DRIVE Visits Martinellis – an important way you can support Labor in California and the United States
When you hear that DRIVE is stopping by your workplace, take notice. Last week Beatriz with DRIVE was at S Martinelli & Company, talking […]
Douglas Parking in Stanford ready to start negotiations
Teamsters Local 853 members from Douglas Parking in Stanford met today for a proposal meeting and selection of a negotiating committee. The negotiating committee […]
MV Transportation lays groundwork for strong success in their transition to TransDev
MV transportation members met to discuss their upcoming transition to Transdev. This group is excited to move to a new company and contract, where […]
50 Years plus of experiece between two leaders inspires confidence to move aggressively forward
Meet Chief Stewards Tayde Rodriguez and Tony Montano at MV Transportation. Together, they have over 50 years of combined experience in the Paratransit industry. […]
Another fun time at the JC7 annual ball game
The 2025 JC7 Ballgame was another success this year. A 100% ticket sellout event. It was a perfect day, blue skys and great temperatures. […]
Matagrano Votes Overwhelmingly to Ratify New 4-Year Contract
Congratulations to all of the members at Matagrano, a family-owned distributor of Anheuser-Busch products. This group of 220 Teamster 853 members secured the best […]
California Teamsters Hispanic Caucus Scholarships Available
CALIFORNIA TEAMSTERS HISPANIC CAUCUS WILL AWARD SCHOLARSHIPS TO … Deserving High School Seniors Graduating this year, Who are: A Daughter or Son of an active […]
Business Agent training focuses on involving more and more members to strengthen our Union
Teamsters Local 853 held a mandatory half-day training for all Business Agents. A shout out to IBT Strategic Campaign Coordinator and Teamster 853 Member, […]
The final chapter closes on ULP charges against Premier Recycling
When an organized group wins a ruling of Unfair Labor Practices(ULP) as the members at Premier Recycling did, by federal law, the company must […]
Ferguson HVAC Teamsters ratify contract at 100%
The members at Ferguson HVAC had something to celebrate last week as they finished contract negotiations with significant wage increases, significant pension increases, better […]
Teamsters Local 853 welcomes Center for Community Advocacy to our Teamster 853 Family
One of the incredible things about Teamsters Local 853 is its diversity. We have over 300 different companies that we contract with. There are […]
Advocates at Latinas Contra Cancer Join Teamsters Local 853
Workers who guide women battling cancer have won a significant victory for themselves. On April 17th, fifteen employees at Latinas Contra Cancer (Latinas Against […]
Steve Beck, Teamsters 853 Pricipal officer addressed Teamsters from across the country about the challenges facing the liquor industry
During the Unity Conference, Steve Beck, Principal Officer of Local 853 and IBT representative, addressed Teamsters from across the country about the challenges facing […]
Bus Drivers at Zum School Services-Alameda, Join Teamsters Local 853
Bus drivers at Zum School Services in Alameda—previously a non-union group—have officially joined the Teamster family through their unionized counterparts at Zum in Oakland. […]
UNFI Ratified historic contract with Union healthcare and pension!!! Just weeks after collecting 1.3 Million in back Pay.
Drivers at UNFI Gilroy have just secured a historic contract with the company. And just weeks after forty-two(42) UNFI Teamster members secured 1.3 million […]
Yellow Freight Bankruptcy Update – March 4th, 2025
Yellow Freight Teamsters Members, here is the latest update published by the IBT regarding the bankruptcy.
US Foods Drivers End Strike – Secures Industry Leading Contract for Food Service industry
Teamsters Local 853 is excited to announce the end of the US Foods strike in Livermore, where a proposal was just voted on and […]
THESE 177 NEW TEAMSTERS AT US FOODS ARE ON STRIKE, CAN YOU SUPPORT THEM?
Deciding to go on Strike is somewhat like going to war and should never be taken lightly. Every exhaustible position must be tried between […]
Teamsters Local 912, now 853, was the center of the Universe in the 1980s during the Watsonville Strike – watch the Movie, March 8th
Sisters and Brothers, During a time when Ronald Reagan broke the back of the Air Traffic Controllers, Union work and protections was heavily debated. […]
Genesis Logistics Members stand Unified as contract vote comes in at a perfect 100%
Teamsters at Genesis Logistics have just ratified their new three-year contract. These warehouse workers and drivers have the task of keeping all of the […]
What Does the Union Do For Me Anyway?
These are drivers from Mosaic Global Transportation and inter-campus drivers from Meta. Due to the way the corporation has set up its business to […]
Kelly Spicers overwhelmingly approves new three year contract with best increase in wages they have ever received
Congratulations to the Teamster 853 Members at Kelly Spicers, who ratified a new three-year contract. The contract included the best increases in wages ever received over the three years, a good increase in pension, improved sick leave, “shift premium” and “specialty skills” increases, and maintenance in health benefits. Pictured are Stewards Oscar Perlia and Francisco […]
Read More
Yellow Freight Bankruptcy Update – October 29th, 2024
Yellow Freight Teamsters Members, here is the latest update published by the IBT regarding the bankruptcy. Please download the original document to review here.
Read More
Teamsters Local 853 secures 1.3 Million dollars in back pay for UNFI Drivers
After three years of battling for our members at UNFI, Teamsters Local 853 secured an incredible win for its members. Due to a contract violation over wage rates, Business Agent and Vice President Ray Torres enforced the merits of the agreement, arguing that significant back pay was due to these members. The company did not […]
Read More
What a weekend it was for Teamsters 853 Members as we celebrated member appreciation in Oakland and San Jose
This past weekend, Teamsters Local 853 celebrated the heart and the power of our Union, you, our members. On Saturday and Sunday, we united to celebrate and culminate a year of success. We have achieved the strongest and most lucrative contracts in many years, largely because of the hard work that all of you, our […]
Read More
We shouldn’t forget how many Teamsters were on the front line during the pandemic, like these members at Bimbo Bakery
Pictured here are the hard-working Teamsters members of Bimbo Bakeries In Sunnyvale. While this building may not have the numbers or get all of the glory that larger buildings get, they provide an essential service to the community. It is often forgotten that during the pandemic, these dedicated members were out on the front lines, […]
Read More
Victory – California legislature passed SB399, giving workers and unions a big win! But there’s more to do.
California Worker Freedom from Employer Intimidation Act (Act) is to take effect on January 1, 2025, and Teamsters Local 853 was there in Sacramento to help make it happen. The new California law prohibits mandatory employer meetings regarding labor organizations, which are known as captive audience meetings. Specifically, an employer is prohibited from subjecting or […]
Read MoreLux Bus Drivers Welcome to a better future for you and your family
This is Tracy Kelley from Teamsters Local 853. Congratulations on taking the first step to a better future. And welcome to the battle between you, the Lux Bus drivers, and the big business trying to stop you from getting the benefits and pay you deserve for the work you do. We want to recognize you and encourage you to speak […]
Read More
Teamster 853 union officials support Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien and Congressman Adam Schiff and the Recent NLRB ruling for Amazon workers
Amazon. The company has grown so fast that no single organization or government agency has been able to keep up. Among the large transport and delivery companies like UPS, FedEx, and DHL, Amazon is widely known for providing their drivers and warehouse workers with wages and benefits below industry standards. Consequently, all eyes are on […]
Read More
Our Teamster Family all over the Bay Area and Beyond
To our Bay Area Teamster Family. Teamsters Local 853 has members at over 300 companies who work all over the Bay Area. These members hustle like you do, put in the work like you do and are proud teamsters working toward a better future for all working people like you do. Take a moment to […]
Read More
Labor Day – The battle between the rich and the working class – How FDR(Franklin D. Roosevelt) Changed everything for Unions in 1937
In the 1920s and 30s, union membership had been decreasing significantly for decades. The gap between the rich and middle class was at a high point in history for that time period. It was a time when the rich were able to exploit workers almost unrestricted. Federal laws protecting workers’ rights to Unionize were weak, […]
Read More
Celebrating our Teamster Children – Second scholarship awarded to Claire Porter
This summer, three Teamster 853 children were lucky enough to be the recipients of scholarships funded by our local. One of these students is Claire Porter. Claire is the stepdaughter of RNDC employee and Teamster member Kathryn Ingram. Claire is in her last year at CSU Fresno studying kinesiology. Claire wrote an essay on the […]
Read More
Golden Brands in San Jose ratifies new four-year contract at overwhelming 98% approval!
This week Golden Brands in San Jose enjoyed the fruits of their labor. They prepared well, participated greatly throughout the entire proposal process, and stuck together. And the end result is a whopping 98% approval vote for this new four-year contract. “The stewards, negotiating committee, and all of the Golden Brands members who put their […]
Read More
Not so fast, Tony’s Fine Foods, we will take our jobs back with full back pay and benefits
Aurelio Mendoza and Ivan Gonzalez are Tony’s Fine Foods stewards who were instrumental in moving the organizing drive forward for their group. So when this group voted UNION YES, what did the company do? They tried to terminate the employment of Aurelio and Ivan on some trumped-up charges. How surprising. Under the law, this is […]
Read More
Former 853 member, Carlos Reyes, sends us a message from SOCAL: 853 at heart and always sporting my 853 gear
Former 853 member Carlos Reyes from Cresco Labs is now in Southern California after Cresco Labs shut its doors. He sent us a message this morning from SOCAL as he supports Teamsters Local 952 Amazon Picket, saying, “I’m always 853 at heart and always sporting my 853 gear”. Carlos recently helped organize his company, which […]
Read More
Niko Glafkides was awarded one of Three 853 Scholarships this Summer
“This is one happy kiddo. Please let everyone know how thankful our family is for the scholarship.” wrote Niko’s mom, Stacie. Niko Glafkides took home a $500 scholarship from Teamsters Local 853 for his first year attending Boise State. Niko, the son of Gillig employee Dennis Glafkides, wrote a paper on the importance of Labor […]
Read More
Vern Gonsalves Retires After Long Local 853 Career & He’ll Still Serve
July 31, 1978 that’s when Vern Gonsalve’s odyssey with Local 853 began. Originally employed by Wesco in San Leandro Vern subsequently worked out of the union hall at the Safeway spice plant, Allied Sysco and Macy’s. Then he hit a home run and got hired on under Local 853’s jurisdiction at Gillig in Hayward. He’s […]
Read More
Eduardo Garcia Gomez – Shop Steward for Bimbo, Concord Center
Sisters and Brothers, Pictured here is Eduardo Garcia Gomez, Shop Steward at Bimbo, Concord Center. Eddie is also on the negotiating committee for the import/express contract fight that we are currently engaged in. All the stewards on the committee, like Eddie, provide critical insight into the inner workings of their particular industry. Without their input, […]
Read More
The Perks of Being a Union Member – Family Leave for Newborns
If you are a parent and work a full-time job, then you know what I am about to say. The incredible toll a family newborn takes can only be described as an overwhelming blessing that requires all hands on deck. Teamster Nabil Al-Zoqari from Laz Parking is soon to be the father to a newborn […]
Read More
Transdev Stanford 853 members hold a proposal meeting for their upcoming contract.
Pictured are Teamsters Members from Transdev Stanford. These bus drivers are of the utmost importance to Stanford’s students and staff around the campus. They provide excellent service and safety and are a prime representation of what 853 Teamsters do. This week, we held a proposal meeting to discuss their upcoming contract fight. “The goal of […]
Read More
Let’s welcome back Tony’s Fine Foods as they start negotiating their first contact
These Teamsters at Tony’s Fine Foods are breaking ground and pushing new boundaries in their first contract negotiations. They are drivers working in four states; California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah. Working towards a master contract to cover them all. “This group is special because Tony’s Fine Foods was once a union company nationwide, and many […]
Read More
Teamsters 853 Transdev Stanford shop steward Kris Vegas
Pictured here is Transdev Stanford shop steward Kris Vegas. Kris is the voice for the rank and file at the Stanford Transdev location. His skills in contract enforcement and communication with the members, as well as management, are the key to success in the workplace. “We are lucky to have Kris working side by side […]
Read More
Summertime Member Meetings Cancelled
In observance of the Summertime for vacationing members, a vote was taken and approved by membership to suspend monthly member meetings for July and August. Teamster Local 853 member meetings will resume on September 12th at 7 PM at the Oakland Hall.
Read More
Golden Brands holds proposal meeting in San Jose
Last weekend, Teamster 853 members of Golden Brands in San Jose held a proposal meeting to discuss their upcoming contract negotiation. “We are unified and on the right path,” said Teamsters 853 Vice President Ray Torres. “Our members are motivated, involved, and behind their committee; it’s the best way to get a great contract for […]
Read More
Teamsters 853 hosts barbecue for Costco Teamsters in San Jose, Sunnyvale, and Redwood City in preparation for national contract negotiations
Teamster 853 Costco workers in the Bay Area will soon be gearing up for contract negotiations. And what better way to start getting our Costco Teamster family focused and united on this coming contract than a delicious barbecue? Costco has a National contract with thousands of members across the country, and a good way to […]
Read More
Going Above and Beyond for Your Union
I’m proud to introduce Chief Steward for MV Transportation Half Moon Bay/Mission Bay Martin Haro. He was instrumental in bargaining their recent contract extension. Because of his hard work and dedication, Martin helped secure a massive wage increase for all classifications, along with improvements to health and welfare. Its members like Martin allow us as […]
Read More
Prepare for your next job interview in the unionized trades
Sisters and Brothers, Be ready for your next union job when the opportunity presents itself by taking this two-hour training course. Learn about the interview process, what to expect, and how to prepare. CTWI is holding three separate free seminars during the summer. If you think you can benefit, then show up at Teamsters Local […]
Read More
Six months of work come to fruition with the 100% ratification of these Teamsters at Watsonville Community Hospital
This Tuesday evening, the teamsters at Watsonville Community Hospital held a ratification meeting, and they voted unanimously to accept the new contract offer.This has been a long-running affair. Three years ago, the Hospital was in financial trouble under previous leadership, preventing substantive increases for its employees at that time. However, things have changed as the […]
Read More
US FOODS in Livermore enter into their first contract negotiations
Now, it’s time for the payoff. These members voted to Unionize just a couple of months ago, and now are bringing their A-game to the negotiating table. “Stay unified, trust your committee and guidance from the Local,” said Teamster Vice President Ray Torres. On behalf of every member and staff at Teamsters Local 853, we […]
Read More
Members can never be armed with enough information about workplace issues – DHL Teamsters monthly meeting, aka “The Dumpster Meeting”
– Every month, Teamster 853 members at DHL formally meet 30 minutes before the 10 AM start time. This regular check-in gives our members a chance to get updates on workplace issues, share their complaints and concerns, and discuss actions and solutions. Big shout out to all the members at DHL PAO in Sunnyvale, CA. […]
Read More
Teamsters at Tonys Fine Foods are preparing for their first-time contract negotiations.
Congratulations to these new members from Tony’s Fine Foods, who got together on Sunday with Teamsters 853 President Steven Lua and Vice President Ray Torres to begin preparations for negotiating their first contract. There are 190 drivers who span a large geographic area across multiple Teamster Locals. Stick together, be smart about your contract, trust […]
Read More
Teamster 853 Business Agents and union officials fly to Virginia to show our support for the Teamster’s effort to organize Costco locations nationwide
This month, in Virginia, COSTCO employees did something no COSTCO location has done in 20 years. They voted to join the Teamsters. Nationally, many workers at COSTCO believe that the corporate culture has been changing for the worse. This change has made it more difficult to get good jobs with good benefits at COSTCO. So, […]
Read More
June Membership meeting change Notice
As motioned and seconded at the membership meeting, our June Member Meeting has been changed from Thursday, June 13th to Tuesday, June 11th at 7 PM.
Read More
MV Transporation Convenes Contract Enforcement Meeting
Way to go, sisters and brothers; this is how you strengthen your group. MV Transportation members came out to the Teamsters Local 853 hall in San Jose this Saturday for a Contract Enforcement meeting. The group discussed Weingarten’s rights and rights to representation, the Grievance procedure, and NLRB violations. When everyone knows the protections that […]
Read More
Rey Polhen from S. Martinelli
Teamsters Local 853 would like to extend our condolences to the family of Rey Polhen who worked as a Teamster for 40+ years at S. Martinelli. Rey was known to be kind, friendly, and loved cracking jokes. Every year during the holiday, Rey would stop by the Teamsters Watsonville office to drop off S. Martinelli’s cider […]
Read More
Local 853 hosts CTWI fundraiser – keeping Union Labor involved in our major Bay Area Projects
The Construction Trades Workforce Initiative(CTWI) held a fundraiser and mixer at Local 853 last week. CTWI is an important organization that works to ensure the long-term sustainability of the construction industry by bridging the gap between union construction labor and key stakeholders. Teamsters Local 853 is part and parcel of the inner workings of many […]
Read More
Teamsters Hispanic Caucus Scholarships Available – Deadline July 26th
Sisters and Brothers, Every year the California Teamsters Hispanic Caucus awards scholarships to: Deserving High School Seniors Graduating this year, Who are: A Daughter or Son of an active Teamster whose dues are current with his/her Local Union; And are: Attending or have been accepted by an accredited University, College or Trade School. If you […]
Read More
Stewards and Members Lead the way in SF City and County Bargaining
Teamsters Local 853 represents a large unit of truck drivers (Class 7355’s) and track maintenance supervisors (7251’s) employed by the City and County of SF. Bargaining for a new contract for these members began in January. From the onset of bargaining in the new year 853 members at the city made it clear that they […]
Read More
It is with deep sympathy and condolences to the family of 24-Year Teamster William “Scott” Proud
Teamsters Local 853 would like to recognize and offer our deepest sympathy and condolences to the family of 24-Year Teamster William “Scott” Proud, whose sudden passing has shocked and saddened us all. William was just one block away from getting to work at DHL when he was struck and killed by a car. According to friend and DHL […]
Read More
Golden Brands Sacramento Overwhelmingly Ratifies Contract at 92%
Roughly 125 Teamster drivers and warehouse workers at Golden Brands in Sacramento ratified their new four-year contract at 92% approval this week. Wages and Medical Benefits took center stage at the negotiating table as this was a multi-vote effort. The members rejected the company’s first proposal outright. The committee took the second set of negotiated changes back to […]
Read More
Douglas Parking Teamsters at Stanford Hospital sit for an Issue Meeting.
We give you the fine gentleman from Douglas Parking at Stanford Hospital. These Teamster 853 members are critical in making sure people have a safe way to travel around the campus and hospital. “I have the pleasure of getting to know these members on a personal level,” said Business Agent David Crawford, “knowing and understanding our members this […]
Read More
California Workforce Development Board Visit – Behind the Scenes – Teamster 853 Labor leaders, members, willing companies, and government officials working together to ensure the rights of California workers
The success of the Labor movement depends on many variables. Two of the most important are the solidarity of our members and our leaders’ ability to work with politicians and government organizations to create partnerships and laws that support workers in our communities. If done well, the results are our members’ good contracts. Member-Company Partnership […]
Read More
Yellow Freight Bankruptcy Update – April 19th, 2024
Yellow Freight Teamsters Members, here is the latest update published by the IBT regarding the bankruptcy. Please download the original document to review here.
Read More
TEAMSTERS JOINT COUNCIL 7 Harry Polland/Robert Morales Scholarships Available
Sisters and Brothers, The Teamsters Joint Council 7 awards annual scholarships for Teamsters 853 members’ children and wards. Scholarships are available to all children or wards of any active Teamster 853 member. This scholarship can be used for any scholastic or vocational field or school. If you are interested in applying, you can download the […]
Read More
Five Teamster Business Agents are sworn in as Alameda Labor Council Delegates
Teamster Local 853 would like to recognize five Business Agents, Gloria Segura, James Long, David Crawford, Ralph Campos, and Jonathan Pinney, for being sworn in as Alameda Labor Council delegates. These Business Agents will be responsible for advocating for the betterment of our members in the general Alameda Labor community. They take the concerns of […]
Read More
United States Department of Labor Secretary, Julie Su, meets with Gillig and Teamsters 853 members – lauds positive partnerships between Union and company
In a visit to GILLIG this week, Labor Secretary Julie Su’s organization tweeted, “Our clean energy transition needs strong partnerships, including between workers and management. Happy to meet with GILLIG to see their facility creating zero-emission buses, talk about their labor-management partnership, and see the benefits of employing unionized workers.” The Biden Administration is focused […]
Read More
Bimbo bakery drivers show up in force for proposal meeting on Saturday.
Bimbo bakery drivers showed up in force for their proposal meeting this past Saturday. It was a good meeting that covered a wide range of topics, including Health and welfare, pension, pay, increases in sick days, company discipline, and the company not paying employees on time. Special thank you to Stewards Carlos from San Leandro […]
Read MoreLets do this right Now
Today is your day. Your ballot should have arrived by now at your house. There is a reason why so many truck drivers in our Country are in a union, because they know its life changing for the better. So no matter how much attention, and begging. and insincere letters they send you now that […]
Read More
Kick-off meeting at Driscoll’s – discussion around pension, health care, and the upcoming ratification vote
Teamsters 853 held a kickoff meeting this week with Bill Quinteros who presented pension benefits along with Teamster 853 President Steven Lua who reviewed heath care benefits. Driscolls contract negotiations will be finished in the next couple of weeks. Members at Driscolls will then be voting soon thereafter on whether or not to accept the […]
Read MoreTeamsters 853 knows what is fair and what is not because we represent The four largest companies in the food service industry! They all get better pay, benefits, and job protection than non-union employees.
The reason why the company will never pay you what you are worth without the Union is because they can divide you one at a time, and you will never know how much you left on the table. And you have no leverage if you don’t act as one group. But we do. The Teamsters […]
Read More
