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Yellow Freight Teamsters Members, here is the latest update published by the IBT regarding the bankruptcy. Please download the original document to review.

On January 17, well over 2,000 union members representing 22 unions gathered out front of SF city hall to demand a just & equitable contract. Teamsters Local 853 was right up front, leading the way shoulder to shoulder with Teamsters Local 856.

Local 853 vac trucks revved up the crowd and got the rally going. They were joined by members of the Teamster horseman and Teamsters from across the city. All union contracts (except for police & fire) expire in June. Local 853 is negotiating in conjunction with the SF Building Trades Council.

Some info about the sea salt that comes from the last American sea salt manufacturer right in our Bay Area backyard in Newark, CA.   

A 25-man Teamster 853 crew from Cargill Salt – solar plant keeps the whole operation going.  They harvest the salt from the ponds you see when you cross the San Mateo and Dumbarten bridges. 

They harvest over 800,000 tons of sea salt.  It takes five years to make the salt, from filling the ponds to bagging the product. And members from Teamsters 853 are the ones who do the work to make this product. From table salt to high-end specialty salts to the salts used to keep our icy mountain highways and streets thawed.

Thanks to Steward John for his leadership and for keeping management in line.

….And swing steward Robert Tapia

Big shout out to the whole Teamster 853 crew at Cargill Salt!!!

Photos and Story by James Long

On Saturday, Teamster 853 Staff met with Assemblymember Liz Ortega to discuss Labor-related priorities for the Hayward, San Leandro, Dublin, Union City, and Pleasanton Working Communities. Pictured with assemblywoman Ortega are Trustee Joel Bellison, Recording Secretary and Business Agent Mike Henneberry, and Business Agent Cesar Martinez.

Liz Ortega is a longtime labor leader and activist from an immigrant family who has dedicated her career to fighting for the working-class people of Alameda County. 

As a Teamster 853 member, please remember that labor-aligned politicians need your help at the ballot box. We elect them so that they can help create legislation that protects us.

Turnout of sheer numbers are where we get our power. That is why we have good contracts, pay, and benefits. Because we stick together and always operate as one large group. So even though you may not be working on your specific contract, participation in all Teamster activities makes some member a recipient of a better life in our Teamster universe.

In January, our newly elected Executive Board took over Teamsters Local 853. We ran on the promise to involve members more in their Union and to provide more transparency about what events impact all of us. Our goal was to raise up all Teamsters 853 members by reaching out to our members and asking them to take their Union back. So we invested in our web, social media, and communications platforms to reach out more easily to you, our members. We made all communications available in Spanish to better communicate with the 30% of our members who prefer Spanish. We requested that your Business Agents become more involved with integrating communications of activities and events during their visits to your workplace.

And what we saw this year was nothing short of phenomenal. When we reached out to you, you reached back out to us and each other and participated like never before. You turned up, and you showed up. We had seven(7) times as many members show up for monthly meetings compared to the average last year. We had hundreds and hundreds of members turn out for pickets and rallies for every Teamster cause around the Bay Area. And some of those causes were not just local but also to the benefit of Teamsters nationwide. You donated to the Amazon strikers so that they could continue their work picketing nationally, and many members signed up and contributed to Drive, the Teamster’s Political Action Committee. You showed up at our member appreciation day, helped with the UPS contract practice strike, and participated in Boycotts and many other activities.

In short, you are taking back Teamsters Local 853 and are making us stronger and more successful. We applaud you and challenge you to participate even more in 2024. Let’s do this together and knock it out of the park in 2024. For all the Teamster 853 members who came before us and for you and future members to come. 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽 Teamsters Strong!!!

In Union,

Steve Beck, Steven Lua, and the entire Staff and Teamsters Local 853

Below are just a few of the many events and programs that made us stronger this year.

This week, votes were tallied to ratify the first-ever Oakland Zoo Zoo Keepers agreement between Local 853 & the zoo. The results were overwhelming; as a matter of fact, the vote was nearly unanimous to accept the agreement!

The union looks forward to representing our new members at Oakland’s premier institution. Local 853 would like to recognize the efforts of the leadership committee, particularly the negotiating committee (Stacie Picone, Madison Brandon, and Ashley Xiong), and the unflagging determination and support of the members.

This collective bargaining agreement is a great Christmas present for all involved, delivered Teamster style!