Francisco Montalvo, Jr., UPE Local
2287, University Professional Employees; Ricardo
Loza, SEIU Local 73; Victor E.
Gonzalez, Chicago Teachers Union, Local 1; Leo Velez Panatsis, HERE Local 450; Niebes Guerrero, Operating Engineers, Local 143; Joe Govea, I.B.E.W. Local 134; Geno Rodriguez, Teamsters Local 714; Raul Cantu, UFCW 881; Oscar Davila, Carpenters, Local 10; Rene Rodriguez, Sheet Metal Workers’
Local 73; Hector Hernandez,
Teamsters Local 700; Herman Cortez,
Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 308; Able
Camacho, ATU 241.
ANDY GASCA,
Bricklayers Union; Charles Cordero,
UAW Local 719; David B. Torres,
County Municipal Employee’s, Supervisors & Foreman Union, Local 100; Henry C. Flores*, Plumbers, Local 130; Ramon Bercerra, IBEW 134; Ronald Maydon, SEIU 73; Julia A. Gutierrez, I.B.E.W. 134; John Chico*, United Steel Workers of
America, Local 65; John G. Agrela,
Sheet Metal Workers Union, Local 115; Ruben
Almendarez, IBEW Local 134; Christina
Barillas, Plumbers Local 130; Angel
Del Rivero, Operating Engineers, Local 150; Luis Tovar, IBEW 134.
JOHN
GARCIA, ILGWU; Alicia Padilla,
Teamsters Local 743; Fred Hernandez,
Local I.U.E.C. Local 2; Arthur A.
Velasquez, United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiner of America; Philip Gonzalez, AFSCME Local 368; Daniel C. Gasca Jr., H.E.R.E. Local 1; Mike Garcia*, I.B.E.W. Local 134; Maurico
Villasenor, Plasters Local 74; Jose
M. Reyes, Plasters Local 5; Eleazar
Garza, Plaster Union, Local 5; Sergio Segura, United Steel Workers; Carlos Quinones, Plumbers Local 130; Sylvia Salas, ASFME Local 2856; Jose Barrios, IBEW 134; Juan Jose Hernandez, Laborers Local 681; Jose
L. Hernandez, Laborers Intl. Local 681, Joe Sallas, Ironworkers Local 1; Alfredo Martinez, United Steelworkers of America; Hortensia Cartlidge, SEIU #73.
JOSE ZAMARRIPA, Jr., Laborers Local
681; Robert Mendez*, Machinist
Union; Fernandez Ruiz, Jr., Laborers Union; Leo Esparza, Local 118; Juan J.
Hernandez, Laborers Local 2; Miguel
Arias*, National AFL-CIO Representative; Robert Murillo*, USWA Local 65; Daniel Cabrera*, SEIU; James Ramirez, Teamsters Local 710; Eli Medina, SEIU Local 73; Peter Mendoza, AFSCME Local 1866, Sergio Monterrubio, UFCW 881. Hispanic labor leaders are the unsung
heroes in our society; struggling in the trenches of the labor movement. *Deceased.
In celebration of Labor Day is this oil painting of Union ironworkers by a realist
painter, Garin Baker, New York, New York 1961. This painting hangs on the wall in
the Galter Pavilion, second floor, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago.
A wall plaque reads: “Baker painted large urban cityscapes…At the core of his
work is his understanding of people and their relationship to the environment.
Baker’s work celebrates the human spirit.”