“I am very proud to be a part of this group and of this Union”
Vacaville – Twelve of sixteen soccer team captains met at the Union Hall on Thursday, March 13th to plan the 2025 IBEW 1245 Soccer Tournament-Family Day and to learn about Immigrant Worker Rights At Work.
The event – inaugurated in 2012 – has become an annual highlight, building union camaraderie and a day of fun for the entire family.
IBEW 1245 Soccer Team Captains & Staff
Sixteen teams from twelve different companies will be joined by the California -Nevada JATC and a first ever staff team. As in years past, the day will include kids’ games and events, including kids’ soccer, face painting, Connect 4, relay races, and much more. A raffle, the salsa cook off and dessert bake off are major hits every year.
“This event has always been my passion. My goal is to make it a family day. Members bring their families, their brother, a sister, a friend, and celebrate our Union and the brotherhood,” shared IBEW 1245 Business Representative Francisco Ferreryra.
Jose Jesus Reyes, a Line Clearance Tree Trimmer from Arborworks in Sonora, stated, “I like the environment. It’s a day of relaxing, stress free, with friends and co-workers.” This is Reyes’ fifth year serving as a team captain
Team captains volunteer their time and are selected based on their leadership and the mutual respect they enjoy from co-workers. They are tasked with building team rosters, building participation, and promoting the spirit of the day. They are also ambassadors, providing a vital line of communication between the Union and their co-workers about soccer and work-related issues.
In addition to reviewing the elements of this year’s soccer tournament, staff delivered a presentation entitled “Immigrant Rights at Work,” underlining the fact that all workers – documented or not – enjoy basic protections under the U.S. Constitution and California state law.
Israel Gonzalez, a Vegetation Management Inspector out of Fresno noted, “This is my first meeting with the Union. I am very moved by today’s agenda. I am very proud to be part of this group and part of this Union.”
Ferreyra added, “Today’s meeting was a unifier…it was a leadership building exercise. It is essential to have members in the field spreading the word about the soccer tournament and about our rights.”