Union Pride

Member Profile: Carlos Diaz

Union pride runs in Carlos Diaz’s family. After all, he grew up in a union household. His father worked for Xerox and was an active member of the International Brotherhood of Machinists for more than 30 years. Carlos remembers attending union events and meetings with his dad. Most of all, he remembers the stable life his father was able to provide for the family—a home, education, benefits, “the American Dream,” says Carlos.

Today, married and with an eight-month-old son of his own, Carlos admits the current economy has made that “Dream” a bit harder to realize. But, he says, his union job as a Custodian at Los Angeles Harbor College gives him an advantage. “I’m definitely blessed to have job security and health care benefits.” At previous nonunion jobs, he recalls, even basic legal rights were often violated. “I’ve been in jobs where I’ve had to fight just so we could get our lunch breaks!”

As a Steward and Bargaining Team Member, Carlos brings his union pride and fighting spirit to Local 99. “We are taken more seriously when we bring issues up to management as a union,” he says. His family history makes him a natural supporter of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), the bill currently proposed in Congress that will allow workers the freedom to form a union without fear of retaliation or intimidation from employers.

“You need the Union to build, to expand and grow to counterbalance the lopsidedness of how laws have favored corporations, such as all the tax breaks, and few tax benefits for workers who are struggling in this economy,” says Carlos. “Back when I was growing up, I think the Union was what helped stabilize the economy. Today, most workers don’t have decent wages to pay the mortgage, pay for food, and support a family. It just makes sense for working families to be a part of the Union.”