News

The Department of Industrial Relations ruled in favor of a Teamster petition to require the prevailing wage for ready-mix drivers who do on- and off-hauling to and from construction sites in San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties. This means that the minimum rates for this work go from $33.85 to $69.07 per hour.

“This doesn’t change the rate for our members,” says Stu Helfer “because they were already getting the higher rate. However, it protects our standards and brings up the wages of lots of non-union ready-mix drivers when they work on a prevailing wage job.”

This determination had previously been made in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

“Our contractors told us that we have to level the playing field. So we did,” Helfer says with great pride.

A majority of the 15 drivers, janitors, and maintenance workers at Crothall Healthcare in Gilroy filed cards to show their interest in joining Local 853. These workers had a laundry list of grievances, including safety issues, favoritism, mistreatment, and lack of respect. Surprising everyone—including organizer Pablo Barrera—the company recognized the unit without having to have an NLRB election.

“We were sure that we’d have a fight on our hands,” says Barrera. “But because the Manteca facility is already under contract with Local 386, the company didn’t have a problem recognizing the union through card check. We are working to develop a contract using the 386 agreement as a template.”

The Gilroy facility services major Bay Area hospitals with linens, towels, blankets, pillowcases, laboratory coats, and hospital scrubs.

The nearly 100 members at the Safeway Milk Plant in San Leandro unanimously ratified their new four-year contract on July 8.

“These members worked through the pandemic, supplying milk and other products for Safeway and other brands. The company has been investing a lot of money into expanding the plant for new lines, like almond milks and creamers, and it was time that they also invested in their employees,” said Business Rep Jesse Casqueiro.

The agreement was all about economics: The members will get good wage increases each year of the contract and the company will increase their pension contributions each year as well. The contract also included additional trainer pay and a night shift differential.

After our highly successful San Jose job fair in July, Teamsters Local 853 is sponsoring an Oakland job fair on August 28. It will be held from 8 a.m. to Noon on Saturday, August 28 at our Oakland office parking lot: 7750 Pardee Lane.

Job seekers are encouraged to bring copies of their resumé. They\’ll have an opportunity to meet job recruiters from about 15 different Teamster employers, ranging from drivers (tech bus, school bus, paratransit, truck); warehouse; and manufacturing. All jobs pay good wage, offer a variety of benefits and a union contract with a voice on the job

This is an ideal opportunity for people who were laid off during the pandemic or who want to make a job/career change.

Check out the brochure here: Job Fair Oakland

Were you laid off due to the pandemic shutdowns? Do you hate your job but want to keep good Teamster wages and benefits? Do you know someone out of work?

Come to the Teamster Job Fair on Saturday, July 10 (8 a.m. to Noon) and/or spread the word!

Fourteen Teamster employers who collectively have more than 150 jobs available will be coming to the Teamster 853 office in San Jose (1452 N. Fourth Street) to see who they can sign up. This is a tremendous opportunity to make a new start with a Teamster job. Positions include drivers (bus, shuttle, truck, paratransit); merchandisers and route sales, manufacturing, and more.

For more info or to pre-register for the event, use the QR code below or go online to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/teamsters-job/fair-tickets-158812330957.

(May 26, 2021)  This morning, a gunman killed eight Valley Transportation Agency (VTA) workers and himself at a union meeting of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265 in San Jose.

Teamsters Local 853 also has members who subcontract to the VTA. The following is a statement by Teamsters Joint Council 7 President Rome Aloise:

“Fortunately, our members were safe from this horrific event. However, this is yet another devastating mass shooting that has snatched the lives of working people in the course of their day. These workers, who continued to put themselves at risk and work heroically throughout the COVID shutdowns should not have to fear for their lives due to the pandemic of gun violence. We join with the South Bay Central Labor Council and Working Partnerships USA to support a fund for the victims’ families that they established this morning, and will strive to ensure that no more workers are harmed by senseless violence.”

The following is a statement by South Bay Labor Council Executive Officer Jean Cohen:

\”We’re heartbroken to hear the news this morning of a mass shooting at the VTA light rail yard. As we closely monitor the situation, our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and all VTA workers. These are our brothers and sisters in the labor movement, and we are here for them with love, solidarity, and support.\”

Donations may be made here: https://act.wpusa.org/vta_victims_support_fund

Local 853 members who work at UPS gathered at the San Jose Giant\’s Stadium to stand in solidarity with insurance salespeople who work for AAA Insurance and are seeking union representation. According to Local 853 Busines Rep Johnny Gallegos, \”the company bought out the stadium to union-bust.\”

Local 665 launched its organizing drive with the employees at AAA before the pandemic. The campaign went dormant for many months but restarted in earnest in March. About 460 AAA agents work at 77 locations in Northern California, extending from the Oregon border as far south as Merced. The Local held a rally at San Francisco City Hall in April, which, in addition to hundreds of union members and AAA employees, attracted almost every San Francisco Supervisor and many other elected officials. The mail-in balloting begins on May 14, with the count slated for June 10.

In March, the 25 members who work at Westrock, a paper and packaging company in Milpitas, unanimously ratified their first successor contract since the merger with Local 853 took place. The four-year agreement is reputed to be the best these shipping and receiving have ever approved.

“The negotiating team fought long and hard with the employer to stay in Teamsters Health and Welfare plan and the Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Plan,” said Business Rep Pablo Barrera, who explained that negotiations had started in December 2019, but then were suspended for several months after Covid-19 hit. “We reconvened via zoom in January 2021, under the leadership of Secretary-Treasurer Rome Aloise, and were able to negotiate a new successor agreement,” says Barrera.

“In the end, we got wage increases of $2.85/hour in year one, $0.85/hour in year two, and $0.90/hour in years three and four. They also got retroactive pay at a rate of 2.25% above their hourly rate since the contract had expired 14 months earlier. Most importantly, we succeeded in our quest to stay in both Teamsters Health and Welfare plan and WCTP pension plan.”

“Getting this contract is only possible because of the number and variety of contracts that Local 853 has,” adds Aloise. “And, of course, it’s due to Pablo’s great negotiating skills!”

Delivering vaccinations to low-income people has been one of the greatest challenges for public health leaders. Not only are these community members at greater risk of getting COVID, but they’re also less likely than the general population to have either online access to make appointments or the transportation to get to clinic sites.

Starting on April 10, and for at least the three following Saturdays, Facebook’s Menlo Park headquarters became the site of a community vaccine clinic for residents of nearby East Palo Alto, Bellhaven, and North Fair Oaks. Teamsters who, as employees of Mosaic, would ordinarily drive Facebook workers from across the Bay Area to headquarters, participated in the clinics by driving buses to shuttle community residents to and from the clinic.

Joseluis Rodriguez joined Teamsters Local 853 in 2015 when he started driving a shuttle bus at Stanford University. He was pleased and proud to participate in the Saturday clinic as a driver. “That’s the least I could do. Facebook took care of us and I wanted to give something back.” During the pandemic, even though its offices were closed and the shuttle and bus services were stopped, Facebook continued to pay the drivers.

“If Mosaic needs me for anything, I try to be one of the first to volunteer. It feels good to do something for the community.” Joseluis says he’s anxious to get back to work. “I’m very grateful that Facebook and Mosaic decided to pay us for all this time. But for me, it’s about time to get back to work and doing something.”

Albert Goodenough, began his career as a Teamster truck driver in the late 1970s and rejoined the Teamsters as a tech bus driver about four years ago. “Even though I live in Stockton, I felt that I should volunteer. I’ve been getting a nice check every two weeks. I don’t mind helping out once in a while. They’ve been good to me.”

Jon Stern, who works for Mosaic as a Field Supervisor at Facebook, said that the company was recruiting 6-8 drivers each Saturday that the clinic is in session. “The original commitment was for three weeks, but now it may be extended through May.”

At this point, the drivers have been told that Facebook will be re-starting the routes in June, but that date is flexible, depending on the course of the virus.

“I’m really proud of the Teamsters for stepping up,” says Local 853 Business Representative Stacy Murphy, who represents these drivers. “That’s what Teamsters do. We give back to the communities we serve.”