On July 20, Teamsters joined trade unionists from across the East Bay for an event called Strike for Black Lives. The purpose was both to support Black Lives Matter and to draw attention to the plight of low-wage workers who are deemed “essential workers” during the pandemic.
After a brief rally, the event marched from Mosswood Park to a McDonalds on Telegraph Avenue in Oakland, where workers had, at that point, been on strike for 42 days over safety and other issues.
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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,
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When 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.
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On 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.
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On 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,
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