Political Quotes

“Next I would like to honor Jimmy Torres, community organizer and activist, and also a major member of the SEIU union. Jimmy Torres Velez grew up in Puerto Rico, where he went to public school. After he finished his bachelor's degree in labor relations at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, he went to work with migrant families in southern New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Since then, he has worked for various unions in many States and in Puerto Rico. In those years he has held various positions, including trustee, secretary-treasurer, organizing director, and AFL-CIO State director. As part of his work, he has created and developed relationships with various Puerto Rican communities. After years organizing public and private sector employees, Jimmy organized and managed the State legislative office for SEIU in Puerto Rico and cooperated with the establishment of the legislative coordinating body for the AARP as well. After moving to Florida to help with retired members of the Service Employees International Union, he became an activist of the Puerto Rican community and Latino community overall. To improve the Latino representation in our area, he organized and coordinated the Boricua Vota movement. This movement is a nonpartisan educational and mobilization tool to improve activism and civic engagement and participation of Puerto Ricans in the political process. Jimmy also organized and became president of the Puerto Rico Action Initiative.…”