#3299AAPI Meet Rose

The youngest of six in a family of Filipino immigrants, Rosemarie Fejerang knows better than anyone the value of having community support. This mindset made transitioning into a union family much easier for her. Joining AFSCME 3299 in 2006 as a Respiratory Therapist 2 at UCSF, Rose had little experience with unions and the UC environment. It wasn’t until a year later that she would come to fully understand the union difference.

In 2007, Rose found out that she was getting paid far less than other Respiratory Therapists at surrounding medical centers. After hitting a dead-end on the subject with her manager, she brought the issue to her union rep at the time. The two worked together and helped circulate a petition among her union siblings that UC could not ignore. Within weeks, their demands were met, and Rose felt what it was like to have a union fight for her worth as a worker.

Now a member of 3299’s bargaining team, Rose has used her experiences to make sure that her union siblings are also given their fair due and have their rights protected. “A union is a family that comes together to fight for our rights.”

Having lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for 25 years, Rose has become a figure in her community. From clean-ups at Lake Merritt in Oakland, to working with local, environmentally-conscious businesses, she is known for her work in keeping her community healthy and happy. For Rose, union values don’t end at work, and fighting for a better future for herself and others is always going to be her top priority.