The United Latinos of the UFCW held its 2025 Education Conference in San Diego on August 7 to 9. The event brought together UFCW leaders, activists, and members from across North America and Canada to engage in meaningful conversations around immigration policy, labor rights, and union power.
The three-day event kicked off with a welcome from United Latinos of the UFCW President Martin Rosas; UFCW Canada National President and International Secretary-Treasurer Shawn Haggerty; and United Latinos of the UFCW leaders and officers from UFCW Locals 888, 663, and UFCW Canada. Attendees enjoyed a packed agenda that featured dynamic panels, educational breakout sessions, and guest speakers focused on protecting and empowering immigrant members in today’s political climate.
Dr. Natalia Navas of Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations delivered two keynote addresses exploring the intersection of precarious immigration status and employment, as well as the broader debates shaping current immigration policy. Additional panels, including “Unity Among Latinos,” moderated by UFCW Local 888 Secretary-Treasurer Rosalba Perez and “Waves of Change,” moderated by UFCW Counsel for Immigration Law and Policy Monica Vargas- Huertas, addressed the importance of overcoming divisions based on nationality and immigration status to build political power and the critical role the labor movement and immigration advocacy groups play in building solidarity. Vital information was shared during breakout sessions on understanding immigration status, non-immigrant temporary status, and worker rights and protections.
UFCW International President Milton Jones closed out the conference with an inspiring keynote address at the Saturday evening dinner, where he reaffirmed our union’s commitment to protecting immigrant workers under increasingly hostile policies.
“Our diversity makes us stronger,” Jones said. “We have members who are permanent residents, guest workers, refugees, asylum seekers, and folks who have temporary or humanitarian status. When we stand up for the most vulnerable among us, we raise the floor for everyone. When we defend due process for one, we defend democracy for all. That’s what union power looks like.”
More to Come in 2025
Other UFCW constituency groups will be hosting their own conferences later this year and registration is currently open. The UFCW OUTreach conference will take place on October 3 to 5 in Philadelphia and more information is available here. The UFCW Minority Coalition will hold their 27th Annual Education Conference and Ball on November 14 to 16 in Washington, D.C., and you can get more information here. A short video about the UFCW Minority Coalition’s conference is available here.
