b'they stayed with 237. The rest went to DC 37, including the dietary aides. I was still a dietary aide. This was around 1959or 60.I went to school for cooking because I liked cooking. I went to the VA school for cooking from 59 to 61. I think it wason 13th Street. I worked the early shift, from 6 to 1, and went to school in the evening from 5 to 8 or 9. After I finishedschool I worked as a cooks helper at the hospital. They gave us training. I was a cooks helper from 61 to 69, eight years.I went back to Local 237 because the cooks had stayed with Local 237. We cooked for the doctors and the employees. Weserved breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When I went in the morning, we made breakfast. Then we had to make sure thatmeals were prepared and ready for 12 oclock. When we prepared lunch, we put aside food for the dinner menu. Thenthat would be heated up for the evening.When I first started, we used to cook for 650 people. There was the main cook, Mr. Stitch, and Mr. Hensley, and I wasthe assistant cook. We werent really tired at the end of the day. If you really like something it doesnt bother you, really. I cooked at home, too. I cook now, too.In 1969 I was promoted to cook. A couple of cooks retired or were transferred. I was very happy because I hadwanted to be a cook for a long time. I wanted to better my chances because I had three children. My twins were 15 andMarcia was about 13.The workers had a softball team, and then they talked about a bowling league so a lot of us signed up. I think it wasa nurse who started the league, and she got everyone involved. We were on the same team with Goldwater Hospital. We played against different hospitals. We had a good time. It went on for two or three years. I dont think they still have abowling league. We did it after work, in the evenings. I hadnt bowled before. It was something new and it was a lot offun. There were about six teams, with about five people on a team.I never had any problems. I attended union meetings. We also used to have meetings at the job. Mr. Jeffers was oneof our union representatives. He was a shop steward. Also, Frank Perez; he was a butcher. And Mr. Hensley. He was also asteward. My BA was Pauline Dyer- Woodson. I remember when we had a strike, around 1967 or 68. I think it was duringMayor Beames time.The cooks were friendly with the cooks, with the stores people, with the butchereveryone was friends. Everyone gotalong at the job until we got a new supervisor. Things didnt go too well after that. He was very bossy, and he wasunfair and disrespectful to me and the other workers, and he made false accusations. I had a very hard time. That was partof the reason I retired at 62 instead of 65. Before that, I thought about leaving the job, but then I thought about the security, the health benefits, and I decided to stay, and I stayed longer and longer. I stayed for about 33 years. Just beforeI retired, the union asked at a meeting who would like to sign up for the retirement classes, and I signed up. That wasright at the beginning of the classes. Shirley, my wife, came with me to the classes. I retired December 30, 1990. The supervisor retired not too long after I did and moved to Florida.There are some buddies I still see nowMr. Caby and Mr. Peterson, who live near me. Caby was in stores and Peterson was a cooks helper. I also see Mr. Jeffers and Mr. Vasquez at the union.It was lucky for me the shoe store job was taken. I dont regret going to work for the city at all.37 '