About Veronica:
Veronica, immigrated to the United States from El Salvador 20 years ago. She is a 43-year-old janitor, union leader, educator, and mother of two. As an employee and member of SEIU-United Service Workers West Union, her participation was crucial to the development and success of the Ya Basta! campaign to end sexual harassment in the cleaning industry.
She took part in the hunger strike at the Sacramento capitol that led to the passage of AB-1978, The Property Service Workers Protection Act, mandating sexual harassment training in the workplace.
As part of a collective effort, she additionally participates in a hunger strike in New York to support the passage of AB 547, a ground-breaking #metoo legislation that requires that all janitors in California receive sexual violence prevention training from fellow janitors that have been certified as trainers and counselors.
Today, as co-founder of the Ya Basta Center and a certified trainer by the state of California, she provides sexual harassment and workplace abuse prevention training to dozens of instructors throughout the state.
Veronica draws on her personal and professional experience as a community educator on mental health and HIV/AIDS prevention in Los Angeles County.
Lagunas serves on the executive committee of the National TPS Alliance, which is seeking to pass legislation that would grant permanent residency to the country’s 450,000 TPS participants.
Her academic career encompasses more than 335 hours of professional education as a trainee certified by the state of California and the following organizations:
- Valor@US and Ya Basta Center:
Safe & Respectful Places: Preventing sexual harassment and abusive behavior in the Cleaning Industry 12/2022 - Human Trafficking Survivors Foundation
Domestic Violence Advocate Training 01/2020 - Labor Occupational Health Program University of California Berkeley LOHP
Training to prepare Promotoras to Train Others on Preventing Sexual Harassment and Abusive Conduct in the Janitorial Industry with LOHP 04/2019 - Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health
Mental Health Promotores Comunitarios 05/2018 - Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health
Mental Health Promotores Comunitarios 04/2018 - East Los Angeles Woman Center
Certified Training on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence 06/2017 - East Los Angeles Woman Center
Promotoras contra la violencia Training: Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Teen dating violence and stalking. 10/2016 - CALCASA Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Self Defense Instructor 07/2017
