August 26, 2019, might have been just another workday for Hector Camacho and his City of Millbrae Public Works co-worker, Evan Ramirez, but an accident at the end of the day made it one to remember.
“We were getting off work and it happened right by the freeway on-ramp,” said Hector. Hector and Evan were returning to the Public Works corporation yard with the intention of going home for the day when they saw a car collide with a bicyclist.
Keep readingIn June, with a resounding 90% yes vote, the members of Teamsters Local 601 voted to merge with Local 856. Their goal for the merger is to increase member strength, build on the current Teamster Central Valley infrastructure, and advance organizing opportunities while maintaining local control. Local 856 is fully committed to meeting those goals.
The merger, effective August 1, establishes the creation of the Teamsters Local 856 Food Processing Division, with a board of rank-and-file leaders headed by Director Ashley Alvarado.
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Teamsters 856 member, Chelsey Yu is a front desk agent at the Clift Hotel in San Francisco. Last year, she gave birth to her daughter and began her maternity leave. A few months later, she received a letter from the Clift stating she had exhausted her protected leave and her health and welfare benefits would no longer be covered.
Based on a clear and established past practice and contract language, Chelsey knew she should have been able to use her sick leave and vacation hours to meet the minimum 80 hours she needed each month to qualify for her collectively bargained health benefits.
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1926-2019
We are sad to announce the passing of Ben Leal, who died only a few days after suffering a stroke,
Born on a dairy farm in Newark, CA, Leal proudly served in the U.S. Navy in WWII, and spent most of his professional life as an organizer and leader in the Teamsters union.
Ben started his career with the Teamsters in 1956 as an organizer. In addition to serving as Secretary-Treasurer and Principal Officer of Local 856 from 1982-1994,
Keep readingLast fall, devastating fires left families centered in Paradise, CA, displaced from their homes and communities with the monumental task of rebuilding. The Camp Fire was dubbed the worst in California history because of the tragic number of lives lost and structures destroyed.
In the midst of it all, pets and other animals were caught up in the confusion and often separated from their owners. To help manage this problem, employees from the City and County of San Francisco’s Animal Care &
Keep readingIn February, the shuttle bus drivers at two more companies that have contracts with WeDriveU are now part of the Teamsters master contract, reports Business Rep Tracy Kelley. Four of the new members drive for VMWare in Menlo Park, and five are drivers for the Stanford Research Park.
Kelley reports that these members had been earning the union wage, but now that they’re members, not only do they have union protections and increased leave benefits,
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The Teamsters 856 members in the Environmental Services (EVS) department at Marin General Hospital (MGH) take pride in keeping the hospital clean. Their work is critical to the patient care experience because they ensure the hospital is a comfortable place for patients to be seen and receive treatment.
Earlier this year, MGH management came up with a plan to pilot zone cleaning. But rather than extending the work to Local 856 members,
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Local 856 members in San Francisco recently ratified a new agreement at 23 of the top hotels in San Francisco including the Fairmont, the Palace Hotel, and the Clift Hotel. The new contract builds upon the strength of their previous contract and covers more than 1,000 members who work in reservations, front desk, concierge, and accounting.
“This agreement is one that we all worked hard on and one that I believe is second to none in the hotel industry,” said Local 856 President Mike Lagomarsino who led negotiations along with Local 856 Secretary-Treasurer/Principal Officer Peter Finn.
Keep readingIn 2017, the 1,800 classified employees of West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) voted overwhelmingly to become members of Teamsters 856. And in June, they ratified their first contract as Teamsters, proving what can happen when working people stand together.
“Just one year ago we were welcoming these new members into Local 856,” said Principal Officer Peter Finn. “And now these members have ratified a contract they can be proud of that will positively impact their lives and their families’ lives.”
Gary Abeyta is a head custodian for WCCUSD and he was a part of the team that worked to bargain their first Teamsters 856 contract.
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Reservations, front desk, concierge, and rooms control employees at the W San Francisco hotel have joined the more than 1,000 hospitality workers already represented by Teamsters 856 after a resounding yes vote in February.
For Priya Kumari, the choice to join Teamsters 856 was an easy one. After years of talking with members of Teamsters 665 and UNITE HERE Local 2 who work in other departments at the W, she realized what a difference a strong collective bargaining agreement could make.
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