Laura Alonso, the head cook at The Sequoias – Portola Valley, began studying the union contract to defend herself against what she felt were workplace injustices at the San Mateo County retirement community.
“Then I began defending others,” she said. “I don’t like it when others take advantage of people. There are a lot of people who can’t defend themselves because they don’t know their contract.”
One of those unfair practices was new hires getting paid higher wages than those who had been at The Sequoias for much longer. The new contract, which Alonso helped negotiate as a member of the Bargaining Committee, resolved this problem.
Alonso started working at the facility 12 years ago after being invited by a friend. Previously she was employed at a factory and served as a teacher’s assistant in the Redwood City School District. Originally from Veracruz, Mexico, she started out at The Sequoias in housekeeping before transferring to the kitchen, where she has been the head cook for the past two years.
Alsonso became a steward six years ago and cites her involvement in the union as her motivation for continuing her work at The Sequoias.
“You need to get involved, not only for your own benefit but also to help your coworkers,” she said.
To be a good steward, Alonso said, it helps to be “a little nosey.” She checks in on how her coworkers are faring and familiarizes herself with their issues and the relevant provisions of the contract.
She also did her part to organize her coworkers and bargain the new contract.
“We were not in agreement with the initial wage increases they were offering and we wanted to show them that we were strong and were not going to accept that,” Alonso said.
The new contract for housekeeping and dietary workers at The Sequoias ensures a minimum wage increase of 8 percent over the next two years. Additionally, employees with more than 10 years of experience will see wage increases of up to 25 percent as they are placed on the wage scale based on their years of service.
