Author: Joint Council 7

COVID-19 in the workplace: How can you and your union respond to ‘Abnormally Dangerous’ Conditions

July 1, 2020
Legal Update

So much is still unknown about COVID-19 (such as, how exactly it spreads, why the symptoms can range from mild to extreme, and whether you can develop immunity.) It may be impossible to say with absolute legal certainty what is so “unsafe” as to justify a refusal to work. However, the stakes are quite high: refusal to follow a direct order to ‘get to work’ or ‘keep working’ is insubordination and the penalty for insubordination is often termination.

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Acknowledging the value of garbage collectors gains one member national attention

May 5, 2020
Local 350, Teamster News
Aaron Meier is rightfully proud to be a garbageman.

Aaron Meier empties about 800 garbage cans every day, rain or shine. He first caught the world’s attention with a series of tweets in mid-March as Americans were just beginning to come to terms with the pandemic and what it would mean for their livelihoods.

“I’m a garbageman, I can’t work from home and my job is an essential city service that must get done,” tweeted Meier, a Local 350 member who works for Recology Sunset in San Francisco.

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Local 287 joins forces with Local 853

Local 853, Teamster News
Members of Local 287 met in January to learn about the pros and cons of merging with Local 853.

In a secret ballot mail vote held in February, the members of Local 287 voted overwhelmingly to merge into Local 853. The merger became effective on May 1.

After an explanation of the merger was mailed to each member, the Local held an open meeting for all Local 287 members. Nearly 300 members turned out to ask Local 853 Secretary-Treasurer Rome Aloise questions about the pros and cons of a merger.   

“Local 287,

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The pandemic highlights the need for issues Joint Council 7 has championed

Political Director's Report, Teamster News
Teamsters fight to end worker misclassification and uphold AB5

It’s been ten years since Rome Aloise was elected president of Joint Council 7, merging it with Joint Council 38. The merger created one of the largest and most powerful Teamster organizations in the U.S., covering critical industrial and political power centers including Sacramento, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and the nation’s breadbaskets of the Central and Salinas valleys.

Since that time, Joint Council 7 led on so many issues vital to defending and rebuilding worker power in California and throughout the country. 

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The Coronavirus/COVID-19 outbreak—staying safe, accessing support

Teamster News

California closed down non-essential activities and has reaped the benefits of that decision with far fewer deaths and hospitalizations than projected. Even though we’ve passed the state’s “peak,” new cases are still coming and care needs to be taken to ensure that a second wave of the virus doesn’t occur.

It is estimated that more than half of all Californians will contract the coronavirus. Some may be asymptomatic, which means they won’t know they have it and yet can easily infect others.

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Federal and state programs to provide support for those who are not working

Teamster News

STATE

Unemployment Insurance

If you have lost your job or had your hours reduced for reasons related to COVID-19

Partial wage replacement benefit payments to workers who lose their job through no fault of their own.

Ranges from $40-$450/week for up to 26 weeks

www.edd.ca.gov/

unemployment/

eligibility.htm

STATE

Paid Family Leave (PFL)

If you’re unable to work because you are caring for an ill or quarantined family member with COVID-19 (certified by a medical professional)

Up to six weeks of benefit payment to eligible workers who have a full or partial loss of wages because they need time off work to care for a seriously-ill family member.

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Best Teamster Coke contract in 30 years

Local 896, Teamster News

Local 896 members at Coke in San Leandro recently ratified their new four-year contract eight months early.

Improvements include significant increases in wages, pension, and health and welfare, Teamster 401K participation, ratification and signing bonuses, and zero concessions.

For the first time in both Coke and Local 896 history, the members here ratified the contract unanimously.

Special thanks go to Local 853 President Dennis Hart for his invaluable participation and the use of the local’s hall,

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Legislature currently closed, situation fluid

Sacramento Report

Hello from the bunker in Sacramento. The first thing that is readily apparent in our collective response to COVID-19 is that there are so many heroes on the front lines providing vital services to communities all around the state, and many of these heroes are Teamsters. Governor Newsom even acknowledged this in one of his recent televised briefings, thanking our union and members for doing what needs to be done in this crisis.

Speaking of Governor Newsom,

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Supreme Court: Employees must be paid for time spent undergoing exit searches

Legal Update

In February, the California Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling for workers, holding that employees must be paid for time spent waiting for and undergoing mandatory exit searches after the end of a work shift. The case, Frleiken v. Apple, Inc., involved a class of retail employees subject to these searches at Apple’s 52 California stores.

Apple’s exit search policy required supervisors to search retail employees’ bags, packages, backpacks, purses, and even to verify the serial number of personal Apple products.

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