Growing Up Culinary

Frontier Striker and long time union member Raphael Serrano recently saw his 19-year-old son, Nestor Raphael Serrano, off to active military duty in Iraq. The younger Serrano spent considerable time on the picket line with his father a Frontier shop steward and picket captain during the strike. Nestor virtually grew up on the picket line qualifying him for honorary membership in Local 226. The Frontier strike, which lasted from September 1991 until February 1998, became one of the longest successful strikes in labor history.

Ana Serrano, Raphael’s wife and Nestor’s mom, recently became an official member of the Culinary family too. She has worked at Mission Linen for 12 years and is a member of United Needle and Industrial Textile Employees. UNITE is the union that merged with HERE (Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees,) Culinary’s parent organization, this July.

The elder Serrano immigrated to the U.S. from El Salvador in 1987 and the rest of the family, including Nestor, followed in 1988. Nestor graduated from Valley High School in 2003 and enlisted in the U.S. Army. He completed his basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia and is assigned to the Army’s 4th Infantry Division. We all wish Nestor the best of luck with his military career.

“I was very proud of Nestor when he came with me to the picket line to fight the Elardi’s at the Frontier. I’m still very proud of him now that he is going to Iraq to serve his country,” said Raphael.

 

 

 

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Veteran Union Activists
Become Citizens

 

Luis and Elvira Espinosa, two long-time union activists and Culinary Union shop stewards, were recently sworn in as new U.S. citizens. The couple immigrated to the United States in 1981 from Barcelona, Spain where both found work in Las Vegas. Luis first job was as a cook at a local Ricardo’s restaurant. Eventually he landed a union job at the Mirage when it opened in 1989 where he served as a shop steward until his retirement in 2001. Luis remains active in union activities despite his retirement.
Elvira began her U.S. working career at the Las Vegas Hilton in the hotel’s laundry. Elvira played a key role in 226’s organizing campaign at the laundry, leading her co-workers in the effort. Elvira bid for and received a promotion to her present position as a Uniform Room Attendant in 1993. Elvira is an active shop steward and a member of the Union’s Executive Board. Luis and Elvira are both very excited about becoming citizens and looking forward to voting in their first election later this year.The Immigrant Workers Citizenship Project, a free program available to union members, guided the Espinosas through the entire citizenship process. “ I was very pleased with the help we got from the Citizenship Project,” said Elvira. “We attended classes on U.S. history and government so when we took the test we hadn’t just memorized the answers, we really knew them.”
The Immigrant Workers Citizenship Project is located at 431 S. 6th St. and is open 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. The phone is (702) 868-6002. The project offers complete assistance through the entire citizenship process absolutely free to union members and their families.

 

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