Author: Joint Council 7

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

May 5, 2020

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.

Keep reading

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.

Keep reading

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.

Keep reading

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,

Keep reading

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,

Keep reading

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.

Keep reading

Navigating the Commercial Driver’s License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse

TAP/TARP

For any commercial driver’s license (CDL) holder it would be far better to avoid the need to use the following information. If you have any suspicion that your use of drugs or alcohol might put you in jeopardy of testing positive on a urine or breath test, please know that TAP and TARP are here to help you.

In 2020 the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration did two notable things.

Keep reading

Largest economic settlement with Sysco in the nation

Local 137, Local 533, Local 853, Teamster News

In March, the members who work at Sysco Foods in Northern California and Nevada ratified a new six-year agreement that offers the largest economic settlement with the company in the nation. The negotiations took more than four months to complete, in large part due to the company’s aggressive attempt to remove language that protects working conditions. The offer was only possible because of a coordinated effort between the IBT Warehouse Division, Joint Council 7, and Locals 137,

Keep reading

Members at Recology-Humboldt ratify new contract

Local 137, Teamster News

Teamsters Local 137 is proud to report that negotiations with Recology of Humboldt County has resulted in the best settlements ever. An addition to significant wage and pension increases, Recology agreed to pick up 100% of the premium on the Teamster health plan, a major new benefit.

Over the last two years, Recology acquired two independent waste companies in Arcata and Ferndale more than doubling the Local’s membership in Humboldt County. This was the first negotiations with the company since those members were successfully incorporated into the existing Recology contract.

Keep reading