Author: Joint Council 7

Cal State workers negotiate COVID-19 leave pay

Local 2010’s bargaining team for CSU workers negotiated another round of leave benefits for members to help maintain their jobs and livelihoods. Teamsters working at CSU campuses throughout California will now have access to 256 additional paid leave hours for use between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2021. This is twice the amount going to other CSU bargaining units that don’t have similar settlement agreements.

“Our union agreed that we are past the emergent phase of COVID-19 and that maintaining all CSU workers’ base pay is critical through the remainder of this pandemic,” said Skilled Trades Director Drew Scott.

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Credit union opportunity

“Getting new benefits and services for members is an always important goal,” says Secretary-Treasurer Debbie Calkins. “That’s why Local 533 recently became a preferred partner with Sierra Pacific Credit Union, enabling members to join this credit union”

Calkins says that Sierra Pacific has the best money market rates in our town that she have been able to find. They also offer free notary services to account holders.

Local 533 members may apply on-line at SierraPacificFCU.org/533.

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Helping members and community cope with COVID

Teamsters Local 890 has continued to be active in helping members and the wider working community cope with the difficult times caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Led by Principal Officer Crescencio Diaz, Local 890 has worked with local County Supervisors, growers, the Shippers Association, and the local health system to make COVID-19 vaccines available to Teamsters and other essential workers. Through these efforts, Local 890 ensured that food processing and agricultural workers are in Tier 1. 

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Teamsters Local 350 supports $100 million settlement for Recology ratepayers

In March, San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera announced a $100 million settlement to be paid by Recology to its ratepayers in connection to an ongoing investigation into alleged corruption committed by former Director of the Department of Public Works, Mohammed Nuru. The following is an official statement from Teamsters Local Union 350 Secretary-Treasurer John Bouchard on the settlement.

“Teamsters Local 350 is proud of the work our members do at Recology to help protect public health and keep our city beautiful,” he said.

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Bringing in new members

After a months-long fight that included layoffs, election challenges by the company, and several unfair labor practice charges filed by the union, on February 16, 2021, 22 Sierra Transport LLC drivers based in Bakersfield voted to join Teamsters Local 87.

“This huge victory was won despite the pandemic and the Trump NLRB,” says Secretary-Treasurer John Moralez. “Clearly, the Sierra drivers really wanted union representation because they stood strong through all kinds of employer shenanigans.”

The Settlement Stipulation includes returning the five laid-off employees to work and ensuring that the employer pays out more than $76,000 in back wages to those who were wrongfully laid off.

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Biden administration ushers in change at the NLRB

One of the first things the Biden Administration did after January 20 was to make sweeping changes to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the agency that oversees the conduct of work between unions and employers. On Day One, President Biden demanded the resignation and eventually terminated, the Trump NLRB General Counsel Peter Robb, whose term otherwise would not have ended until November. Robb was responsible for pushing an agenda that would do more damage to unions than any of his Republican-appointed predecessors.

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Gloria Betancourt, Local 912

Gloria Betancourt, a Teamsters Local 912 member and avid community activist in Watsonville, died on February 13, 2021.

Gloria helped to rally her coworkers at a Watsonville cannery to go out on strike in 1985. Met with police brutality on their strike line, the majority-female strike committee bolstered the effort by organizing emergency food banks and financial relief funds for affected workers.

Through their effective strike, they not only secured the retirement and medical benefits that had been under threat during negotiations,

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Young UPS driver dies in truck accident

Rayland Elzy, Local 948

On Friday, February 5th, a tragic truck accident took the life of Local 948 member Rayland Elzy, Jr. He had been a UPS package driver out of the Visalia hub, and a Teamster since 2018.

Elzy and his long-time girlfriend had just gotten engaged and were ready to start their future before this tragedy. “He was an energetic, young man who had a good heart, and had become a leader at UPS,” says Local 948 Secretary-Treasurer Luis Diaz.

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COVID pandemic leads to relapse; causes increased need for alcohol and drug treatment

COVID pandemic leads to relapse; causes increased need for alcohol and drug treatment

One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, changes have occurred for many Americans in their relationship with alcohol and drugs. The pandemic posed unique challenges to those who use legal substances, those who also use illegal substances and those in recovery who endeavor not to use alcohol and other mind-altering drugs at all.

The ongoing stress, isolation, and uncertainty of COVID-19 have led to increased demand for mental health services across the United States for conditions like anxiety and depression.

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