Member profile: Veronica Gonzalez-Morales

Some leaders are born, while others are developed. Veronica Gonzalez-Morales is one of the latter.

A Physical Therapy Assistant at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in San Pedro for eight years, Veronica has taken a leadership role among her coworkers. She pushed for the unionization effort in 2023 and was part of the bargaining team that negotiated the facility’s first union contract.

The agreement includes substantial wage increases for all workers, as well as improvements and protections for working conditions. 

“What made the difference was the dedication, the hard work we all put in,” Veronica said. “This is what it took to win a fair contract with fair wages, with improved changes around the hospital. It was hard, but in the end, this is the result we wanted.” 

Such a win would not have been possible without unity, which Veronica and her coworkers displayed at the negotiating table during the year-long bargaining process.

“It’s been empowering to be sitting at the negotiation table to fight for change and hear our coworkers talk and feel the unity among ourselves,” Veronica said. 

This journey changed her.

“It’s definitely changed me for the better,” she said. “It’s taught me leadership that I didn’t know I had. 

“It’s boosted my confidence with my coworkers, and the way I speak and share information and knowledge with them.”

Encouraged by her husband, a member of the AT&T workers’ union, Veronica dedicated time to attend bargaining sessions and has already witnessed firsthand how a union can protect workers.

Before unionizing, staff at the Sub Acute Care Center where Veronica works used to receive a differential (a bonus per shift); however, after they unionized, management informed them that it would be eliminated.

Noting this was an illegal change to the status quo, the workers filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board and won a 10 percent pay increase.

Also empowering for her was the informational picket they organized last August, where she brought children to show them their mom advocating for herself and her coworkers.

“I want to be a role model for my children,” she said. “I want them to see me in the community fighting for economic justice.”