MEMBER FOCUS
Legacy Union Families
Legacy Union Families
When Cathy and Summer Opperud visit Sandy Vaughan, they share more than CSEA stories as members – they also share the same family. Sandy Vaughan, regional representative for Region 12 in Area H, is the proud mother and grandmother of Cathy and Summer from Ocean View Chapter 375. Vaughan spearheaded the family’s union legacy when she joined CSEA almost 40 years ago. “My parents were union members, but they weren't really active, as far as any types of political action,” said Vaughan, a retired department secretary from Orange County Retiree Council 5012. “It wasn't until I became a member of CSEA that brought about my union activism.” According to a report by the U.S. Committee on Education and Labor, children of union members are far more likely to climb the socio-economic ladder than non-union families. In a country marked by increasing economic immobility, research has shown that being raised in a union family may be among the best ways to achieve upward mobility.
Sandy Vaughan, Summer Opperud and Cathy Opperud of Ocean View Chapter 375 at the 93rd Annual Conference in Las Vegas.
“It wasn't until I became a member of CSEA that brought about my union activism."
- Sandy Vaughan, regional representative for Region 12.
“As a parent, you always want what’s best for your kids. So being an active union member and knowing what’s going on gives you a stronger voice in your child’s education,” Vaughan said. “My daughter and granddaughter both took advantage of CSEA's free college program and are even jacketed stewards now.” When looking at some of the most prominent labor leaders in U.S. history, you’ll find their family members have carried on the same passions for organizing in one fashion or another. Martin Luther King III, son of the late great civil rights leader, led nationwide demonstrations against initiatives to undermine collective bargaining rights of public workers on the 43rd anniversary of his father’s assassination in 2011. Alejandro Chávez, grandson of César Chávez, spoke in support of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021, which would create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented farmworkers after passing in the U.S. House of Representatives.
AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond, who comes from a legacy union family, became the first African American to hold the office in the history of the labor federation.
Fred Redmond, current secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO, comes from a legacy union family where his father had a union job at an aluminum mill outside of Chicago. Redmond’s family reaped the benefits of union pay and quality of life, which undoubtedly propelled him to become the labor leader he is today. “Many of today’s union members are carrying on their family’s legacy of strong leadership for working people,” said Redmond, who became the first African American secretary-treasurer in the history of the AFL-CIO after being elected in 2021. “Dedicated labor leaders such as Michigan AFL-CIO President Ron Bieber, whose father served as president of the United Auto Workers from 1983-1995, are now shaping the modern labor movement.”
There exists a sense of familiarity and pride that is noticeable when speaking to members from union families. When they see firsthand how their own family members may have been taken advantage of, the passion to organize immediately follows. “I grew up in a union household as both my parents were labor workers in the agricultural fields and were part of the United Farm Workers,” said Cecilia Chico-Carillo, personnel technician II, from Santa Clara Chapter 350. “Seeing them go through many hardships and have minimal basic human rights, such as the right to a bathroom break, made me realize how important it is to be part of a union.” Your CSEA membership gives you representation when you need it most. By having CSEA in your corner, you’ll have labor reps, union stewards, and the bargaining power of nearly 250,000 sisters, brothers and siblings behind you.
Cecilia Chico-Carillo, personnel technician II from Santa Clara Chapter 350 (left) and her sister, Noemi Chico, paraeducator II from Steinbeck Country Chapter 547 (right), both graduated with masters degrees from San Jose State University.
“I grew up in a union household as both my parents were labor workers in the agricultural fields and were part of the United Farm Workers,”
- Cecilia Chico-Carillo, personnel technician II, from Santa Clara Chapter 350
“I have a union family. My husband is a firefighter, and his union has always been there for him,” said Christine Thorne, noon duty I from Rincon Valley Chapter 284, “Knowing that CSEA is there to help me be my best at my job while being my best person will keep me a CSEA member.” Redmond says the labor movement’s history is filled with stories of union members whose perseverance energized their families to join the fight for working people. That same energy is found in chapters across the state, where CSEA has empowered legacy union members to take pride in their family’s connection to organized labor. “We have a lot of conversations about different situations involving the union,” said Vaughan. “It’s a lot of back and forth about ‘how would you handle this?’ or ‘what do you think about that?’”
Christine Thorne, noon duty I from Rincon Valley Chapter 284, with her husband, Battalion Chief Jeff Thorne of San Mateo County Firefighters Local 2400.
