I am a Labor Historian. I specialized in the Labor Movement for my Masters Degree at San Francisco State University. I had the opportunity to interview Melvin Belli several times while working on my thesis. He told me not to be intimidated by him. I was. He filled a room with his presence. I studied under Dr. Robert Cherney, who introduced me to Knights of Labor, and Wobblies, and Samuel Gompers. I met factory workers and butchers and school teachers, and wrote their stories into various class papers. Years later, I was honored to be a member of the AFT while adjunct teaching in a unionized college. My education in Labor History and Unionization is an integral part of who I am, and I will stand up for Unions and workers rights in Washington, DC.