Teamster News

Joint Council prepares to take on Amazon

The fight against Amazon is huge, but Alejandro Negrete is not daunted. Negrete, as he is called, joined Joint Council 7 in July as Amazon Lead Organizer.

Founded in 1994, Amazon is now the third largest public company by revenue in the world. The company employs more than 1.6 million workers—double the number it employed before the pandemic. With more than 1,100 distribution centers, Amazon surpasses the total number of facilities run by its 

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Joint Council 7 leaders meet to build unity and power

Increasing the size and effectiveness both of Joint Council 7 and its 20 Locals that span Northern California, the Central Valley, and Northern Nevada, was precisely the goal of JC7’s recent seminar in South Lake Tahoe. The 9th Annual JC7 Seminar had skipped two years, due to the pandemic, but, as JC7 President Jason Rabinowitz told the largest Seminar to date, “it’s great to be back in person.” 

Starting with a plan

Even before the Seminar began,

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Excellent Butte County contract

Local 137’s bargaining team for the second Butte County contract—Business Agents Misty Tanner and Derek Hawley, and a crew of stewards—are proud of the new contract that they negotiated and the members overwhelmingly ratified in June. 

“This is a significant offer,” says Tanner. “Because we pushed the county to conduct a Classification/Compensation study, some members will see wage increases of as much as 24.12%, bringing their wages in line with neighboring counties.”

Tanner explains that the three-year contract provides protections for and increased contributions to the medical plans.

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Solid 5-year deal at C&S

Local 150 has secured another unprecedented contract for its members at the C&S/GMD Warehouse in Sacramento.

 “Business Agent Doug Secord has negotiated and ratified one of the best contracts ever for our members,” says Local 150 Secretary-Treasurer Dale Wentz. “Doug was able to secure an increase in wages of $5.25 over five years, with $2.25/hour the first year of the contract, and a $1.00/hour increase in pension contributions over the term of the contract.

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Contra Costa County Workers demand fair contract

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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California Waste Solutions members ratify new contract

On April 19, 2022, the 72 drivers and mechanics at California Waste Solutions (CWS) in San Jose voted nearly unanimously to ratify their new collective bargaining agreement.

“I thank the members at CWS for their patience through the long process. They trusted their local to get the best deal possible for them, with language improvements and an economic package that bridges the gap between neighboring counties,” said Local 350 President Sergio Arranaga. “A special thanks to Larry Daugherty;

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UC Teamsters are speaking out!

Local 2010’s Bargaining Team continues to meet with the University of California to negotiate a successor agreement for the CX Unit, which has been extended by mutual agreement through June 2022. While there are still many member rights articles pending, the union Bargaining Team made a wage proposal to the UC team on May 19.

Jamal Colter, Bargaining Team member from UC San Francisco, addressed the UC Board of Regents about the high cost of living and workers’ salaries not keeping up.

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Two solid contracts ratified

OK Produce: The 230 members who work in the OK Produce warehouse in Fresno and are drivers, who work primarily across Northern California, overwhelmingly ratified an early three-year agreement, reports President Peter Nuñez.

“The company was willing to sit down and bargain and our guys did a good job on that one,” says Nuñez. “The members got significant wage increases, improvements to their health and welfare, and increased pension contributions. 

Cherokee Freight Lines: About 200 drivers in Locals 431 and 439 share a contract with Cherokee Freight Lines.

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Wading through a sea of retaliation in search of first contract at AAA

Over 60 members, supporters, and elected officials rallied on May 31 in front of the Stockton AAA branch, where the insurance giant is closing its fourth highest-grossing branch out of 78 in retaliation against one of Local 665’s biggest supporters. 

“These workers chose to organize with us because AAA is outsourcing high-paying, middle-class careers into churn-and-burn, low-paying, high-turnover telemarketing jobs,” said Tony Delorio, Local 665 Secretary-Treasurer. “AAA needs to stop acting like a hedge fund and start acting like a membership association.

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Fighting back with pride

When UPS took no action after the union reported that a supervisor made a homophobic comment, Local 533 jumped into action. The Local has started an LGBTQ+ group, which is growing rapidly.  

“We are determined to make a difference both in the community and workplace for all members or allies in support of the LGBTQ+ community,” says Secretary-Treasurer Debbie Calkins. 

This logo will be screen-printed onto t-shirts and tank tops and will be available to purchase for $20.00. 

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