Mary Serrano is always on call for her coworkers. They know they can count on her at any hour for guidance about a workplace issue or to stand up to a manager.
That’s why Serrano, a unit assistant and chief steward at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital, was honored this month as “Unionist of the Year” by the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council.
“I like to stand up for what’s right, and I will argue the point, especially when management says we break the rules,” said Mary, who has worked at Salinas for 19 years. “I do what I do because I like doing it, not because I want to be recognized.”
Still, it was an honor to receive the award in the company of several of her fellow stewards at the Labor Council’s annual awards dinner, which was attended by California Labor Federation President Lorena Gonzalez and State Senator John Laird.
“It’s satisfying; I’m grateful, honored, and humbled,” Mary said of the award. “It’s nice to see that they (the other stewards who voted for her) appreciate me.”
Mary added that the award motivates her to keep doing what she does, especially now when she is helping negotiate their next union contract, where the main priorities are to win strong raises and maintain strong health, sick leave, and vacation benefits.
Mary is glad to see more union involvement in the hospital in this round of negotiations.
“People are speaking out; they’re realizing that they have a voice,” she said. “That’s a good thing because if we don’t get what we want, or (management) is not nice to us, we need to not be afraid and stand up for what we deserve.”
