This month, hundreds of SEIU members from every local and every corner of California showed up, spoke out, and charted the course ahead for our union at the quadrennial SEIU California convention, “Democracy Is Union Made.” Delegates approved core commitments put together by a select committee of SEIU members that will guide us in the years ahead as we set our legislative and electoral priorities. During the convention, members collaborated, spoke up, and finalized our commitments. CFA’s own Melina Abdullah, Michelle Ramos Pellicia, and President Margarita Berta-Ávila were among the committee delegates and presenters.  

CFA members at the SEIU convention

The core commitments were: 

  • Defend our democracy and freedoms 
  • Protect our communities from federal assaults and cuts 
  • Grow our union and our movement to build power for working people 
  • Make California a place where working families thrive 

President Berta-Ávila also facilitated the “Defending Immigrant Communities” panel, alongside SEIU Local 99 Executive Director Max Arias. This panel featured Angelica Salas, executive director of CHIRLA; Flor Melendrez, executive director of the CLEAN Carwash Campaign; Becky Belcore, co-director of NAKASEC; and Martha Arevalo, executive director of CARECEN and TPS Alliance. The panel centered on the work being done to protect our immigrant workers and communities throughout the state, and what work needs to be done in order to continue the fight for immigrant rights.  

To conclude the convention, President Berta-Ávila was awarded the SEIU CA Purple Bear Activist Award to recognize the work and leadership she has demonstrated during her time with CFA and among her communities. 

Dr. Margarita Berta-Ávila exemplifies the heart, courage, and commitment this award honors. A proud Xicana from El Salvador and Peru, and CFA’s first Xicana president, she has spent more than two decades advancing equity, justice, and dignity for faculty, students, and working families. Her leadership builds inclusive spaces, models compassionate accountability, and inspires members to act with courage, care, and solidarity. For her visionary leadership, her lifelong commitment to justice, and her unwavering belief in the transformative power of our union, she is deeply deserving of this honor. 

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