Meet your Bargaining Unit 15 CDCR Food Service Worker JLMC Team Members

Garth Underwood, CDCR Food Service JLMC Chair is a Correctional Supervising Cook (CSC) at CDCR Ironwood State Prison and has worked in state service for fifteen years. Garth has led Unit 15 as a Steward and is currently the Vice Chair and the DBUR for DLC 710. Garth envisions this JLMC will lead the State to understand CSCs’ perspective and that CSCs are professionals who are severely undervalued, underpaid. Through this JLMC Garth is working to address staffing issues related to recruitment and retention which can be directly attributed to the pay scale when compared to comparable positions in public and private sector (County, etc.) It is important to Garth to uplift Correctional Supervising Cooks throughout the State. Garth knows SEIU Local 1000 is a member led Union and a family of brothers and sisters who have a responsibility to provide our members with a livable wage and a quality work life balance.

Kevin Quaife is a Correctional Supervising Cook at CDCR California Correctional Center Susanville. Kevin has worked in state service for over seven years and throughout this time has stepped up as a leader by being a Steward, DBUR and BUNC Alternate. Kevin’s primary goals for this JLMC are for the team to show the State our worth and how truly essential we are to the State. Such as how during emergency situations BU-15 is consistently rising to the challenge of being short staffed, not having the appropriate equipment to successfully complete our jobs, and even being asked to perform duties that are outside of our job duties. Kevin is working to address many issues, including ones that correlate around short staffing, cross covering, the initial testing to become a CSC, and wages reflective of job duties. Kevin is choosing to be a part of this project so he can represent the CSCs in the Northern California area and bring up issues that might be overlooked because of how rural the region is and the geographical distance from the rest of the State. This JLMC makes Kevin proud to choose our Union because he is able to speak up on the members behalf. 

AshleyMarie Bermudez is a Correctional Supervising Cook for CDCR Salinas Valley State Prison and has been in state service for eight years. Ashley leads our Union as a Steward and as a member of the CDCR Food Service JLMC. The primary goals for Ashley are for this JLMC to address staffing shortages among CSCs across the state. Also ensuring overtime is distributed fairly and having equipment that works properly and safely and these are the issues Ashley is championing through this JLMC. Ashley welcomes the challenge and responsibility to be able to have CSC voices heard and bring issues to the table that need to be addressed. Our Union motto is based on team work and the better the team then the better the job we do. Living by the saying “strength in power, power in numbers” Ashley knows we need to come together and stand up to make our voices heard.

Brent Andrews is a Correctional Supervising Cook for CDCR Kern Valley State Prison. Brent has been in state service for ten years and over this time he has stepped up as a Steward and a DBUR for Bargaining Unit 15. As part of the CDCR Food Service Worker JLMC Brent’s primary goals are to bring to light the little pay CSCs receive considering how much CSCs do for their institutions. Additionally, Brent is focused on addressing issues with over time distribution, recruitment and retention considering the low staffing levels and various issues with equipment. Brent is stepping up to be a part of this JLMC because he wants to make a difference in people’s lives, not just his own, and fight for what is right. Brent knows that without our union power meetings like the Food Service Worker JLMC would not happen.

Charity Regalado is a Correctional Supervising Cook for CDCR California Men’s Colony. Charity has worked in state service for nine years and has stepped up in her leadership for our Union in many different ways, as a Steward and as DLC President for DLC 726. Charity also serves on the New Member Program Committee along with the Cost Savings Task Force, and the COPE Committee. Charity is also Chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Committee. Charity’s primary goals for this JLMC are to work collaboratively with the State to gain a clear understanding of the value of Correctional Supervising Cooks and work toward common goals which directly impact our working environment and conditions. The biggest issues Charity is focused on addressing are with wages, staffing shortages, time off and overtime distribution. Charity chooses to be a part of this JLMC because she loves working with a team and any opportunity to work in a team environment is always a benefit, which allows Charity the opportunity to be a part of a team that affects changes within the CSC classification state-wide. This JLMC allows Charity, a member of our Union, to be involved in something that directly impacts our livelihoods, which would not exist without OUR Union.

Eric Murray, Bargaining Unit 15 Chair.
Molly Chlebnikow, SEIU Local 1000 Contract Department Staff for Bargaining Unit 15.