Transcript of interview with Mirna Preciado by Claytee D. White, September 11, 2014

In 1980, Mirna Preciado arrived from Tijuana, Mexico. She spoke no English but had always wanted to live in the United States. When her family decided to immigrate, she decided to reach for her American dream. The Culinary Workers Union Local 226 made her dream a reality. Mirna’s husband wanted her to be a stay-at-home mom but the idea of working and buying her own bread tugged at her. She gave in to the pull of wanting more and became a waitress at the new Margarita’s Restaurant in the Frontier Hotel. Though she liked her work, she was bothered by the other workers with requests to join the union. They even followed her home and knocked on her front door. Finally, she listened. Soon, those harassers became her guardian angels. In 1991, she went out on the longest strike in Culinary Union history – 6 years, 4 months, and 10 days. Her leadership and organizing skills came to the fore and in 1999, she joined the ranks of Culinary Union management, first as an organizer, then trainer, director,