Latino Union of Chicago has celebrated 25 years of empowering Latino workers in Chicago, and in its anniversary documentary, former volunteer and board member Fr. Tom Long, CSV, helped pay tribute.
Fr. Tom appeared in the documentary to reflect on his volunteering and the organization’s mission.
“I sincerely wish that [the union] continues to advocate and to grow, because they are especially needed in these particular times,” Fr. Tom said in the video. “Don’t let disappointments or setbacks cripple you. Don’t give in to cynicism. Don’t give up hope.”
Latino Union gathers day laborers and household workers in Chicago and works to educate them in relevant skills, teach them their rights as workers, and partner with them to secure just employment. When Fr. Tom moved back to Chicago from California about 20 years ago, he learned about the organization while studying Spanish and quickly sought to get involved.
“The Albany Park Workers’ Center was a place where day laborers could gather to get warm, have some coffee, and use the bathrooms. They offered basic construction classes to refine skills, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes to learn to write, and more,” Fr. Tom said.
The center certified the skills of these workers and facilitated contracts with employers. These agreements ensured a just wage with safeguards against wage theft and also spelled out safe working conditions, including safety equipment and breaks.
Fr. Tom became a volunteer ESL teacher. “I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a delight. I told them right from the beginning that we’re all equals here. The best way to learn is for us all to teach each other,” Fr. Tom said. “I always told them that if they had a question, I wanted to hear it. Unless they told me what they needed, I couldn’t fully help them.”
Fr. Tom was particularly intentional about practicing job interviews – not just vocabulary and grammar but also the soft skills. “I would advise them that, in the US, it’s important to look a potential employer right in the eye and share how your skills can meet the employer’s need,” Fr. Tom said. “We’d practice the interview and important questions such as those about pay, safety equipment, and safe conditions. And then I’d encourage them to use the language, to practice it regularly.”
Fr. Tom resides on the north side of Chicago and contributes to a number of immigration advocacy and accompaniment efforts. He also serves as editor of Viatorian periodicals and contributes to community leadership, including on the Board of Trustees at Saint Viator High School – pictured here concelebrating Baccalaureate Mass in 2025.
Later, Fr. Tom was invited to join the board and served for several years. Though he is not on the board or in the classroom anymore, the mission remains essential for him. He recalls one demonstration when he participated alongside Latino Union members, and Fr. Tom relished how it was both advocacy and an ESL lesson. “I marched with them in a downtown immigration demonstration with a sign that read, ‘They said “go back” and we say “fight back,”’ Fr. Tom said. “I reminded them: look at the phrasal verbs and social use!”
Over the years, Fr. Tom brought Viatorians to Latino Union events and encouraged members to teach the mission to his religious brothers. Additionally, when he made social justice grant requests on behalf of the organization, the Viatorians frequently provided support.
As a member of a small religious congregation who is often ministering apart from his brothers in such outreach, Fr. Tom values the steadfast support. “We’re a small group, so when we go to various places to minister, we may be alone. However, we go out while having the whole community behind us.”
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