“I had an issue at work. I thought if I sit down and do nothing, things are not going to change. With a union we have job protections. We have rights. And, together, we can continue to do more. No one should be afraid to speak up.”
Olga Hernandez, Cafeteria Worker at John Burroughs Middle School
“My very first job was working at Target. My job was to collect all the shopping carts and bring them into the store. I was making minimum wage and had no benefits. And my safety was in danger. Several times I almost got hit by the cars in the lot. I had no help. After three weeks my boss called me in and said I wasn’t bringing the carts in fast enough and he was letting me go. I was an 'at will' employee, which meant he could fire me at any time for no reason. That opened up my eyes. I felt like I was just a puppet. I never want to have that feeling again.”
Bart Weil, Special Education Assistant at Stephen White Middle School
“The increase to a $15 minimum wage at LAUSD was big. It’s good for my family and good for the community. I work with parents and I know there is poverty in the community. Sometimes I help raise money to help parents pay for the school uniform or even for food. When we raise wages, we raise the quality of life for students.”
Rhonda Adway, Community Representative at Crenshaw High School
“I believe in strength in numbers. And I also believe that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. We need to always work on staying strong and united. That’s how we will keep on succeeding.”
Sovietina Lozoya, Secretary, Division of Student Programs at LACOE
“I’m going to have more conversations with my co-workers and other union sisters and brothers. We all need to know our rights and understand the power of our union. I’m also going to tell more union members why I think it’s so important to contribute to our COPE political fund. It’s really how we can make our voices heard in politics. People are struggling too hard. We need to get things back on track for working people.”
Shytovia Jernigan, Custodian at Pierce College
“When we all stand together, it’s powerful. I want to see us really push to improve the quality of life at our workplaces and throughout Los Angeles. People should not have to sacrifice so much just to have so little.”
Angel Sosa, Teacher at California State Preschool of Downey
“I want us to feel strong. It’s going to take all of us sticking together—that’s the only way to get rid of the fear of standing up to our supervisors and asking for the support, equipment and supplies we need to care for our students.”
Audrey Grant, Health Care Assistant at Plasencia Elementary School
“Without a strong union, we could lose everything. The district wouldn’t have to guarantee us our working conditions, like breaks and equipment. They could take away our healthcare. I’m all in for my union because I want to BUILD on what we have, not lose a little bit every year.”
Sandra Lee, LAUSD Heavy Bus Driver
