Yvette has worked for the Santa Clara County VTA for nearly 17 years. Her job in the vault room
includes processing the revenue collected on the system’s trains and busses in addition to other
accounting duties. While much of her job revolves around paperwork, it includes lifting 50-
pound bags of coins.

She became a Local 521 steward years ago she says because she “had a bad boss”. She now
trains other stewards, does orientation for new union members, and works to “encourage and
inspire coworkers to be successful on the job and in understanding their rights”.

As Local 521’s COPE Chair she helps her fellow members understand how they can make a
difference through political involvement and action, she explains.

“COPE is the face of worker political power and our ability to advocate for the issues and
policies that are important for the working class. My job is to build a corps of political activists
to help elect pro-worker politicians and just as important, hold them accountable.”

Yvette’s hobbies include painting and creating signs and banners for her union and for labor’s
candidates and causes and creating balloon spirals including those that delegates will see at the
Labor Council’s annual Labor Day Weekend BBQ on August 31.