This year’s Salute to Labor honored the many women of the California Labor movement who fight every day for stronger communities and better lives for workers.

Salute to Labor honors women fighting for workers

Labor Bulletin December 18, 2024January 6, 2025

By Sheri Williams

Hundreds of members of the family of Labor gathered together for the annual Salute to Labor dinner in November, this year honoring the contributions of women to the union movement.

“The labor movement has always been powered by the courage and resilience of women,” Sacramento Central Labor Council Executive Director Fabrizio Sasso said. “They’ve been the architects of change, the voices that have spoken up when others were afraid, and the hands that have built a stronger, fairer world for all working people. From the early days of organizing garment workers and farm laborers to today’s fights for Healthcare For All, equitable wages, and workplace protections, women have led the way with vision, passion, and an unshakeable commitment to economic and social justice.”

The evening honored the women of IBEW 1245; Assemblymember Liz Ortega; President of the California Federation of Labor Lorena Gonzalez-Fletcher; and Teresa Villasenor, who has been the backbone of the Sacramento Central Labor Council for more than two decades—along with dozens of other leaders in the area in both elected office and unions.

“I’d be lying if I said this has been an easy month, that since election day I haven’t been like, ‘What just happened?’” Gonzalez-Fletcher told the crowd. “I think we have to acknowledge how shocking and upsetting this election was.”

Gonzalez-Fletcher then focused on the future, and the need to reaffirm that the Labor Movement is for all workers, and is independent of political parties.

“We have to be the voice for the working class,” she said. “Maybe for too long we’ve been a little too aligned with a party and haven’t distinguished ourselves. … When Democrats are wrong, we are going to say it. And when Republicans are wrong, which is most of the time, we are going to say it.”

Gonzalez-Fletcher continued, “We understand why people are actually upset. You can joke all you want about the price of bacon and eggs, but that’s a real problem.”

Gonzalez-Fletcher is the first woman and first person of color to serve as President of the California Labor Federation. She assumed leadership in July 2022.

Assemblymember Liz Ortega also addressed the crowd.

“I’m going to fight like hell to keep California California,” she promised.

Ortega represents District 20, one of the most ethnically diverse districts in the state, which includes Hayward, San Leandro, most of Union City, portions of Dublin and Pleasanton. A longtime labor and community leader, Ortega has dedicated over 20 years of her career to advocating for working families.

In the legislature, Ortega has focused on addressing the affordability crisis and supporting healthy communities. As Chair of the Labor and Employment Committee, she has focused on the Legislature’s important oversight role, holding public hearings on protecting workers’ rights, enforcing workplace safety laws, and artificial intelligence in the workplace.

One of the most compelling speeches of the night came from the Sacramento Central Labor Council’s Teresa Villasenor, who was honored for her more than 25 years of service to the labor movement.

“Each of you inspires me and reminds me of the strength, resilience and vision that women bring to our work and our communities every day,” Villasenor said. “Together we share a mission of lifting up workers and fighting for equity, dignity and opportunity for all.”

Villasenor continued, “I believe in standing up for those who do not have a voice and advocating for fair treatment and working for a future where every worker is respected and valued.”

Villasenor started her career in Labor at UA Local 447 after graduating from Heald Business College in 1998 with her AA in Accounting. In the Fall of 1999, she interviewed with Bill Camp (past Executive Secretary of the SCLC) and Charles Cake (IBEW Local 340), who offered her a job at the Sacramento Central Labor Council as the Office Administrator. More than 25 years later she still holds this position.

During her career at the Sacramento CLC, Teresa has been an advocate in her workplace and has contributed her time and energy to promoting workers’ rights and supporting the Labor movement whenever needed. She also spent some years as the area Shop Steward for OPEIU Local 29, to help her union siblings have a safe place and fair treatment in the workplace.

In her role as Office Administrator, she has been a leader in fundraising efforts for the Council, has facilitated and recruited volunteers to help organize events for the Council such as the Salute to Labor Gala, Labor Day Picnic, Crab Feed event, Christmas programs and California State Fair, among many others. Her work in the community and with union members has benefited many union families and promotes solidarity among workers.

Villasenor has been a single parent most of her career and is most thankful to the Labor community for giving her the resources, opportunities, and stability to thrive, allowing her to provide for her children and be the best kind of mother and grandmother to her seven grandchildren. Teresa will continue building meaningful friendships and helping others as she has for years.

The Gala also honored the women of IBEW 1245.

IBEW 1245 represents upwards of 28,000 members from 63 private and public entities, Utilities, Outside Line General Construction, Line Clearance Tree Trimming, and Manufacturing. It is recognized as a powerhouse of organizing and solidarity.

Under Business Manager Bob Dean’s leadership, the role of women has only expanded. The number of women on staff has more than doubled. What began with two full time organizers in 2009 has expanded to four full-time organizers in 2024, two of whom are women. Women play pivotal roles across the organization, including on the Executive Board, Advisory Council, and as shop stewards, safety stewards, organizing stewards and trustees.

IBEW 1245 is one of the few IBEW locals who has elected the first woman President, Cecelia de la Torre. Recently, IBEW 1245 has formed its first Women’s Committee. This year, 57 Organizing Stewards staffed eight Central Labor Councils and joined the AFL-CIO in Nevada and Pennsylvania for the General Election.

The evening also served as a tribute to former SCLC head Bill Camp, who passed away earlier this year after a battle with cancer.

Camp served as Executive Secretary of the Sacramento Central Labor Council for many years, leading the organization with a deep belief that every worker deserved dignity, fair wages and a voice on the job.

Beyond fighting for unions, Camp was a fighter for social justice. He understood that the battle for workers’ rights was inherently tied to the broader struggles for racial and economic equality and civil rights. Under his leadership, the Labor Council became a powerful force not just for union workers but for all who faced oppression and hardship, here and abroad. Camp’s tireless advocacy for working families was rooted in his profound compassion and his moral conviction that no one should be left behind.

He marched in the streets, organized in union halls, and lobbied in the halls of power with the same passion and energy. His presence was a fixture at picket lines, community forums, and at every place where the fight for justice was being waged. But more than his accomplishments, Camp will be remembered for the relationships he built. He was a mentor to countless young organizers and a friend to all who sought a better world. His legacy lives on in the movements he helped build, the lives he touched, and the future generations of labor leaders he inspired.