Secretary-Treasurer

By Rome Aloise — 

With only a little bit of hesitation, I will say that I am happy this year is finally coming to an end. For all of us, 2020 has been quite a hardship—with new and constant threats to our members and your families.

We do have something good to look forward to in the New Year—a new President will be sworn in on January 20, 2021. I must say, from a union standpoint, this gives me hope. The current President has decimated the NLRB, changed interpretations and rules that have been in place for decades—all to the detriment of workers looking to protect themselves by gaining union representation. While the Democrats have not done enough to improve the laws protecting workers (and we know they need to be improved!), they haven’t really hurt us. But this President has intentionally gone out of his way to hurt workers and reward his corporate buddies. That will end. I expect the new administration will do all it can to get legislation that will help all workers protect themselves by making it easier to join a union. Hope springs eternal! 

As I write this article, we are again entering into another Covid-19 shutdown. We know this will hurt many of our members whose jobs will be cut back, hours reduced or eliminated, and who will be subjected to the stress and strain of not having an income or benefits. It is a horrible thing to have to face, but hopefully, these next few weeks will enable us to turn the corner, to slow down the positive tests, and to start distributing the vaccines that will begin to kill this virus and start the long road back to what used to be normal.

We have worked with a number of our employers to make sure that our laid-off members maintain recall rights to their jobs when things pick up again, and our agents have continued to handle problems for those of our members who, as essential workers, are taking care of all of us. Clearly, this has been a trying time: many of our members who are working are upset about getting exposed to others while at work, and those who are not working are upset that they are having a hard time supporting their families. We look forward to a time when we can all be working safely, and joining together to make sure we always support each other and stay unified.

Appreciating our members

Our Membership Appreciation “First Annual Drive-Through” was a great success, as was our virtual zoom “State of Our Union” address the next morning. Hundreds of members showed up to get their backpacks on Saturday; it was great to say hello to everyone and see so many familiar faces. Our meeting the next morning was attended by many members, and we were still able to hold our raffle for prizes. It wasn’t as good as all being together, seeing our sisters and brothers in person and celebrating our strength and unity, but as a substitute, it wasn’t bad!

Changes at the IBT

This next year holds the possibility of many changes in the Teamsters union. We will all have the opportunity to choose a new General President of our International Union, as President Hoffa will be retiring at the end of his term. I have proudly served on the General Executive Board for many years now, working to bring our union back from devastating ruin and I was glad to be part of that effort.

Many of you have asked when my campaign for international office will begin. While I appreciate the willingness to help with my campaign again, I will not be running for International office this time. It is time to step aside and allow for others to take over. It has been an honor to be elected nationally for more than two terms and it would have never been possible if not for you, the members of Local 853, who supported me for these many years.

Happy holidays to all of you and your families, and here’s hoping for a much different and better 2021!

By Rome Aloise — 

You should already have received your 2020 ballot. If you haven’t yet voted, please do so as soon as you can. Use the Guide in this newsletter and see our local recommendations at teamstersjc7.org/endorsements.

This edition of Connections is mostly about the election and your union’s recommendations for candidates and propositions. Some of you follow these recommendations without fail, and some, unfortunately, ignore them.

I want you to know how and why your union goes about formulating recommendations and taking positions. We have a team that joins other unions in each county to vet and interview candidates for every office. We question them about their positions on the issues that impact workers and their unions. Our job is to let you know which politicians, based on their records in current and previously-held offices, reflect their support for the issues that affect YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES.

We need office holders to develop and support laws that protect what we negotiate, and protect you while you are working, including health and safety, workers compensation, lunches and breaks, and more.

You should vote to protect your ability to provide for your family first, last, and always. As a member of Teamsters Local 853, I would hope that you will not, like many workers, vote for candidates and propositions that you are told are against your best interests.

Let’s look at the current administration in Washington, D.C. I’ve lost count of how many negative changes to the National Labor Relations Act have been implemented. NOT ONE OF THESE CHANGES benefits those of us who work for a living. They all benefit the employers.

Our current President lied to workers about how he was going to help them. He has appointed employer-side lawyers to the Labor Board and they are systematically stripping the protections for workers, one by one. The Supreme Court, which had already undermined long-standing laws that protected the strength of unions, will now get more anti-worker and anti-union with the newest appointments.

These laws directly impact you, as someone who works hard to support a family, and who depends on your union to ensure you are protected and are compensated at a level that is second to none for what you do.

Here in California, our top priority is to defeat Proposition 22, which is nothing more than very rich companies paying enough money to convince the public to allow them to write their own labor laws. Plain and simple.

While Uber, Lyft, Doordash, and “gig” companies like them make life convenient for everyone, this convenience should not be on the backs of the drivers and workers. These companies just don’t feel like paying their workers minimum wage, workers comp, unemployment insurance, social security, and all of the other social protections that we have. To make matters worse, they want the rest of us to pay for all of this out of our own pockets and out of the taxes we pay.

They want you to believe that they cannot operate if their employees are actually employees covered by the law. However, this is a big lie! The drivers can have both flexibility and the protections that they deserve under the law. There is no magic to this; it is just that these corporations want to continue to pocket more profits by cheating their workers and the public.

Whatever you do, VOTE NO ON PROP 22!

From that momentous day in 1968 when Teamster President Jimmy Hoffa stood with Martin Luther King in support of the Memphis garbage strikers, the Teamsters Union has not only stood with Black leaders, but has fought to be all inclusive, making equal pay for equal work, regardless of race, creed, gender or sexual orientation, a cornerstone of what we are about. This is where Teamsters gain their strength.

What happened to George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police is murder, and that is what the officer was belatedly charged with. It boggles my mind, however, that the other officers who participated in that murder of this Black man who was lying face down on the asphalt, handcuffed, trying to breathe with a knee on his neck for nearly nine-minutes, have not been arrested for the same crime. These officers, who have a sworn duty to “protect and defend,” didn’t attempt to stop it, in fact, they helped hold Mr. Floyd down until life itself drained from his body; yes, they participated in the act and should be held accountable. …

Statement on the death of George FloydRead More »