Member Spotlight: Lauren Clark (UNITE HERE)

Member Spotlight is a recurring blog post series intended to highlight and connect the dots between the programs and priorities of the NC State AFL-CIO and the leaders and activist members of our affiliates who make it all possible.

I’m Lauren Clark, and I have worked for UBS in Morrisville, North Carolina, in cooking and catering for almost two years. I am proudly part of UNITE HERE Local 23. I decided to join the union at our location because we were a small crew feeding a lot of people, but we needed more staff. We went to work every day, and never asked for anything but help, but our pay was low, our insurance was expensive, and a lot of people were afraid to say something, because when you bring something to the forefront, you're let go. Seeing everybody fighting every day to make sure they have gas to get to work and enough food at home made me think: if I want to stand up for something, this is my time to stand up for it. 

Joining UNITE HERE was the biggest thing I've ever joined in my life, and I'm thankful for them every day. We're able to get insurance that we can afford now. We have free dental and free vision, and we also have good health care. All of us need to be able to go to the doctor and know that we can afford to be seen, and we have that now. UNITE HERE has been a blessing for us; they were never like, “Oh, no, you aren’t big enough of an establishment for us to come in and help.” They were there throughout our tears and our struggles, and we would never have expected what we accomplished together.

One thing I want everyone to know about unions is that we are a brotherhood and a sisterhood. There are so many people like us in the same situation who are fighting for humanity, dignity, and respect for our hard work. Everyone deserves that. And until I got with UNITE HERE, I didn't realize how much we needed that. Now, at work, I can be proud, hold my head high, and take action to make our workplace better. I have three kids, and we moved here from New Orleans, Louisiana, and our extended family here is the one we have now in our union. It's been a major change in my life, and I hope that my children grow up in unions and understand the power of that brotherhood and sisterhood.