Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) in California are playing a significant role in supporting immigrant and vulnerable communities through their work at nonprofit organizations. These IAM District 947 members, many of whom are immigrants or children of immigrants, are employed at groups such as the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN), Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), and Inland Congregations United for Change (ICUC). Their work includes providing legal support, education, youth leadership programs, and emergency response services to underserved populations.
Jennifer Marin Esquivel, IAM District 947 Business Representative, said, “We have members who joined these non-profits because they’ve lived or witnessed firsthand injustices. They’ve seen their own families and communities impacted by immigration policies. They know what’s at stake.”
IAM Local 201 member and CARECEN Lead Migrant Coordinator Guillermo Quintanilla added, “Yes, it can be scary… but that doesn’t mean that we’re going to stop. 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.” He also stated, “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.”
The current political climate has created risks for those working in these nonprofits. Some organizations have removed employee profiles from their websites due to concerns about safety. One IAM Local 201 member shared concerns about leading informational workshops while facing threats: “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,” the member said. “But I still have to do this work because people need to hear their rights.”
Despite these challenges, IAM nonprofit workers remain committed to their mission. Their activities include organizing ‘Know Your Rights’ workshops, participating in legal observation efforts, distributing food to families in need, and responding quickly during emergencies related to detention or deportation.
Marin Esquivel explained that union members are actively involved on the ground: “Our members are part of rapid response teams. They’re the ones running toward the threat, not away from it. They go to day labor centers and rallies, they record raids, they educate their neighbors. They are on the ground every single day.”
Rocio Veliz, an IAM Local 201 member and CARECEN Senior Parenting Organizer said: “Now that we’re part of the IAM, there’s a deeper sense of commitment. We can lean on each other. We’ve been able to push for stronger protections, educate more families, and advocate for policy changes – together.” Veliz also stated: “As a steward, I’ve been able to learn about those rights and pass them on to the parents and youth I work with. When one community is under attack – Black, LGBTQ+, immigrant – we all need to speak up. Silence is complicity.”
IAM District 947 has encouraged Locals and allied unions to include specific immigrant protections within union contracts—such as paid time off for immigration-related appointments and requirements for employers to notify unions about unlawful enforcement actions.
Sal Vasquez, President and Directing Business Representative of District 947 said: “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 noted: “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 Maximo Londonio—a member of IAM Local 695—was detained by U.S Customs at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport before eventually being released following advocacy by his union alongside his family’s employer and immigrant rights groups.
At a rally calling for Londonio’s release Brian Bryant—IAM International President—said: “Union rights are immigrant rights! We will be here for whatever it takes; for as long as it takes.”
Robert “Bobby” Martinez—the General Vice President of IAM Western Territory—stated: “The work our IAM Union non-profit members do isn’t just about providing services – it’s about living our union’s core values… Their daily fight reflects who we are: a union that stands for dignity equity justice for all people… Because in our union solidarity knows no boundaries.”
Bryant reiterated this message saying: “From coast-to-coast the IAM message is clear—we will not allow fear hatred or broken policies divide us… When one of us is targeted we all show up; when one is silenced we all speak out.”
IAM members working within nonprofits also address issues such as housing instability economic injustice—and promote leadership rooted in lived experience.
Mayral Lopez—IAM Local 201 Secretary-Treasurer—remarked: “The union has created new spaces for leadership… Knowing our rights helps everyone—even beyond the non-profit world.” Lopez continued: “Because union values don’t just belong in one workplace—they belong in every part of our community…”
Christian Fernando Flores—IAM Local 201 member—said: “The most empowering thing I’ve done as an organizer was getting deeply involved in breathing accountability into a living document—the union contract.”
Veliz summarized her perspective 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.”
