Teamster News

IBT President Sean O’Brien comes to JC7

Joint Council 7 was proud to host IBT General President Sean O’Brien at its quarterly Delegates Meeting held in Monterey on September 17. A full house was in attendance to meet the recently-elected head of the International Union.

“We thank President O’Brien for his message of unity and for his leadership in building the strength of our union for the great battles ahead,” said JC7 President Jason Rabinowitz. “Our number one task is unity,

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Teamsters notch legal win for drivers

Teamsters won a great legal victory on June 30, when the Supreme Court refused to hear the trucking industry’s protest of AB5, the law passed in 2019 to end the misclassification of workers as “independent contractors” and rein in the “gig” economy.

As soon as the law was passed, the California Trucking Association sued, alleging that they should be able to continue to misclassify truck drivers as independent contractors even though those drivers work at the beck and call of the companies.

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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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