Teamsters 856 members working at Sunsweet Growers in Yuba City and San Benito Foods in Gilroy are enjoying the benefits of their recent hard-fought contract wins.

At Sunsweet, where more than 400 members work in not only the sorting, pitting, juicing, packaging, and shipping of prunes, but also in maintenance, as electricians, forklift operators, sanitation, and more, the battle for a fair agreement was an uphill climb that included an overwhelming strike vote after the employer made a substandard offer earlier this year.

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Teamsters Local 856 members of West Contra Costa County Unified School District (WCCUSD) have overwhelmingly ratified a new two-year contract that includes significant wage increases and market rate adjustments for overlooked classifications to combat high vacancy rates.  

The victory comes after over six months of grueling negotiations, which included numerous actions, including a rally at the WCCUSD Board of Education meeting, where large crowds of WCCUSD members showed up in full Teamster colors demanding a fair contract.

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After months of tough negotiations, the 2,000-plus Contra Costa County members of Teamsters Local 856 won a strong contract in August. 

The victory comes after months of direct action from the workers of Contra Costa County, including two rallies at the Board of Supervisors, 14 worksite actions, and a successful strike school that brought together more than 400 attendees. Countless union members called into County Board of Supervisors meetings and lobbied the County’s elected officials for support.

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Thousands of Contra Costa County workers continue to fight for a fair contract. They’ve held 12 actions since late April and called on the Board of Supervisors to support workers by addressing the current staffing crises and agreeing to a fair contract for workers. 

“The more than 2,000 Teamsters Local 856 members at Contra Costa County are not just fighting for themselves,” said Peter Finn, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 856. “They are fighting for the dignity of all county workers and to protect the services for the people of Contra Costa.

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Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien has named Local 856 Director of Organizing Chris Rosell as the International Brotherhood of Teamsters National Director of Organizing.

Rosell started his career as a rank and file UPS Teamster in 1999, became a Project Organizer with the IBT in 2003, and was promoted to International Organizer in 2007. He has led and won major national campaigns in the Waste, Transit, Airline, and Warehouse Divisions, and more. In 2007,

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On October 2, nearly 200 Local 856 shop stewards gathered at the Westin SFO in Millbrae for the Local’s annual shop steward appreciation day.

The event included a retrospective on the past two years showcasing the essential work Local 856 members have performed in nearly every industry throughout the pandemic, including health care, public services, hospitality, airline, and school districts. 

“Our steward appreciation day has become a Local 856 tradition, and we are grateful that we were able to resume it this year,

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