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SF Street Sweepers win big grievances

Business Rep Dan Harrington reports that he won two separate grievances for some San Francisco street sweepers.

In the first case, he was able to overturn a 5-day suspension through expedited arbitration, and the member, Annie Romero, got a back pay check covering all five days. In this case, Romero was suspended for participating in an altercation with another employee. However, Harrington contends, the city denied the union the right to represent her and wouldn’t allow her steward into the hearing. The arbitrator found that, because representation was not allowed, the discipline had to be overturned. “It was a good case,” says Harrington. “We stuck to our guns about the representation and we prevailed.”

In the second case, a street sweeper, Frank Perez, was assaulted by a citizen. Instead of listening to the members’ side or letting the union represent him, the city immediately put Perez on 30-day suspension.

“Just as the case was supposed to go to full arbitration, the City realized that the citizen was lying and that Perez was innocent,” says Harrington. “They backed down and agreed to pay him nearly $10,000 for the wages and benefits he had been wrongfully denied.”

Harrington particularly wanted to thank Shop Steward James Long for being persistent in challenging the city when they deny union representation. He also thanks Susan Garea, attorney at the Beeson Tayer & Bodine law firm, for her diligence in seeing the cases through.

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Update on COVID-19 for all Teamster members

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By Rome Aloise — 

We have put together a special edition of the Local 853 Connections to make sure you are getting information from your union that, given the current circumstances, is as helpful and timely as it can be.

We are experiencing unprecedented and historic times. None of us have seen anything like this and hopefully, we won’t have to experience it again. The threat of COVID-19 is something that many of us didn’t really take seriously at first. As the virus spreads, and our political leaders started to acknowledge its seriousness, our world, as we know it, has experienced incredible changes.

Many of our members are working long hours making sure essential items are in place for the general public and for medical facilities. Our sisters and brothers are, in some cases, putting themselves in harm’s way to make sure they are providing the service that they were hired to do, and stepping up in these uncertain times. Many have worked so many hours that when they are off of work, and trying to get the necessities for themselves and their families, everything is gone. They are truly heroes.

In fact, Governor Newsom acknowledged the Teamsters Union and our members for doing extraordinary work. We have been successful in getting many of the companies that are still open and deemed “essential” to give some type of hazard pay or bonuses while our members are faced with these extraordinary demands. …

Update on COVID-19 for all Teamster membersRead More »

Update on COVID-19 for all Teamster members Read More »

Thank You, Teamsters!

A Message from Local 853 Secretary-Treasurer Rome Aloise

Local 853 members are in many cases working harder and longer to make sure the general public is taken care of during these trying times.

Some work with the public like our Costco members, trying to help the public while they are hoarding toilet paper and getting hell because the store is out of it. Our grocery warehouse and drivers working overtime in an attempt to keep the stores stocked, our bus drivers, especially the paratransit drivers, getting people to their life saving appointments and thousands more of our members stepping up to be good members of the community, I thank you for being Teamsters!

Also, if you are feeling sick, use your sick leave, take the time. Most of our employers are not enforcing any lost time discipline and if they try to, call your business agent. While you are protecting others, protect yourself and your family. God bless you all!

 

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