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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Local 856 Delta Dental members have overwhelmingly ratified a new four-year contract that provides for fully employer-paid health and welfare benefits for members and all dependents, protects jobs, and secures wage increases. 

The new agreement covers more than 500 Local 856 Delta Dental Teamsters administering important dental benefits throughout Northern California. 

 Although the previous contract did not expire until this November, Local 856 and Delta Dental management agreed to begin negotiations earlier this year in light of the global pandemic.

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Local 856 Food Processing Teamsters recently ratified an important contract extension, which guarantees the largest across-the-board wage increase in the history of the contract.

The Teamsters Cannery Council agreement, which covers 10,000 Local 856 and Local 948 Teamsters working at canneries throughout the Central Valley, also ensures no increases to healthcare costs and maintains important contract protections and language.

“Food Processing Teamsters have quite literally risked their own lives throughout the pandemic to make certain we could all put food on our tables,” said Ashley Alvarado,

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After long contentious negotiations, that included a one-day strike in December, front-line health care Teamsters 856 members at Sutter Health Eden Medical Center (EMC) in Castro Valley have ratified a new contract that increases wages and protects hard-fought contract language.

The 140 Teamsters 856 members at EMC include respiratory therapists, lab techs, imaging techs, and other health care professionals who have been on the front lines of the pandemic since its onset last spring.

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