Bronkhorst began her career in activism after seeing her older sister and mother agitate for women’s rights and social justice. In 1975 she began working for the Northwest Labor and Employment Law Office (LELO). In this position she played an important role organizing for the cannery workers union with Terri Mast and Richard Gurtiza in the 1980s. Region 37 is known to be one of the most active arms of the IBU and has been especially committed to fighting against the discrimination and unfair treatment of Filipino-American and pacific islander workers who have traditionally worked in this industry. Van Bronkhorst is also the former vice president for SEIU Healthcare 119NW. This union represents hundreds of UW health workers and has been instrumental in holding UW Medicine accountable to their mission to protect workers so that they can provide the best care for their patients and their families in Washington state.
Topics: Union Leadership/Organization, Local Unions, Caring Labor, Health Industry, History of the KDP and cannery workers union, Filipino American Labor Activism, Women’s Lib, Women in Labor
