Multi-format set / Jennifer Skurnik Interview

Set contains 2 items. Jump to first item Jump to last item

skurnik_transcript.pdf

Get Citation

Have a question about this item?

Contact Owner

Summary information.

Title: Jennifer Skurnik Interview
Creator: Jennifer Skurnik
Vivian Rothstein
Date Created and/or Issued: December 18, 2015
Contributing Institution: UCLA, Institute for Research on Labor and Employment Library
Collection: UNITE HERE Local 11 Oral History Project
Rights Information: Copyrighted
Copyright UC Regents and UNITE HERE Local 11. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owner. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Rights Holder and Contact: UC Regents, Institute for Research on Labor and Employment 10945 Le Conte Ave, Suite 2107 Los Angeles, CA 90095. UNITE HERE Local 11 464 South Lucas Avenue, Suite 201 Los Angeles, CA 90017
Description: Biography/History: Jennifer Skurnik was born in New York City. She attended Yale University, where she was introduced to the feminist movement and labor organizing on campus. She moved to Los Angeles in 1985 to work with HERE Local 11 and since then, has led numerous organizing campaigns across Los Angeles and Orange County. As staff director for the union, she played a key role in training rank-and-file members to be leaders in their workplaces and their communities. At the time of the interview, she was vice president of the UNITE HERE International.
Scope/Content: Interview Contents: Early life in New York — Feminist politics and labor struggle in her youth — Clerical workers’ strike at Yale in the 1980s — Mentorship of Andrea Vandenhoven and Karl Lechow — Organizing an apprenticeship through HERE in 1985 in Los Angeles — Working under Bill Granfield and Debbie Anderson — Problems with Scotty Allen’s leadership in Local 11 and changing the union’s organizing culture — Empowering workers to stand up for their rights rather than rely on union representatives — Developing an activist approach to organizing — Creating a citywide organizing committee — First contract campaign, with Hyatt, after María Elena Durazo was elected president — Building a network of chief shop stewards — Role of the leave of absence program in fostering rank-and-file leadership in the union — The union’s political program — Local 11’s broader impact on Los Angeles — Impact of union organizing on her family life — Street theater as an organizing tactic — Future of Local 11.
Type
Form/Genre: Oral histories
Extent: 1:14:34
Language: English
eng
Subject: Labor unions--California--Los Angeles
Labor union locals--California--Los Angeles
Jennifer Skurnik
UNITE HERE (Organization)
Place: Los Angeles (Calif.)
Orange County (Calif.)

About the collections in Calisphere

Learn more about the collections in Calisphere. View our statement on digital primary resources.

Copyright, permissions, and use

If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.

Share your story

Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.