Additional Pictures from the 2007 Latino Caucus Conference... Saturday, September 15, 2007 Another year has gone by and we are once again here for the Annual International Latino Caucus Conference. President Jose G. Guerrero opens the 2007 Conference at 9:45am, a little delay but we started. President Guerrero introduces the Executive Committee. Attendees introduced themselves. I see a lot of new and familiar faces this year. It is cool to see new people at these conferences, which means that the Latino Caucus is only growing. Brother Guerrero announced all the committees. Brother Guerrero introduces ATU International President Warren George. Brother George impressed on the Latino Caucus. Our obligation to organize. Somebody did it for us we need to do it for the next person. Changes are important, we are on the right move. We are moving forward. Brother Guerrero introduces International Vice President Bob Baker. Brother Baker welcomes us to this year's conference Brother Guerrero introduces International Vice President Javier Perez Jr. Brother Perez welcomes us. Brother Guerrero introduces International Vice President Ken Kirk. Brother Kirk welcomes us and will always support us. Brother Guerrero introduces Former International President Jimmy LaSala. Brother LaSala welcomes us and is greeted with a standing ovation. This Union is not a single individual, we must work together as a team weather you like each other or not! Don't let a disgruntled person destroy what you have worked for work with that disgruntled person. Remember solidarity, but you have to be behind the leaders to take us in the right direction. Brother Guerrero introduces Former Executive Vice President Ellis Franklin. Brother Franklin wishes us the very best. Brother Guerrero introduces Executive Vice President Michael Siano. Brother Siano welcomes us. Says if you don't know where you came from, you will never know where you are going. You know what you got to do, so go out and do it. Conference goes on break till 11:15am. Brother Guerrero reconvenes the Conference at 11:15am, with Brother Boyd announcing this year's drawings. Asking his Committee to come up and help. Brother Guerrero introduce International Representative Ray Rivera. Brother Rivera welcomes us and wants everyone to get involved. Brother Guerrero introduces International Representative Marcellis Barns. Brother Barns welcomes us and wants us to move forward as one. Brother Guerrero introduces International Representative Yvette Salazar. Sister Salazar welcomes us, and thanks the Executive Committee for putting on another successful conference. Sister Salazar wants you to challenge everyone to get involved. Brother Guerrero announces this year's Ceasar Chavez Award goes to Linda Chavez Thompson, Executive Vice President AFL-CIO. Receiving the award is members of ATU Local 694. Business Session commences, Recording Secretary Corrina De La Torre takes roll call. Minutes from last conference approved and passed. Minutes from last year's Executive Meeting in Denver, Co approved and passed. Minutes from Executive Meeting in Queens, NY approved and passed. Legislative Bills open forum. Motion to accept all Committee's Report as written. Motion carried and passed. Conference goes to lunch until 1:00pm. Brother Guerrero reconvenes the Conference at 1:15pm with the first raffle drawings. Legal Counsel advised Brother Guerrero that he should takes questions on the Executive Committee's Reports. Business session resumes by discussing and voting on the three (3) by-law changes. Motion made on the floor to suspend Regular order of business and to go into nominations of the Executive Committee, but before we start the nominations we have a special late guest to arrive. Brother Guerrero Introduces International Secretary/Treasurer Oscar Owens. Brother Owens welcomes you to Las Vegas. It's a pleasure to speak with you today. ATU is on the move, and it's on the right move. Brother Owens challenges everyone to organize, as he says even though he is the International Secretary/Treasurer he is still a bus driver and an Activist. Thank you for coming. Nominations for the Executive Committee: PRESIDENT Jose Guerrero - 86% Ralph Niz - 14% VICE PRESIDENT Ed Figueroa UNOPPOSED TREASURER David Benavides UNOPPOSED RECORDING SECRETARY Corina De La Torre - 54% Carlos Acevedo - 46% WEST REGION Antonio Vargas - 53% Kimn Lucero - 47% MIDWEST REGION Wilson Rios - 62% Jose Carlos Colon - 38% NORTHEAST REGION Juan Orta UNOPPOSED SOUTHEAST REGION Julio Santana - 71% Bernardo Menendez - 29% SOUTHWEST REGION Juan Fernandez UNOPPOSED NORTHWEST REGION Jose Villahermosa UNOPPOSED CANADIAN REGION Fitzroy Boyd UNOPPOSED Conference goes on break till 3:00pm... Brother Guerrero reconvenes conference with announces International Vice President Tommy Mullins. Brother Mullins welcomes us. Appreciates the time to talk to us. Brother Guerrero announces next set of raffles. Reports of Committee's- Latino Issues and Organizations by Ralph Niz COPE - by Jose Villahermosa Conference Committee by Corina De La Torre and Jose Guerrero Webpage Committee by Jose Villahermosa Goals and Objective by Ed Figueroa Scholarship Committee by David Benavides Sergeant of Arms Committee reports everyone is behaving and it is appreciated. Welfare Committee by Fitzroy Boyd, since we are on the subject lets pick some more numbers. Brother Guerrero starts the Old business session. Allentown, PA hosts the 19th Annual Latino Caucus Conference, September 25-28, 2008. Conference call will be out soon. The whole city is excited and will welcome us with open arms. Conference moves on to New Business. Midwest Region Executive, Wilson Rios awards Darlene Darla Velez with a plaque of thank you for all her work and time that she puts into both the Chicago Latino Chapters. Conference goes on break... Brother Guerrero does some drawings. Brother Guerrero acknowledges International Vice President Chuck Cook and International Vice President Janis Borchardt in attendance. Now on to the election of your Executive Committee. The elections process has begun no one is allowed into the Conference while the election process is going on.......................................... The Ballots are closed. Brother Guerrero goes into the Welfare of the Latino Caucus. What does that mean? We want to know from you what direction this Caucus goes. This is your opportunity to let us know what we need to add or any comments regarding the Caucus. Antonio Valas suggests expanding the Midwest Region. Would like the Executive Committee to support them in this expansion financially. Julio Santana always looks for the membership to grow. He has seen ups and downs, need to set our minds to commit to growing this membership. It starts with him, will do the best he can. 2009 will be the Latino Caucus 20th Anniversary. We are exploring the idea of trying to do something special. We will get some slack but we believe we are worth it. Stay tuned to what we have plan. COPE total for the 2007 Conference was $803. Thank you to all this is a record. As we are waiting for the ballots to be counted let's do some raffles. Fitzroy Boyd thanks the following Locals for their donations Local 694, 308, 956, 583, 241, 256, 1464, 1056 and 758. The bottle of wine was donated by Juan and Susan Porter. The ballots are in. Your Executive Committee for the International Latino Caucus for the next three (3) years: PRESIDENT JOSE GUERRERO VICE PRESIDENT ED FIGUEROA TREASURER DAVID BENAVIDES RECORDING SECRETARY CORINA DE LA TORRE WEST REGION ANTONIO VARGAS MIDWEST REGION WILSON RIOS NORTHEAST REGION JUAN ORTA SOUTHEAST REGION JULIO SANTANA SOUTHWEST REGION JUAN FERNANDEZ NORTHWEST REGION JOSE VILLAHERMOSA CANADIAN REGION FITZROY BOYD Brother Guerrero calls motion to accept the receipts and expenditures. Motion made and carried. President Jose G. Guerrero adjourns the 18th Annual International Latino Caucus Conference at 5:30pm. We will see you next year in Allentown, PA.