Big shout out to the Right Away crew, who just ratified a 3-year contract extension. Congratulations!!!
Right Away Teamsters 853 & 315 ratified a 3-year contract extension! Read More »
It was a great day to come out to celebrate and have some food and family fun at our Member Appreciation Picnic this year. We got very lucky as the weather was perfect at the Alameda County Fair Grounds.
There was a raffle with over a dozen great prizes, hamburgers and hot dogs with all the sides, face painting, and a magician for the kids and willing adults.
We were also privileged to have two special guests: Western Region Vice President Peter Finn and national Teamster star Lindsay Dougherty.
“It was a good day to just celebrate our Teamster community and say welcome back, sisters and brothers,” said Secretary-Treasurer Steve Beck. “The work we all do together, our staff, Business Agents, Trustees, involved members, it’s all vital work, and it benefits not just members but also other workers who don’t have the support of a Union. I don’t think the day could have been better, and it was just fun to celebrate our bond.”
Sisters and Brothers,
When Governor Newsom vetoed AB316, a bill that would have protected Union Jobs and put corporate greed in check, Teamsters do what they have always done. Continue the fight at a different angle. Because we only lose when we stop fighting. So we continue using our considerable voice for working women and men in California to stand up for what is right.
In that spirit, the next battle has been chosen at the San Francisco Headquarters of RoboTaxi Company, Cruise.
On Oct. 24, Cruise, a robotaxi company backed by GM, Honda, Microsoft and others, will release their 3rd quarter earnings and we want a big crowd outside to tell them and their shareholders to put PEOPLE OVER PROFITS! Our families and communities should not be used as lab rats for corporations to profit.
WHERE AND WHEN 9:00 am Tuesday, Oct. 24 333 Brannan St. (Stanford Alley) San Francisco, CA 94107
If you think you can make it, please sign up here so we can best plan for this rally.
Imagine if you were on the job, and one day management just fired everyone, then said you can apply for the same job at a lower wage in a new location. This is exactly what happened at Smart and Final when Grupo Commercial Chedraui from Mexico purchased Smart and Final. These workers demand their jobs be guaranteed at just wages and with a union contract! Without representation from a Union, this kind of blatant injustice and disrespect for employees would go unchallenged.
Teamsters 853 Staff Leaflets six(6) Bay Area Locations. Gilroy, San Mateo, Redwood City, Daily City, Hayward, and Fairfield: So it’s our job to spread the word about how Smart and Final treats their employees. Teamsters Local 853 have now engaged in a first line of defense called leafletting. Simply standing out in front of Smart and Final locations and letting shoppers know what has happened to the Union workers at the company. California is arguably the most Union-friendly state in the country, and informing shoppers to make better choices when shopping for their groceries will get traction from Californians.
So if you shop at Smart and Final or know friends and family who do, send them this article and spread the word. Right now, the new owners of Smart and Final are not respecting their employees for the vital work they do. Just the opposite, they are acting in a completely undignified and exploitative way, treating them like a disposable resource. Spread the word; the more people that know, the faster we can get justice for these workers.
Pictured: Teamsters 853 Business Agents Cesar Martinez, Efren Alarcon, and Gloria Segura, along with Vice-President Ray Torres and organizer Juanita Smith fanned out in the Bay Area to bring awareness to these workers’ cause by leafletting Smart and Final.
The San Francisco Unified School District has been dragging its feet on an expired contract representing several Unions in the Common Crafts Coalition and the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters. Last week, these unions, of which Teamsters 853 is one, were authorized to strike if the SFUSD cannot get their act together and hammer out a fair and equitable contract for these workers. This strike will be far-reaching and significantly impact the SF Unified School District’s operations as they represent many members from the following unions.
TEAMSTERS, LOCAL 853 CARPENTERS AND LOCKSMITH, LOCAL 22 UNITED ASSOCIATION OF JOURNEYMEN AND APPRENTICES OF THE PLUMBING AND PIPEFITTING INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA, LOCAL 38 UNITE UNION OF ROOFERS, WATERPROOFERS AND ALLIED WORKERS, LOCAL 40 SHEET METAL WORKERS INTERNATIONAL UNION, LOCAL 104 IRON WORKERS UNION, LOCAL 377 GLAZIERS, ARCHITECTURAL METAL AND GLASS WORKERS UNION, LOCAL 718 LABORERS INTERNATIONAL UNION OF AMERICA, LOCAL 261 AUTO, MARINE AND SPECIALTY PAINTERS, LOCAL 1176 MACHINISTS, LOCAL 1414
Stay focused, stay unified, and get that good contract!! All of Teamsters 853 is behind you!!
Sisters and Brothers,
An informed and active electorate can get things done. That is why we are writing you today.
You may have heard the news that the freight company Yellow recently filed for bankruptcy, which put 22,000 Teamsters out of work and allowed Yellow to walk away from their responsibility and debt. Leaving Teamsters holding the bag for 5 Billion in financial sacrifices that were conceded by members to keep Yellow afloat since 2009.
But you, as an educated Teamster, can help right this wrong by taking one minute to fill out this form and send a pre-written letter to Senator Padilla asking him to consider the ramifications of these weak Bankruptcy laws and to support reform of our nation’s bankruptcy laws.
The reason corporations get away with this “free pass” bankruptcy is because not enough working citizens are aware that there is a better choice. We have to continually The reason corporations get away with this “free pass” bankruptcy is that not enough working citizens are aware that there is a better choice. We have to continually speak up in force as a significant voting block in California.
So we are asking you to take 1 minute out of your day to send this form letter to our Senior California Senator Alex Padilla to help right this bankruptcy wrong. The more well-educated we are on these topics, the more we can help control and prevent this type of injustice from happening in the future.
No Teamster working for a corporation is safe, while these bankruptcy laws remain the way they are. The next bankruptcy could be your employer, so please help and act now.
In Union,
Steve Beck, Steven Lua, and the entire Teamsters 853 Staff
If you have ever purchased a new car and asked for something to be added to the car like a tow hitch or roof rack, where do you think these additions happen? Not at the factory. Large car companies ship cars with basic model builds, and when a dealership receives an order for a car modification, the Teamsters at Amports are the folks who do this work before the car arrives at the dealership. They are the gatekeepers between ordering the car and delivering it to the dealership with the requested modifications.
So the next time you or someone you know buys a new car in the Bay Area, just know that before that car gets delivered, it’s likely a skilled Teamster made sure that the car is properly equipped and ready to deliver.
So now these skilled workers at Amports are in the middle of negotiating their next contract. Pictured are members at the VW/Audi compound who are banding together to ensure they get a fair and good contract because they ensure Amports customers get a good product on the other end.
Amports Members are in the middle of negotiating their next contract. Read More »
In August, Teamster members working at Bimbo turned down the company’s Last Best and Final offer during contract negotiations. They then overwhelmingly voted to authorize us to strike if the need arises. Some of the issues still not adequately addressed were the two-tier workforce as well as wage increases that can keep up with the rising costs of living in the Bay Area.
This is a master contract that includes 11 other locals covering Northern California and parts of Southern California.
“ I am so proud of these members for standing up for their rights; these men and women are not trying to be greedy; they just want a fair contract,” said Stacy Murphy, Teamsters 853 Business Representative.
After the last and best offer, Bimbo Teamsters vote overwhelmingly to strike If needed. Read More »
Alex Nakano, son of RNDC Teamster 853 member Kurt Nakano, was presented with the JC7 Scholarship this year at our September monthly meeting. Alex was selected as the winning recipient after providing his most recent education transcripts, extracurricular and community activities, and an essay he wrote on “The Importance of Labor Unions.”
Pictured with Alex are his parents, Kurt and Diana, and his old and younger brothers, Victor and Alex, respectively, along with Secretary-Treasurer Steve Beck and President Steven Lua.
This is always a bright spot in our year,” Said Teamsters 853 Secretary-Treasurer Steve Beck. “It’s a nice position to represent an organization that cares for its members and provides opportunities for their children to further their education.”
Labor Fun Fact: Did you know that San Francisco Mayor London Breed’s higher education was partially funded by her Uncle, who was a Teamster? Yes, it’s true, Mayor London Breed might not be where she is today without the support structure that the Teamsters provided her.
Teamster 853 Member’s Son Awarded Joint Council 7 Harry Polland/Bob Morales Scholarship Read More »
Can we please give a big shout-out to our Watsonville Community Hospital Teamsters 853 members? They are gearing up for contract negotiations. This upcoming contract is important as it is the first time they bargain since COVID.
The city of Watsonville depends on these hard-working members who were at the front line of the pandemic, putting the health and safety of others ahead of their own, every day for over two years. 👉 It’s time to be treated and paid like the heroes that they are.
