We have a lot of movement going on right now regarding your progress and wanted to give you some updates.
Your election has been recognized and certified by the NLRB(National Labor Relations Board.)
We have assembled a bargaining committee of some of your fellow workers and have been in discussion.
US Foods management has agreed to begin negotiating with your group this coming March.
We will be announcing a proposal meeting for all US Foods Drivers in the next few weeks to discuss and submit a proposal to the company. This is where we all discuss what you want from the company. Then, we will draw up a formal proposal.
Please stay tuned, and please attend the proposal meeting when we announce it to ensure you have your say and are informed of our progress.
US Foods Brothers, I am Steve Beck, the secretary-treasurer and principal officer at Teamsters Local 853. I am responsible for leading Teamsters Local 853.
Congratulations on the vote you took to become a Teamster. I welcome you into our family. Today is a great day for you and your coworker’s future at US Foods.
Teamsters Local 853 represents 13,000 members just like you in the Bay Area from over 300 companies. We have considerable expertise in negotiating good contracts in your industry. Drivers at Coremark, UNFI, Sysco Foods, and Performance Food Groups are all Teamsters, so we know what fair wages and benefits look like in this industry, and we will be fighting to get you the salary and benefits you deserve for the work you provide.
We need your help and your participation.
For as long as I am here, you will hear me talk about the most important thing about being in a union. That is to be a well-informed member and to participate in the Teamster activities that affect you and your fellow members.
Unions are only as effective as their members’ unity and motivation to take a stand and help each other. Unity in numbers is how we get good contracts against greedy employers and how we get labor-friendly legislation. We vote for politicians who understand and support the working women and men who live in our communities, and we show up and use our collective voices to protest injustice in the workplace.
This is a battle between corporations whose sole mission is to make as much money as possible by any legal means… and the workers who usually deserve more than they get from those employers.
What you can do to start things off.
Please start getting involved now by signing up to our email list, where you will get important information on events that affect you and your coworkers here:
On behalf of myself, Steven Lua, our President, and the entire staff at Teamsters Local 853, welcome again, and let’s do this smartly and together, the Union way.
In Union, Steve Beck Secretary-Treasurer and Principal Officer of Teamsters Local 853
There is a reason US Foods is giving you confusing and conflicting information. And, in some cases, outright lying about this vote.
WHY?:
US Foods will lose a lot of money once you become a union group. They can no longer dictate what they pay you and how they treat you. And that is a very big and expensive problem for the company. So, of course, they want you to vote no.
A YES VOTE means they can no longer take the profits they should rightly be paying you, the workers who make their company successful. Plain and simple math. You get that money now, not their shareholders.
These are some answers to the lies we have heard US Foods has been telling you.
LIE # 1 – the union can force you to strike —— TRUTH – A strike is always authorized by a vote of the members being asked to strike. The Union cannot force a group to strike in any circumstance.
LIE # 2 – US Foods would have addressed your concerns without involving the union if you had come to them before contacting the Union —— TRUTH – The company will do anything it can to keep you from Unionizing because they lose profits and control once the Union comes in and gets you the wages, benefits, and job protection you deserve.
LIE # 3 – US Foods cant give you a cost of living raise while you are in a Union Vote —— TRUTH – The company can give you a cost of living increase as long as they are not giving it to you in exchange for a NO VOTE
LIE # 4 – You will pay initiation fees —– TRUTH – You will NOT pay any initiation fees to join the union, ever.
LIE # 5 – You will pay union fees as soon as you vote yes —- TRUTH – You will NOT pay union dues until your group has a contract with US Foods.
VOTE YES – and change your life for the better. Let’s get to the process of moving some of those profits over to where they belong: the workers! 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽
US Foods Drivers, ballots were mailed out to your home on December 14th. A better future for you is today. CHECK YOUR MAILBOX!!!
There has been some confusion on how to vote. We have heard that US FOODS has been giving confusing, conflicting, or straight-out misinformation regarding this vote.
When you vote, ONLY MAKE ONE MARK on the Ballot—your vote. Marking your ballot in any other way will make the ballot invalid. – DO NOT SIGN IT, DO NOT DATE IT, just put an X in the box for your YES vote!!!
Mail your ballot back right away. If you fail to mail your ballot, your vote will not be counted.
DO NOT Sign the Ballot or mark it in any way other than your vote.
You will NOT pay any initiation fees to join the union.
You will NOT pay union dues until your group has a contract with US Foods.
Vice President Teamsters Local 104 in Arizona, who represents US Foods drivers sets the record straight on their last contract with US Foods.
Their last contract got a $3.35 raise upfront with $1 raises the subsequent 3 years along with free Teamsters health insurance for members and their families and Teamster Pension Fund. That is the power of bargaining as a unit, and not just taking what the employer offers.
If you have any questions, give Teamsters 853 Vice President Ray Torres a call at 661-903-2980.
Remember, in California these are the Union differences between Union and Non-Union.
So if you vote YES, you will be more likely to secure better benefits and salary.
-higher wages (11.2% more than what nonunion workers make)
-employer-provided health insurance (96% compared to 69%)
-access to paid sick days (93% compared to 75%)
-retirement benefits through private employers (82% to 48%);
-and pensions through private employers are much more likely (54% to 8%).
Let’s do this. Pave the way to a stronger and better future for you and your family.
