Top Quality
Sonia Maldonado provides quality control for her job and her union JBS steward Sonia Maldonado knows a thing or two about quality, thanks to being part of the union and her job.
Maldonado has worked at JBS since 2016, where she works in quality assurance and control. She checks temperatures, affixes labels and performs other tasks to ensure the product is ready for consumers.
Maldonado became a steward shortly after joining JBS. Being helpful is part of her nature and because of this, she was a natural fit for stewardship.
“A few of my co-workers have had issues with management, but I remind them that at the end of the day, we’re all here to be treated with dignity and respect and if management doesn’t want to do that, we can get the union involved,” she said.
Maldonado loves to help people and listen to their needs, so her co-workers feel comfortable talking with her and receiving advice.
“An important thing for members to do is to have written statements of what happened and when,” she said. “That helps our union reps a lot.”
She added: “I help them navigate through the union and help them with writing statements. Also, if people have an issue with their supervisor, they can come straight to me.”
“The union is our voice on the job,” Maldonado said. “It is our voice, our protection, our stability and our solidarity.”
“If we have a problem with company, we go to the union first,” she said. “The union gives me a voice at work.”
Maldonado has two children, Nick and Mia. Her son plays baseball and other sports. Her daughter likes to go shopping.
“I’m thankful they both love school,” she said. “They are so smart.”
“I’m thankful and proud we know what the union is at JBS,” she said. “I have never heard, ‘What is the union?’ from a fellow member. If anything, they want more info about the union, about the contract and how to help secure better wages, benefits and language in the contract.”
Tiffini Persley’s journey at JBS, from temp to leader
When Tiffini Persley walked into JBS in Riverside back in 2017, she thought it would be just a quick two-week temporary job. Nearly eight years later, she’s not only still there, she’s a department lead and proud union steward who helps her co-workers stand up for what’s right.
“I wanted this job because it wasn’t far from home and the convenience kept me there,” Persley said. “I came in at the bottom tier and hustled to learn different machines. I liked working most of the time in the freezer because I don’t do heat,” she added with a laugh.
It was her drive to keep learning that helped her rise through the ranks at JBS. She officially came on full-time in January 2018 and by 2022, stepped up to become a steward. It became a role she hadn’t expected, but quickly took to heart.
“My previous union rep asked if I’d be interested,” she
recalled. “I wasn’t sure what my duties would be, but I gave it a shot. I like to follow the rules, so I don’t utilize the union’s help as much, but I realized I could help others who would.”
That sense of responsibility paid off. Recently, one of her coworkers, an operator who had been let go for attendance issues, was reinstated after Persley helped file a grievance. “It took a couple of months, but he got his job back,” she said. “And it happened again with another coworker. She came back in a lower position but was able to work her way back up to nearly what she made before. That’s what the union’s about: fairness and second chances.”
The sense of family at JBS runs deep for Tiffini. Her 22-year-old son, Robert, joined the team in March 2025. “He likes it,” she said proudly. “You see lots of families working at JBS.”
As JBS workers move through current turmoil, Persley’s commitment to her co-workers hasn’t wavered. “The union is really working toward getting us what we
deserve,” she said. “I appreciate the union standing behind us.”
*Both stewards were interviewed prior to the closing of the JBS plant. UFCW Local 1167 is working to help them with life challenges and placement into a new position. Tiffini’s photo was not available at press time.