Kirk KrauseCemex

“We’re watching our dollars andstreamlining everything. A lot ofpeople are getting laid off—the

union is working to find solutionsso it’s not as bad. It’s definitely bet-ter to have union representation.”

How is the economy impacting your life, and does being a union member help?

Narin SenBerkeley Farms, Hayward

“I don’t even go shopping any-more! If there wasn’t a union, I’d

be so stressed out. I know my jobis more secure.”

Phil HolzbergerYoung’s Market

“I’m going broke. My wife’s notworking and we have more debt.

There’s no work out there—there’sonly so much the union can do if

there’s no work..”

Danilo TobiasYoung’s Market

“Work is very slow. Some of mycoworkers are unemployed. Theunion helps but it’s all about the

economy.”

Local 853 members helped pack Local287’s San Jose hall on Saturday, October 10for a full-day Organizer’s Bootcamp. Theevent is a traveling classroom that has beencrisscrossing the nation with the goal ofbringing 1,000 trained volunteers intoTeamster organizing campaigns by the endof the year.

Not surprisingly, the attendance atJoint Council 7’s spirited bootcamp wasdouble that of any other held so far acrossthe country. And if the enthusiasm andinterest of the assembled rank-and-filersis any indication of the event’s success, itwould appear that lots of NorthernCalifornia’s non-union workers will soonbecome proud Teamster members.

Local 853 Secretary-Treasurer andJoint Council 7 President Rome Aloiseopened the session by emphasizing thenecessity of developing effective paid,and volunteer, organizers if we are to winorganizing campaigns. Having been aTeamster organizer for 15 years beforebecoming a full time officer, Rome holds

a special place in his heart for the diffi-culty organizers face. He is committed tomaking sure the trained volunteers areactually used in organizing campaigns.

The IBT sent a crew of talented educa-tors on the road with the Bootcamp;Claudia Galloway, IBT Senior TrainingCoordinator, Manny Valenzuela, IBTWestern Region Organizing Coordinator,Kim Keller, Deputy Director of the IBTOrganizing Department, Pilar Barton,Strategic Organizer for Joint Council 7 andRudy Gonzalez, organizer for TeamstersLocal 856. The energy, dedication andknowledge exhibited by this formidableline-up of organizers was inspiring.

The Bootcamp’s message was clear; ifwe want the IBT to survive, we needinvolved members. Becoming a volunteerorganizer, whether in local, regional ornational campaigns, is one way memberscan make a significant impact. Aloiseunderstands this and so do the Local 853members who attended the event.

by Terry Post, Bode Gravel

Members gear up at Organizer Bootcamp

Benefits & Announcements

WCT Pension Plan Q&AOn the second Wednesday of everymonth, a representative from the WCTPension Administrator comes to Local853’s San Leandro office to answer yourpension questions. Call 510-895-8853 or800-400-1250 for an appointment.

SIP 401(k) enrollmentMost Local 853 members are eligible forthe SIP 401(k) Plan. If you are not yetenrolled, or wish to increase your pre-taxdeferred amounts—check with your busi-ness agent, your company’s HR depart-ment, or call 1-800-4-PRETAX [1-800-477-3829].

Monthly meetingsLocal 853’s membership meetings areheld the second Thursday of each monthat 7:00 p.m. They are held in the WestBay and East Bay:• 2100 Merced St., San Leandro, or • 151 W. 20th Avenue, San Mateo, CA.Call 510-895-8853 to confirm location.

Apply for James R. HoffaScholarship (2010-11)Deadline March 31, 2010

The James R. Hoffa MemorialScholarship Fund awards scholarshipsannually to outstanding high school sen-iors. For eligibility criteria and an appli-cation, contact the Local 853 office or goon-line to:

www.teamster.org/content/scholarships

Local 853 — organizing and building a stronger union

CONNECTIONSTeamsters Local 8532100 Merced Street

San Leandro, CA 94577

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDHAYWARD, CA

PERMIT No. 796

Executive BoardRome Aloise—Secretary-Treasurer

Steve Mack—PresidentJohn C. Becker, Sr.—Vice President

Antonio Christian—Recording SecretaryRobert Baker—TrusteeMike Furtado—Trustee

from the officers & staff of Local 853from the officers & staff of Local 853

Happy HolidaysHappy Holidays

Phil TarantinoDan Harrington

Bob StreloPete EastonStu HelferBo Morgan

Jesse CasqueiroLee LahtinenJohn Arnolfo Chuck Davis

Dave EllisRon ParedesAdolph FelixMike AmaralLou Valletta

Efren AlarconDan Varela

Lon SchmidtDennis Hart

Sergeant at ArmsDoug Radonich

Advisory BoardJeff BelunzaDon WallaceRon Valdez

Janine VanierJennifer Casqueiro

Kim Drinkward Janice Johnson

Lennie KuhlsEve Miller

Lydia PinedoSue WatkinsHilda Cornejo

Denice KranskyLupe RamosClaudia Davis

Office Staff

Business Agents

Newsletter EditorDebra Chaplan

WebmasterMarc Miyashiro

C NNECTIONSVolume X, No. 2 December, 2009

Teamsters Local 853

Saturday, November 7, 2009,marked the tenth anniversary ofTeamsters Local 853’s Annual

Membership Appreciation Meeting. Tenyears ago, 200 members attended. Thisyear, there were more than 700.

Obviously, anytime 700 Teamstersshow up for a union meeting, somethingspecial is about to happen. But, thenagain, Local 853 isn’t your typical localand the Annual MembershipAppreciation Meeting isn’t your typical union meeting.

At 6 a.m., Local 853 officers, business representatives, staffand stewards arrived at San Leandro’s John Muir Junior HighSchool, blurry-eyed, clutching steaming cups of coffee, to set-upchairs and tables, hook-up the sound system and unload all thegifts and raffle prizes that make the annual meeting so popular.About 8 a.m., the morning calm was broken as the parking lotbegan to fill with cars, trucks and motorcycles—Local 853’smembers, anticipating another great event, were arriving.

Following registration, every member received a Local 853shirt and a tote bag containing a coffee mug, water bottle, keyring and other items, all adorned with the Teamster logo, ofcourse. That was just the start. Later, after the speeches, therewould be a spirited raffle for TV’s, ipods, DVD players, jackets,gift certificates, liquor (a new item this year) and sweatshirts.

Amid the wave of blue Teamster jackets were retirees, likeformer Local 853 Vice-Presidents Phil Tarantino and PeteGemma, who showed up to touch base with old friends and co-workers, reminisce about past struggles and lend support to theirunion. “Rome has done a terrific job with this Local,” Petenoted, understating the obvious, as he does so eloquently.

Following Local 853 Vice President John Becker’s introductionof officers, staff and other notables to the crowd, Jack Peasleyconducted a power point presentation about DRIVE (Democrat,Republican, Independent Voter Education), the IBT’s politicalaction committee. He stressed the need for members not only tojoin DRIVE, but to get active in changing laws in favor of labor

and protecting good labor laws thatalready exist. Brother Peasley noted, how-ever, that, despite DRIVE’s success, onlyabout eight percent of all Teamsters aremembers.

San Leandro Mayor Anthony “Tony”Santos spoke to the membership about hisfamily’s proud labor background and hisongoing relationship with San Leandro-based Local 853. Mayor Santos predictedthat union construction jobs could be cre-

ated immediately if stimulus money flowed directly from the fed-eral government to the local level rather than going through thestate level first. Mayor Santos received a loud burst of approvalwhen he stressed the importance of keeping big non-union stores,like Wal-Mart, out of San Leandro.

Finally, Local 853 Secretary-Treasurer Rome Aloise wasintroduced, followed by a standing ovation from the appreciativemembers. Rome gave his annual “State of the Union” address,noting that, while we were assembled to celebrate Local 853,1,000 members were currently out of work due to the strugglingeconomy. Rome, who, since the last Membership AppreciationMeeting, has become President of Joint Council 7, and WesternRegion Vice-President, gave one of his best speeches, apparentlyenergized by the large, enthusiastic turnout. According to Rome,the state of Local 853 is good as we continue to grow instrength, power and influence.

Following Rome’s speech, the long awaited raffle took place,culminating in one very happy member winning a 50-inch TVand home theater system.

Local 853’s 2009 Annual Appreciation Meeting was thebiggest so far, adding credence to speculation that we wouldhave to find a larger venue as the Local continues to grow. Moreimpressive than the numbers was the pride and the energy themembers brought with them. This was REAL pride and REALenergy; the kind of pride and energy that fuels the best Local inthe International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

By Terry Post, Steward, Bode Gravel

Tenth Annual Membership Appreciation Meeting is Biggest Yet

David Martinez, who works at Cargill, wins the grandprize, a 50-inch flat-screen TV with surround sound.

By ROME ALOISE

This year sped by like a rocket. It seemslike just yesterday that we were celebratingthe election of President Obama and werelooking forward to the positive changes tocome from the new administration. As gen-erally happens, we have had to temper ourexpectations over the course of the year.

Some good changes have been institut-ed that will help organized working peopleand their unions and we anticipate more inthe future. But right now, much is on holduntil some type of healthcare legislation ispassed. Once that happens, Congressshould move on to passing pension reformand the Employee Free Choice Act, twotangible advances for organized labor.

Here at Local 853, we are finishing theyear on the high note of another successfulmembership appreciation meeting. Morethan 700 members attended the meeting,listened to how our union is doing, receiveda gift package, and many won prizes fromthe big raffle. These meetings grow everyyear and I appreciate all of the support andgood will that happens on that day. I could-n’t be prouder of our members!

All of this year’s contracts have beensettled without resorting to strike. Mostwere decent settlements with some eco-nomic increases, even in this underper-forming economy. This hasn’t been an easyfeat. Almost every employer claimed eco-nomic distress, trying to take away ourhealth and pension benefits and attemptingto undermine what we have fought for.

The value of unityWe prevail because of the cohesive

nature of our Local; this includes our mem-bers who get involved in their union, ourexcellent and dedicated shop stewards, ourbusiness agents, elected officers and hard-working office staff. We simply join togeth-er for a common goal and get things done.

This is the secret. The employers try todrive a wedge between the members andtheir union, but they don’t succeed. The factthat Local 853 has a reputation as a tough,honest and reasonable union gets us manyvaluable benefits without having to strike.The minute an employer senses that we havelost our unity, our willingness to fight, or ourability to be reasonable, they will try to driveus down. We can never forget how impor-tant unity is to all of us.

Respected by IBTThe International Union has seen our

success and tapped several of our staff andofficers to serve on IBT committees andposts. President Steve Mack is Director ofthe International Industrial Trades Division;Recording Secretary Antonio Christian isthe Director of the Human Rights Division;Business Agent Dennis Hart is the IBT’sWestern Region Brewery and Soft DrinkDirector; Business Agent Bo Morgan isChairman of the ACA Panel; Business AgentLou Valletta is Chairman of the BakeryIndustry Committee; Business Agents MikeAmaral and Chuck Davis sit on theCommunications Division Board.

This showof respect forthe talent inour local unionis good for us.Our Local is well-positioned to utilize allthe resources available to ensure that ourmembers receive the best representationpossible.

Hoping for a better 2010I hope that 2010 is a better year for all

of our members. Even though the vastmajority of our membership is working,many members have lost their jobs due toclosures and layoffs. We have placedsome, but not enough, and we are workingwith numerous employers to bring morework to Northern California. I’m hopefulthat the economy turns around quickly andopens up possibilities for work for every-one in our local—truly making it a betterNew Year.

I wish all of our members and yourfamilies a happy holiday season and, hope-fully, a more fruitful New Year.

From your Secretary-Treasurer

Local’s unity and strength bring hope in tough economy

When the new Castro Valley Library wasbuilt, one Local 853 member had a large role indeveloping its character. Artist Jos Sancesdesigned and created the library’s mural entitled“The Free Form Flight of Life Long Learning.”

The three-sec-tion, 750 squarefoot tile mural

depicts Benjamin Franklin, the‘Father of American Libraries,’who, with children on their magiccarpet books, fly over the landscapeof Castro Valley.

Since 1990, Sances has designedand installed numerous murals, intile and paint, across the Bay Area.

These include the 16th Street BART station, the main gate at theOakland Coliseum, and others. Next to come is the new recre-ation center at Oakland’s Ira Jenkins Park. As much as possible,he prefers to keep the “public” in public art, involving commu-nity members from youth to seniors in the process.

Sances is also the co-founder andworks as the art director at AllianceGraphics, a Berkeley-based screen-printing and embroidery shop. “Ilove this work, but I always wantedto have the protections of a unioncontract. We’ve proven that we cando good work, pay and treat ouremployees decently, and still have asuccessful business.”

Local 853 member creates public art

Jos Sances

CONNECTIONS is published quarterly by TeamstersLocal 853, 2100 Merced St., San Leandro, CA, a non-profit organization. Postage paid at San Leandro, CA.Postmaster: Send address changes to: TeamstersLocal 853, 2100 Merced St., San Leandro, CA 94577Members: Send address changes and commentsto the above address or e-mail us at connec-tions@teamsters853.org

Teamsters Local 853

1-The overflow crowd; 2-San Leandro Mayor Tony Santos; 3&4-Winners of second prize 32-inch flat screen TVs; 5-DRIVE organizers Chralong with Secretary-Treasurer Rome Aloise; 7-Recording Secretary Antonio Christian and Vice President John Becker; 8-Business Agent12-Members; 13-Raffle-winning member picking out a t-shirt; 14-Business Agent Bob Strelo, retired Vice President Pete Gemma, Stewardwho work at Young’s Market with Bas Alarcon and Mike Amaral.

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Scenes from the Membership Appreciation Meeting —

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How are you impacted by theeconomy, and does the union help?

Reggie EasterlingKRS

“The economy hasn’t effectedme because the union has kept

me employed.”ch and Jack Peasley; 6-Picking the grand prize winner is Alex Alarcon,Friends; 9&10-Members (and future members); 11-IBT 853 office staff;Post; 15-Raffle winning members pick out electronic prize; 16-Members

Kimo ChunCertainteed

“We’ve been getting less workhours. We work four days

instead of six. The economyslows our pay and effects ourbenefits. The union has someprograms that can help us.”

Isidro RodriguezAnixter

“My company has laid off threeguys so far and I’m having ahard time keeping money inmy pocket. The union helpsbecause the layoffs are by

seniority and not by favoritism.”

Beverly JohnsonPeerless Coffee

“We’re in negotiations right nowand not making headway. It’s alean living lifestyle. Right now,

we’re taking steps backward, andthat’s where we’ll be when theeconomy turns around. The

union helps bring people togetherand creates unity and solidarity.”

Robert JoaquinPrimesource Building

Products

“I’m high enough on the seniori-ty list so I haven’t been laid off,but they do layoffs every other

month. The cost of medicalkeeps going up. The union isthe only way to bring Americaback to where it needs to be.”

aturday, November 7, 2009

Specialthanks toWayne

Hobbs forphotos

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