Annual Meeting

Bright and early on Saturday, November 6, more than 400 current members and retirees came to Local 853 's meeting hall in San Leandro to hear the State of the Union and to be appreciated by their union.

Members came from every industry represented by Local 853 - dairy, construction, warehouse, sales, liquor, newspaper, and more. They came from across the greater Bay Area; they came with their spouses and with their kids. This was, by far, the biggest crowd ever.

After coffee and donuts they heard Secretary-Treasurer Rome Aloise in his first post-November 2 election speech, talk about what union members might expect in the coming years. In short, unions will face the fight of their lives, but Local 853 is strong; its funds are viable, and if members can maintain the solidarity they've shown in past months and years, we'll be able to weather the storm.

The meeting quickly turned to the Raffle Prize give-away. Prizes included 32-inch TV's, DVD players, other electronic items, jackets, hats, and assorted goodies.

Even if their name wasn't called, everyone left a winner, taking home a Local 853 t-shirt and a sleek embossed swiss army knife and travel mug.

Below are some pictures from the event.