As you can see, this edition of our newsletter is about elections. We have our International election for our General President, General Secretary-Treasurer, and General Executive Board, and we have the California statewide election, both basically happening during the same time frame.

The membership of Local 853 has distinguished itself by consistently being one of the highest voting locals in both of these elections. I am hoping you will continue this tradition and that every one of our members votes in both elections.

Many of our members tell me that they don’t feel like their votes make any difference, or that one politician is as bad as the other, so what good does it do to vote?

The fact is that your vote can make a huge difference. Why? Because with the sophisticated tracking and polling systems now in place, both major parties can track just how many union members participate in the election. This obviously not only determines the outcome of elections, but perhaps, more importantly, it also determines how much those who are elected will pay attention to us and our needs during their term.

When our current governor first got elected, he knew that union members did not follow their leadership’s advice on how to vote to protect their interests as workers, and instead they voted for the movie star. So what did he do with this information? He rewarded your employers by endorsing and getting passed the worst workers’ compensation legislation in 50 years, which cut your benefits and your rights if you are hurt on the job. He tried to take away your right to use your political muscle in the voting process, and he attempted to terminate the California employees’ pension plan, which would have had a devastating effect on your own pension.

During the 2005 special election, union voters rejected his attempts to continue to undermine their rights. As a result, he backed down. In fact, during this election year, he’s signed some labor-sponsored bills that he vetoed in the past. He saw that you have clout and that forced him to change—at least until this election is over. Your vote does make a difference, so show him again!

IBT vote also crucial

In many ways, our own national Teamster election may be even more important to your future. We are the only international union of our size that gives members a direct vote for their national leadership.

The number of members who vote in the election for their national union leadership is watched by many different entities. The government, who controls the election process, looks to ensure that members are empowered to participate. The employers look to gauge the strength of the international based on involvement of the members. And of course, the leadership of the international pays attention to which locals are most active and has local leadership who is in touch with their members.

A large voter turnout by a local union is indicative of an active and aware membership that is willing to take control of their future. Local 853 has always been—and needs to stay— that kind of local union. So I say: vote, and vote again

Success locally

We have had a number of victories in the last few months in our local, many of which are described elsewhere in this newsletter. I am proud of our staff for their persistence and ability to keep pushing the envelope to get the job done.

Business Representative Stu Helfer and Organizers Jesse Casqueiro and Ormar Locklear have been working on Reliable Trucking for over a year. They have followed drivers, held meetings, and performed hours and hours of research to determine how best to leverage our point that the workers at this company deserve the right to representation.

So far, we have prevailed on every level of this campaign.

Clearly, the best interests of the company would be served by not throwing away tens of thousands of dollars on legal maneuvering, and sit down and negotiate for a fair and decent contract.

The persistence and dedication of our staff is commendable. We know we are expected to achieve the most possible for our membership, and I am proud to say that we do so on a regular basis.

In addition, I give special thanks to our members Doug Radnich and Kent Kerns for their on-going assistance on the Reliable campaign.

Graniterock has again lost in court on two very important issues in its preposterous two-year old court case against Local 287. In an attempt to grasp at straws, the company sued the IBT, and at a late date, attempted to add alternate theories to their lawsuit. The court dismissed both ploys.

I fully expect to see the owner of the company throw away more money on appeals rather than pay his workers what they deserve. Companies like Graniterock ensure that people will always know there is a need for union representation.

We are exploring methods that we can use to persuade the company to come to a fair and equitable agreement with Local 853’s members.

Fraternally,
Rome A. Aloise, Secretary-Treasurer

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