Pursuing his passion for social justice, John founded the Labor Center at Los Angeles Trade Technical College (LATTC) in 1978 to teach working people how to build strong unions. By the 1990s, the Labor Center had grown to be the largest Labor Studies Program in the nation, enrolling over a thousand students annually. John also played a vital role in representing faculty as the Co-Chair of LATTC’s College Council for 12 years, ensuring adequate funding for courses and faculty by helping to establish and serve on both the College and District Budget Committees.

In his own union, the Los Angeles College Faculty Guild, AFT 1521, John served in leadership positions for over four decades. He was first elected to serve as Treasurer for 12 years, then as his college Guild President for 6 years, Political Director for 15 years, and finally Government Relations Director for 10 years. As Political Director, he actively recruited, trained, and supported the election of trustees for the LA Community College District (LACCD) who were driven to prioritize students and work with faculty in making important decisions.

Since 1982, John has represented AFT 1521 in the LA Federation of Labor AFL-CIO (LAFed), House of Representatives, which honored him in 2008. Joining with the UCLA Labor Center, he played a significant role in establishing the Dolores Huerta Labor Institute, based at Trade Tech College, which aims to provide labor education in all nine LACCD colleges.

At the state level, John served 14 years on the Board of Governors for the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges (FACCC), a professional association advocating for community college faculty statewide. During his tenure he held positions including President and PAC Chair, and was recognized for his contributions with their highest honor, the John Vasconcellos Award.

In 2003, when the state threatened to increase tuition and reduce funding, John played a crucial role in mobilizing over 10,000 students and faculty to protest at the Capitol just as he had marched almost 40 years earlier. As a result of the successful March of March, John led the Faculty Guild in establishing a Student Intern Program that continues to train 35–45 students each year in educational advocacy.

John’s unwavering dedication to empowering underserved and disadvantaged students led to his appointment by Assembly Speaker John Perez to the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) in 2012. He was subsequently elected Chair in both 2013 and 2014. When he first joined CSAC, his participation was instrumental in preventing Governor Brown from cutting $200 million in financial aid. Then during his four-year term with CSAC, financial aid funding in California increased from $1.3 billion to $2 billion annually. He also played major roles in implementing the Middle Class Scholarship and establishing the nation’s first and only Dream Act to provide financial aid to undocumented students.

Decisions around retirement have been challenging for John because of his deep commitment to continue serving students and faculty. But after over 40 years serving as Labor Center Director and a Labor Studies Professor, John retired from Trade Tech in 2017 and finally from Faculty Guild leadership positions in 2023. John and his wife Pat are longtime residents of the Silver Lake community in Los Angeles, and proud parents of two daughters. AFT 1521 thanks John for his service to education statewide.