Veronica Garibaldi, a UCLA food service worker, unexpectedly went into labor while working at Rendezvous, an on-campus restaurant, in 2004 – her last day of work before maternity leave.

Nearly two decades later, Garibaldi’s son Jaime Cardona returned to campus to work alongside his mother at UCLA Dining.

“I feel like it brings more lightheartedness to work,” said Cardona, who works at The Study. “Sometimes you’re serious, you’re trying to get the food out to the students – and then when I see my mom, all that just alleviates.”

Cardona and Garibaldi, who have worked together at UCLA Dining for two years, are one of several family duos in UCLA’s dining halls.

Rafael Hernandez, a cook at Bruin Plate, said he and his mother Evangelina Hernandez – a food service worker at Rendezvous – often help each other in the dining hall kitchen during high-demand hours.

“I like having my mom here because I know that if there’s ever something wrong, she’s here,” Rafael said.

Rafael said he worked his first job at a grocery store with his mother, who was his boss. Now, as a cook at UCLA Dining, he added that they have switched roles.

He said he helps his coworkers – including his mother – man the Bruin Plate stations. Rafael said he oversees food preparation and portion sizing at the dining hall.

When Bruin Plate runs out of certain ingredients, Rafael often coordinates with Evangelina to borrow ingredients from Rendezvous, she said.

“It’s a surreal moment, in a way, because at the jobs I used to work at, she was always my boss,” Rafael said. “At home, she’s always the boss. But when it comes to here, I’m the white coat.”

Rafael said he treats his mother as he would a coworker despite their family connection. Working at UCLA Dining has become more than just a job for the pair, Evangelina said.

“I treat this place like my first home because I’m always here,” Rafael said. “I’m always doing overtime here.”

Evangelina said she often asks Rafael for advice regarding their union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, which represents about 40,000 UC service and technical patient care workers, including dining hall workers.

The union, which has struck five times since its contract expired in January 2024, announced April 15 that it plans to strike indefinitely beginning May 14 if the UC continues to engage in alleged bad-faith bargaining.

Union representatives are demanding the UC increase the union’s pay, offer better benefits and rectify alleged staffing vacancies. The UC has increased the total pay growth offered in its proposal to AFSCME Local 3299 to 32.3% and has proposed healthcare plan caps and stipends to offset rising healthcare costs, the UC Office of the President said in an April 9 press release.

[Related: AFSCME Local 3299 announces indefinite strike to begin May 14]

While Cardona said he was initially nervous about working at UCLA Dining, his mother’s presence reassured him. He added that he often has in-depth conversations with his mother’s coworkers, who he first met as a child.

“It’s actually cool meeting her friends too, that she always talks about,” Cardona said. “I used to come here when I was younger, so seeing them and I’m all grown up is a real circle moment.”

Garibaldi said she and her son often work the same shifts at Rendezvous over the summer, but added that the duo rarely sees one another outside work during the academic year.

While Garibaldi works during the day, Cardona works the night shift – often giving them only one day out of the week to see each other. Despite the challenges of finding time to see each other, Cardona said their relationship at work remains rooted in family.

Garibaldi said she sees working alongside Cardona as an opportunity to guide him through his early adult years. She added that she often shares advice and encourages him to take time off from work when he needs to.

“I’m just learning from the good habits that she instilled in me of being hard working, and to balance school and work life,” Cardona said.