Liquor drivers ratify first contract
June 23, 2022
After voting to unionize in 2021 by a vote of 17 to 1, the 25 drivers from Zephyr Express (Winebow) in Benicia unanimously ratified their first contract in March. These drivers deliver alcohol to grocery stores, BevMo stores, and other liquor retailers.
“We believe that the talks went smoothing precisely because of the resolve these drivers showed in demanding a union,” says Secretary-Treasurer Don E. Garcia. “And that resolve paid off. Their day one wage increases ranged from $2 per hour to $10.16 per hour.
Garcia wanted to give special thanks to the negotiating committee: Jim Paniagua and Alvaro Martin, who are currently serving as shop stewards for the five-year agreement. “I was impressed with this whole group and how they stuck together till the very end,” Garcia added.
