UPS Package car stewards Ross Kinson, Christina Phoenix, and Jason Sarmiento knew that they and the members needed a variety of PPE in order to work safely through the pandemic, but the company was dragging its feet to supply it.
Instead of waiting, the three dug deep into their pockets to purchase sanitizer, masks, and other key items and then spent their weekend putting together PPE kits for their fellow drivers.
The company would not reimburse the three generous stewards,
Keep readingWhen you think of “paratransit,” perhaps you envision a service that takes seniors and the disabled to day centers and medical appointments. That may be the mainstay, but paratransit does more than that. At least it did before the pandemic hit, and ended most of that business.
Some drivers at SF Paratransit, a TransDev company, were laid off in late February. That changed in early April when the city realized they could use paratransit services and put the drivers to work as “COVID” drivers.
Keep readingOn May 14, the members of Recology San Bruno voted overwhelmingly to ratify their contract and close the deal on a long, hard-fought negotiation.
The five-year deal ensures that the 28-member unit receives significant increases in wages and pension that will bring them to the area standard. This unit is comprised of semi-drivers, garbage and recycling drivers, mechanics, and loader operators who operate the San Bruno Transfer Station in addition to providing essential services to the residential and commercial community in the City of San Bruno.
Keep readingOn May 27, the six clerical workers who work at the BFI Newby Island Landfill in Milpitas voted unanimously to join their brothers and sisters at Local 350.
Due to the pandemic, the process to unionize this group was unlike typical organizing efforts.
“This was an interesting campaign to say the least,” said Local 350 President Sergio Arrañga. “Union representatives did not have the ability to meet with workers face to face,
Keep readingWhenever a new company wins the bid to provide services from a unionized company, it’s never a guarantee that the workers will be rehired and the union contract will be respected. Fortunately, all of that happened when Local 853 signatory employer MV Paratransit lost its contract with the City of Berkeley, and A Para Transit won it.
On June 1, the new company started their operation and offered work to all 22 of the existing MV drivers.
Keep readingThe challenges of the economic downturn have made it difficult to push forward new proposals for improvements in working conditions in various industries. Nonetheless, Local 665 successfully negotiated deals at some high-profile locations that the membership approved.
Teamsters at San Jose International Airport (SJC) recently approved two separate contracts that include annual increases of 3.5% for hourly wages. Additionally, members will maintain their health benefit packages through the life of the four-year agreement.
Keep readingIn February, just before the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily shuttered the entertainment industry, Local 665 President Tony Delorio was named to serve a three-year term on the San Francisco Film Commission by Mayor London Breed.
“There’s a long history of labor voices on the Commission,” Delorio said. “It’s important to continue that legacy by providing the perspective of rank-and-file workers who work long hours on production sets. I look forward to learning about the challenges that filming in San Francisco entails.
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Local 948 member and UPS driver Marcus Martinez parked on the freeway to salute a soldier being transported from Visalia airport to Hanford funeral home on June 16. “We are extremely proud of his tribute and thankful for all members who have served their country,” says Secretary-Treasurer Adam Ochoa.
Keep readingSRMA, an association of public employees in Santa Rosa, has voted to affiliate with Teamsters 856. The 135-member association, originally founded in 2009, includes professionals who work in public works, planning and economic development, housing and community services, recreation and parks, and other departments providing valuable services throughout the City of Santa Rosa.
The affiliation agreement means SRMA members will stand with 450 existing Santa Rosa Teamsters Local 856 members, and over 17,000 members represented by Local 856 throughout Northern California.
Keep readingUnder the very best of conditions, negotiating a collective bargaining agreement is difficult, requiring extensive homework, listening to members, and understanding the industry and the employers. That’s during normal times. Once you add a deadly pandemic, a national lockdown, a failing economy, widespread unemployment, state-mandated construction project shutdowns, protesters marching in the streets, and curfews, negotiating a progressive labor agreement becomes nearly impossible.
In March, on behalf of the Northern California Construction Committee,
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