IAM District 947 in California represents over 300 workers from various nonprofit organizations, including the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN), Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), and Inland Congregations United for Change (ICUC). These members provide legal support, education, youth leadership programs, and emergency response services to immigrant and underserved communities. Many of these union members are immigrants or children of immigrants themselves.
Jennifer Marin Esquivel, IAM District 947 Business Representative, explained that many members joined nonprofits after experiencing injustices firsthand. “We have members who joined these non-profits because they’ve lived or witnessed firsthand injustices,” said Marin Esquivel. “They’ve seen their own families and communities impacted by immigration policies. They know what’s at stake.”
Guillermo Quintanilla, CARECEN Lead Migrant Coordinator and IAM Local 201 member, described the risks involved in this work. “Yes, it can be scary… but that doesn’t mean that we’re going to stop,” said Quintanilla. “That doesn’t mean that we’re going to let ourselves be intimidated. We’re going to continue this good work… We know that we are on the right side of history.” Some nonprofits have removed employee profiles from their websites due to safety concerns amid a hostile political climate.
Quintanilla emphasized the importance of union support: “We know that the IAM Union stands with us, fights with us, and has our back, which makes all the difference. We know we are not alone in this.”
Another IAM Local 201 member noted challenges faced when leading community workshops: “It’s hard to lead informational workshops when I’m receiving threats and constantly wondering whether those threats will come true, or if I’m putting my family or others in the community at risk,” said the member who requested anonymity. “But I still have to do this work because people need to hear their rights.”
Despite such threats, IAM nonprofit workers continue organizing ‘Know Your Rights’ workshops, participating in legal observation efforts, distributing food to vulnerable families, and responding quickly during emergencies involving detention or deportation.
Marin Esquivel highlighted their commitment: “Our members are part of rapid response teams. They’re the ones running toward the threat, not away from it,” she said.
Rocio Veliz of CARECEN spoke about collective action within the union: “Now that we’re part of the IAM, there’s a deeper sense of commitment,” Veliz said. “We can lean on each other. We’ve been able to push for stronger protections, educate more families, and advocate for policy changes – together.” She added: “When one community is under attack – Black, LGBTQ+, immigrant – we all need to speak up. Silence is complicity.”
IAM District 947 has recommended embedding immigrant protections into union contracts—such as paid time off for immigration-related appointments and employer notification requirements during enforcement actions—to better protect affected workers.
Sal Vasquez, President and Directing Business Representative of District 947 stated: “The idea is simple… You shouldn’t have to sacrifice your wages or your safety to support your community or secure your own legal status. Our contracts should reflect that.”
Odette Moran from CAUSE commented on finding strength through unity: “In these uncertain and heavy times, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed – but being in a union and community means we don’t face it alone… Even when the rain feels relentless, we find strength in holding one another.”
Earlier this year at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (source), Maximo Londonio—a worker represented by IAM Local 695—was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection before being released following advocacy efforts led by his union alongside his family and immigrant rights groups.
Brian Bryant, IAM International President remarked at a rally supporting Londonio’s release: “Union rights are immigrant rights! We will be here for whatever it takes, for as long as it takes.”
Robert “Bobby” Martinez echoed similar sentiments regarding solidarity among members working at nonprofits: “Their daily fight to protect vulnerable communities reflects who we are: a union that stands for dignity, equity, and justice for all people.”
Bryant also reiterated collective resolve across locations: “From coast to coast… When one of us is targeted, we all show up.”
Mayral Lopez emphasized how unions foster leadership development rooted in real-life experience while Christian Fernando Flores described contract negotiations as empowering organizers within their communities.
Veliz summarized her perspective on union membership stating: “To me being union means protection… It means support… It means we’re not alone—and that we’re stronger when we stand together.”
