Flor Rodriguez, Executive Director
Flor Rodriguez is a workers’ rights advocate who brings over 12 years of experience in coalition building, organizing, and leadership development to CLEAN. Flor joined CLEAN as a Community Organizer in 2012 but quickly took great leadership. As Executive Director, Flor led CLEAN’s transformation from a campaign into the CLEAN Carwash Worker Center. Prior to CLEAN, Flor worked at the Institute of Popular Education of Southern California (IDEPSCA), conducting community outreach to businesses around the day laborer movement. She soon became the Program Manager for IDEPSCA’s six (6) Day Laborer Centers. Flor immigrated from Durango, Mexico, and has lived in Los Angeles since 1992. She is the daughter of immigrant workers and the eldest of two siblings. In her free time, she likes to travel with her husband and son.
Andrea Gonzalez, Organizing Director
Andrea Gonzalez hails from Cuernavaca, Morelos, and was raised in Compton, CA. She first became involved with CLEAN as an organizing intern through the Los Angeles Federation Immigrant Organizing Project in 2013. As the eldest daughter of immigrants, and an immigrant herself, Andrea connected with CLEAN’s grassroots worker center model. In 2017, she returned to CLEAN as a full-time organizer to help more carwasherxs find their voices. In 2019, Andrea led the campaign to secure a landmark $2.3 million dollar citation by the California Labor Commissioner’s Office against the Playa Vista Carwash for wage and hour violations. Andrea holds a B.A. in Chicano/a Latino/a Studies from CSULB. When she isn’t building worker power, you can find Andrea making her own flower arrangements, out in nature, or baking.
Norma Fajardo, Senior Organizer
Norma Fajardo was born in Oaxaca, Oaxaca and raised in South Central Los Angeles. Her journey at CLEAN began in 2011 with the UCLA Dream Summer, an internship program for undocumented students. It was there she first learned about the rampant wage theft and exploitation faced by carwash workers. She became an organizer from 2014-2017 and has since returned to our team in 2020. At CLEAN, she currently leads efforts to help workers collect stolen wages from the Car Wash Worker Restitution Fund. In her free time, you can find Norma dancing to her favorite music - cumbia.
Fernando Hernandez, Organizer (Inland Empire)
Fernando Hernandez was born in Mexico City and immigrated with his family to the United States when he was two years old. In 2007, Fernando became a student organizer in the social justice movement, focusing on immigration rights. He later became involved in the labor movement in 2011, which led him to an internship with CLEAN. After ten years, Fernando is back as CLEAN’s Inland Empire organizer and hopes to continue CLEAN’s amazing work of empowering carwash workers. He currently resides in the city of Ontario and during his free time, he likes to watch sports and BBQ with his family.
Carmen Gutierrez, Organizer
Carmen Gutierrez immigrated from Jalisco, Mexico to South Los Angeles at the age of five. Carmen joined CLEAN in 2021 because she believes in advocating for worker’s rights and organizing. As someone who has experienced unfair labor practices, Carmen understands the importance of empowering workers with the right tools to make lasting change themselves. She will be leading essential outreach around our COVID-19 relief programs. Carmen holds a Bachelor's in Chicanx Latinx Studies and Human Development from CSULB. On any given summer, you can find Carmen exploring the outdoors, camping, or winning in Las Vegas.
Bertha Gonzalez, Community Organizer
Bertha Gonzalez is a first-generation Mexican-Nicaraguan American from Compton, CA. She began volunteering and holding the picket lines with CLEAN in 2017. Through her experiences, Bertha was inspired by carwasherxs’ fight for justice in the nefarious carwash industry - an experience like her own mother’s battles with wage theft. Bertha was moved from ally to advocate and became a part of the CLEAN team in 2019. In addition to keeping the CLEAN office organized, Bertha leads outreach efforts with the City and County of Los Angeles, coordinating vital Know-Your-Rights workshops on topics like paid sick leave, minimum wage, public charge laws, and more. In her spare time, Bertha enjoys live music, traveling, and spending time with family.
Ivette Ocampo, Operations Manager
Ivette Ocampo was born in Ixtlan del Rio, Nayarit, Mexico and was raised in the Pico Union neighborhood in Los Angeles. Ivette became interested in working with CLEAN because of CLEAN’s dedication in dismantling and transforming the exploitative car wash industry by working alongside carwasherxs by building community power. Her father was a car washero and she saw how he bounced from job to job, due to exploitation and unjust working conditions. Since, she has had a passion for social justice, and fighting for marginalized groups of people, but especially undocumented immigrant workers. Ivette will be working as the Operations Manager, making sure that the office runs smoothly and welcoming new and returning CLEAN members. She has a bachelor's degree from UCSC in Critical Race and Ethnic Studies and in her free time, Ivette likes to work on her creative writing and poetry, as well as spending quality time with her partner, cats, friends and family.
Silvia Peralta, Workplace Outreach Organizer
Silvia Peralta was born in Puebla, Mexico, she immigrated to Los Angeles in 2018 in hopes of providing her family back in Mexico with a better life. Silvia is a car wash leader with over nine years of experience in the industry. Silvia believes that people deserve to have a safe and dignified place of work. She hopes to be a part of the change in the many injustices at carwashes. Silvia enjoys listening to audiobooks in her free time and strives to grow and learn the best she can. Silvia aspires to one day have her own business and be able to work her business together with her loved ones. Silvia continues to advocate for carwash workers and desires to change from fear to empowerment. Silvia will lead various outreach efforts and organize and advocate with workers at CLEAN Carwash Worker Center.
Carlos Amador, Economic Justice Coordinator
Carlos was born in Mexico City and came to the U.S. at the age of 14. He grew up in a working-class undocumented immigrant family in Southern California where he began organizing. Through his years of organizing, Carlos has been integral in federal, state, and local victories that have advanced the rights of immigrants including DACA, drivers’ licenses, health care access, and deportation defense, among others. He joined the CLEAN Carwash Worker Center in 2023 with the goal of supporting the incubation of economic justice projects like the CleanWash Worker Cooperative. Carlos stays involved in the community by serving on several local organizations’ boards. He cherishes the time spent with his wife and daughter watching movies, eating pizza, or planning their next road trip.
Cesar Jacobo Silvestre, Workplace Outreach Organizer
Cesar was born in Nayarit, Mexico, in a town called Jomulco. He came to the United States in the hopes of giving his family a better quality of life. In 2018, Cesar got involved with CLEAN with the help of some of his coworkers from Playa Vista Car Wash where they were experiencing unjust working conditions. CLEAN gave Cesar the support and knowledge to know his rights as a worker, regardless of his immigration status. He quickly became an active member of CLEAN, and eventually a worker leader, working towards supporting and empowering other carwashers in the carwash industry who are experiencing poor treatment and injustice. Cesar has gone to Sacramento to share his testimony to politicians about the importance of protecting workers from unfair working conditions. Along with other carwashers, Cesar helped campaign for SB 497 to be signed into state law. During his free time, Cesar enjoys exercising, running, and completing his errands.
Antonio Dominguez Alcala, Workplace Outreach Organizer
Antonio Dominguez Alcala was born and raised in Molcaxac, Puebla, Mexico, and immigrated to the United States in 1997. Like many others, he came to the United States with the hope of providing for his family. Antonio became a part of CLEAN when he and his coworkers from Playa Vista reached out to CLEAN because they were experiencing unfair working conditions and wanted to do something about it. That is when Antonio found himself becoming empowered by learning about worker’s rights. Eventually, Antonio became a worker leader in CLEAN which led him to Sacramento to speak with politicians about the importance of protecting workers in California and actively advocating for SB 497, he become a delegate with the coalition, Safety Net for All, but most importantly, he has been able to continue helping other carwash workers get empowered so that they can use their voice to speak out against injustice. Antonio is also a co-owner of the CleanWash Mobile LLC cooperative. During his free time, Antonio likes to spend it with family, play his guitar, karaoke, and play cumbias sonideras.