Member Info

I’m just one member of Teamsters Local 853, What can I do?

Sisters and Brothers,

For the entire time you will be a Teamsters 853 member, you will hear from the leadership to get involved with your union. We throw out slogans like “We are stronger together”, and “Strength in numbers”.

But what does it really mean to get involved with the Teamsters 853 union? What can one member do to help. And how does that effort translate into helping our members or working women and men in general?

Three new members make a huge impact.

This is the story of Three Premier Recycler members in San Jose who stood up to testify to the San Jose City Council on wage theft. Their testimony contributed to convincing several council members to aggressively and publically stand up to Premier Recycle and advocate specifically for the workers and their contract.

Roughly a year ago, Premier Recycle workers in San Jose voted to unionize their workplace as Teamster 853 members. For the past year, Premier Recycle has employed standard union-busting tactics to stall a Union contract from moving forward. The longer they stall, the better it is for them.

So recently, Teamster 853 members Alex Obeso, Ramon Castillo, and Mike Flores from Premier Recycle, along with Business Agent Jesse Casqueiro and Vice President Ray Torres, took the opportunity to make statements to the San Jose City Council on wage theft in their industry.

Around the same time, a letter was written on behalf of three of the San Jose city council members to the company that owns Premier Recycle. This excerpt sums up the tone of the letter.

“We are well acquainted with the strategies you are all implementing to intimidate your workers from organizing and ensuring a quality workplace. We have heard concerns of safety & wage theft claims, falsification of votes, unwarranted surveillance and a general environment of hostility, division and divisiveness among other unfair labor practices.
Let it be known that we take jeopardizing the wellbeing of working families as a personal issue. The resilience and strength of San José is built upon the labor of the working-class. This is an understanding that many of our Council colleagues share. ”

San Jose Councilmember, Peter Ortiz

Read the whole letter from three San Jose council members to the owners of Premier Recycle.

This is the power of participation of just three members of Teamsters Local 853, who stepped up and decided to get involved. Their actions resulted in securing strong allies in government who will advocate for workers everywhere. 

So when you say, “I’m just one member of Teamsters Local 853, what can I do?” We say a lot!!! Now you know just one way members can change things for the better.

There are also simple ways to get involved in your union.

Teamsters are stronger together. Get involved in your Union, and make a difference!

Teamsters Local 853

Golden Brands in SF Ratifies Four(4) Year Contract with a Full Recommendation from the Union Negotiating Committee

Teamsters at Golden Brands in San Francisco on Saturday ratified a four-year contract that had the full support of the Union Negotiating Committee. 87 of 117 members in the unit showed up Saturday morning to vote.

“I’m extremely proud of these members and want to say special thanks to my STRONG, VOCAL & FOCUSED negotiating committee,” said Business Agent Efren Alarcon. “Because these four stuck together, they ensured the whole group got a good contract!”

Congratulations to our Sisters and Brothers at Golden Brands.

Negotiating Committee
Angelo Hernandez - Sales steward 
Matt Strachan - Driver steward 
Joel Garcia - Warehouse steward
Xavier Landa - Merchandiser steward

After Decades in South San Francisco,124 Teamsters with Matagrano Beer Move to Hayward

Teamsters at Matagrano Beer’s new facility in Hayward. After decades of being in South San Francisco, all 124 Teamsters at Matagrano Beer were asked to report to duty 30 miles away in Haward, CA. There was a mix of reactions from members. For some, the move brought them closer to home, and for others, farther away.

From left to right are: Solis, Phil Arellano, David Tan, and Joe B.

From left to right are: Danny D., Ismael Sifuentes, and Jaime Saenz

Teamsters 853 Provides Flood Relief for Watsonville & Pajaro Community Members

On Friday, March 10, 2023, after heavy storms swept through many parts of California, the Watsonville and Pajaro community was devastated when a levee broke, and flooding caused 1,700 residents to be evacuated from their homes. Teamsters Local 853 represents members who were impacted by these floods and to date, members from S. Martinelli, Del Mar Foods, and H.A. Rider have been relocated to shelters and hotels while they wait for officials to allow them to return home. The flood has been named one of the biggest weather-related disasters in California and we are only in the beginning stages of how it has affected the community.

Pajaro Valley is known for its agriculture and is home to many farm workers who will be out of a job this year due to the compromised crops caused by the flooding. The long-term damage means that some of the members we represent will have a low volume of crops to process and package. This affects members from Driscoll’s, Del Mar Foods, and the cold storages that store these crops.

Teamsters Local 853 partnered with other Unions (UFCW, Liuna, Teachers Unions, and others) along with the Monterey and Santa Cruz Central Labor Council that represent employees in the community to host a BBQ event on Wednesday, March 22. We assisted our members and the community by distributing gift cards for groceries. We also distributed clothing and toiletries. We had a strong showing of over 100 members, city officials, and union representatives who spoke on overcoming the devastation these floods created and continuing to build on our community.

If you, or someone you know, have been affected by the flooding, and you are seeking information or support, please contact Teamsters Local 853 President, Steven Lua, with the provided contact information below.

Steven Lua
Teamsters Local 853
22 E. 5th Street
Watsonville, CA 95076
Phone# (831) 724-0683
Fax# (831) 724-1554

A Great Victory over Wrongful termination with Full 18 Months Back Pay and benefits

Sisters and Brothers, a great victory to share with you. Patricia and Lucas were both wrongfully terminated at Kelloggs 19 months ago. After a lot of hard work coordinated by Ray Torres and shop steward Eric Calderone, we are happy to report that Patricia and Lucas are both back at work along with their Back Pay, Health Benefits, 401K, and pensions.

Performance Food Group in Gilroy – Congratulations – Let’s get it done and get to the finish line.

Performance Food Group in Gilroy,

On behalf of Teamsters Local 853, we want to congratulate you on taking the first step to better Wages, Benefits, and Protections at your workplace by voting to unionize.

Our entire local of 13,000 members have your back and will support you in getting to the next step of getting a great contract.


Trust us; we will get this done well for you. But the road is hard, and we must all be strong.

Thank you to our Sister Local members who work for Performance Food Group down in the City of Industry. They have your back too. Here are two messages from Teamsters Local 630 from those members who know.

Let’s get it done!!

Ray Torres, Vice-President, Teamsters Local Union 853

Teamsters 853 Sisters and Brothers – 300 Companies – 13,000 Members Strong

Teamsters Local 853 represents more than 13,000 members at more than 300 companies—from the Greater Bay Area out to Sacramento, and down to the Central Coast. If you meet a brother or sister from one of these companies, say hello!

Bakery • Beverage & Liquor • Passenger Transportation • Cannabis • Car Rental/Dealerships • Construction • Dairy • Food Processing • Laundry • Non-Profit • Package Delivery • Paratransit • Parking • Printing • Public Sector • Ready Mix • Retail • Trucking • Warehousing

18 Trucking, Inc.
Accurate Printing
Adprint
AEG Ticket Sellers & Takers
Affiliated Const. Owner Operators
Affiliated Concession Vendors
Aguilar Trucking
Albany Subaru
Alliance Graphics
Alpha Press, Inc.
Alsco American Linen Supply
Americold Logistics
Ameripride Uniform Services
Amports
Andreini Brothers
Anixter Inc.
Apache Partners
Aramark
Arb Inc. (Pipeline)
Argent Materials, Inc
Arkansas Best Freight
Athens Baking Co
Auto West Honda
Autonation Honda
Avis Car Rental
B. K. Mill & Fixture
Bakemark, Inc
Bauman Landscape and
Construction
Bay Area Paving Co
Bill Jacobson
Bimbo Bakeries USA
Bogetti Water Trucks
Bottomley Distributing Co
Brannon Equipment Sales & Leasing,
LLC
Budget Rent A Car (Truck Rental)
Building & Construction Trades of
Alameda County
C F Archibald
C.A. Cold Storage Co., Inc.
California Trade Bindery
Canteen
Cargill Salt Co-Refinery Loc. 1
Cemex USA
Central Concrete Supply
Certainteed Corporation
Challenge Dairy Products
Charles F Gagliasso Trucking, Inc
Cherin Furniture Co
Christy Vault Company
City & County of San Francisco
Classic Glass
Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc.
County Fair-Alameda
Coast Counties Truck & Equipment
Coast Litho
Compass Transportation
Consolidated Printers, Inc.
Core-Mark
Cost Plus Stores
Costco Wholesale
Cosumnes Community Services
County Fair-Monterey County
Crothall Laundry Services
CTWI
D & B Trenching, Inc
Davis Instruments Corp
Day-Lee Foods, Inc.
Del Mar Foods/Cold Storage
DFS-J.V.
DHL
Double D Transportation
Douglas Parking
Driscoll Strawberries, Inc.
DS Waters
Durham School Bus Services
East Bay Restaurant Supply Co
Economy Lumber Co
Economy Trucking Services, Inc.
EMJ Company
Farmers Bros Coffee Co
Farmers Produce
Fast Track Airport Parking
Ferguson Enterprises-Air Cold
Ferma Corp/Green Box
Firestar Productions
First Student - San Jose
First Transit
Fong & Associates
Foothill-DeAnza District-Payroll
Foster Farms Dairy
Fremont Universal Transportation Inc
G. Bortolotto & McPhail
GCR Tires & Services
Gatorade
Genesis Logistics
Gillig Corporation
Globe Forklift Co.
Gloria Washington Trucking , Inc
Glosage Engineering Inc.
Golden Brands-Sacramento
Golden Gate Fields
Golden Gate Freightliner
Goodland Landscape
GR4 Trucking Service
Graffik Dezine
Grafix
Granite Construction
Granite Rock Company Construction
Division
Graniterock
Greif Brothers Corporation
Guerra Construction Group
H W McKevitt Co
H.A. Rider & Sons
Hallcon Transportation
Half Moon Bay Sealing & Paving
Harbor Distributing Dba Golden
Brands
Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction
Healthcare Services Group
Henkel Corporation
Hertz Corp
Hill Brothers Chemical Co.
HVYW8 Inc.
Interstate Paving
J S Guerin Co.
J’s Quality Printing
JFC International Inc
Kellogg’s U.S.A. Inc.
Larsen Brothers Lumber Inc
Las Animas Concrete Inc
LAZ Parking
Le Boulanger the Baker LLC
Lehigh Southwest Cement Company
Lithotype Company, Inc.
LS Trucking, Inc
MacMurray Pacific
Macy’s Logistics
Macy’s
Master Builders
Matagranos Inc
McGuire & Hester
Mercado Trucking LLC
Mercurio Brothers Printing
Mission Linen
Mondelez Global LLC
Monterey Mechanical Co
Mosaic Global Transportation
Mountain Cascade, Inc.
MV Transportation
National Car Rental
Naturipe Berry Growers Cold Storage
Northrop Grumman Marine Systems
O C Jones & Sons
O’Grady Paving Company
Operating Engineers Print Shop
Osborne Lumber Co
Outfront Media
Pacific Racing Association
Pajaro Dunes South Association
Pajaro Valley Cold Storage Co.
Pak N’ Save
Park N Fly, Inc.
Peerless Coffee Company
Peninsula Crane and Rigging Inc
Penske Truck Leasing Inc.
Pepsi Cola West
Perfect Image Printing
Pine Cone Lumber
Pipeline Project
Pleasanton Ready Mix Concrete
PPG Industries
Precision Sweeping
Premier Parking
Primesource Building Products, Inc.
Pro Forma Resources
Prudential Overalls/Clean Room
Services
Pyramid Painting Inc.
QLM Inc.
Ransome Company
Redgwick Construction Co.
Reed And Graham Inc
Reef Parking
Reliance Metals
Reyes Coca ColaRight Away Redy Mix
River Distributing Co., LLC
RNDC
Ryde Transit
Ryder Truck Rental
S Martinelli & Company
S.S.A.Terminals, LLC
Safeway Bakery/Milk Plant
San Francisco Unified School District
San Jose Convention Center
San Jose Transport
San Pablo Automotive Supply
Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce
Scan Art/Pacific Resources
Schawk, Inc.
Second Harvest Food Bank
SFO RAC
Sierra Pacific
Sims Metal
Snelson Companies
Sonoco
SP+ Transportation
Spicer’s
Spot Light Printing Company
STA - San Jose
Statewide Construction Sweeping
Statewide Owner Operators
Steeler, Inc
Storer Transit Systems
Superior Modular Transport Inc
SWGS
Sysco Food Service of San Francisco,
Inc.
T. Marzetti Company
Teamsters Local 517
Teichert Construction
The Ford Store
Time Printing
Times Printing Company
Top Grade Construction
Top Shelf Packaging
Township Retail Services, Inc
Transdev
Tri Valley Water Trucks, Inc
Truitt & White Lumber Co
United Natural Foods (UNFI)
United Parcel Service
Urban Art Lithography, Inc.
USF Reddaway
Vanguard Construction
Vulcan Materials Company
Watsonville Community Hospital
We Drive U
West Coast Vending
West Valley Construction Co., Inc
Westrock
Westside Building Materials
White Brothers
Wingfoot Com. Tire
Zenith American Solutions

Teamster Privileges

Teamster Privilege Everyday Savings offers members-only savings on everything from renting a car to sending a bouquet of flowers. Teamster members can save money by taking advantage of all of the Everyday Savings benefits!

CAR & TRUCK RENTAL DISCOUNTS

Rates and discounts are available at participating locations in US and Canada. For reservations, call the numbers listed below and have your ID number ready. To check car rental pricing and reserve online, click here.

COMPUTER DISCOUNTS

Save 10% to 30% on selected products purchased through Dell and HP. Free technical support included on select systems.

Call 1-877-882-3355 (ID# PS16626766). For HP call 1-866-433-2018 (ID# EP144472).

UNION-MADE CHECKS

To order call 1-888-864-6625 or visit www.UnionPlus.org/Checks.

INTERSTATE MOVING DISCOUNTS

Call North American Van Lines at 1-888-813-9595 or Allied Van Lines at 1-888-642-6814 or go to www.unionplus.org/moving..

FLOWER DISCOUNTS

To order call 1-888-667-7779.

LEGAL SERVICES

A nationwide network of attorneys at more than 2,000 law offices offers free and discounted services to members; For further details visit Union Plus Legal Aid Services. To search participating lawyers visit Union Plus Legal Service – Find a Lawyer.

ENTERTAINMENT DISCOUNTS

Teamster members and their families can save on a wide range of entertainment with Teamster Privilege Entertainment discounts.

To order tickets or learn more call 1-800-565-3712 or visit www.UnionPlus.org/Entertainment (ID#744387769).

CREDIT COUNSELING

Teamster members and their families can turn to Teamster Privilege Credit Counseling through Money Management International (MMI) to speak to a certified counselor, visit www.UnionPlus.org/CreditCounseling or call 1-877-833-1745.

Who’s eligible?
U.S. Teamster members and their families. Please see program details for availability in Canada.