Tina Morrison, Secretary-Treasurer of the Spokane Regional Labor Council, responds to ill-informed cartoon editorials regarding Unions and Right-to-Work legislation. She also sheds light on the case sitting before the Supreme Court currently, Janus vs. AFSCME, which contrary to what the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation claims, is not about worker freedom or free speech. Its sole purpose is to undermine the collective voices of workers through litigation.

Please click on the link to read Tina’s full article and how this decision, if upheld, will harm workers and serve to undermine a Unions’ ability to collectively bargain fair contracts and wages for their members.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2018/mar/11/unions-are-a-vital-representative-voice-for-worker/

As 2017 came to a close, Teamsters Local 690 said good-bye to long-time Business Agent Michael Valenzuela and Business Agent Ron Vevoda. Both Ron and Mike have retired and are excited about the opportunity of more travel and playing golf! We will miss them both a great deal.

With these retirements though, we are excited about hiring two new Teamster Business Agents! Taj Wilkerson was a Shop Steward and member at Liberty Lake PD and also an Executive Board member, and Fred Makus, Shop Steward and member at Darigold. Both Taj and Fred bring valuable negotiating committee experience as well as the duties of Shop Stewards with filing grievances and fighting for the rank-and-file members!

Business Agent Mark Brandt is now the Primary Business Agent for UPS and UPS Freight. Please contact him or the office for any UPS related issues or questions.

August 2017

March 2017 Newsletter

• Why ‘Right to Work’ is Wrong!
• Secretary-Treasurer’s Message
• 2016 Christmas Photos
• Big Buck Contest Winners

Secretary-Treasurer Val Holstrom and Business Representative Mark Brandt are attending the Annual IBT Construction Division Pipeline meeting this week. These important seminars and meetings focus on growing the construction industry, and attracting and training new members for the heavy highway infrastructure and clean-up work that the President has promised is coming with his Infrastructure plan.

Secretary-Treasurer Holstrom is pictured below with General President Hoffa, General Secretary-Treasurer Ken Hall and Construction Division Director Marion Davis.

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Teamsters Local 690 has long been regarded as an example of Teamster solidarity, honor, strength and pride. Your Local has excelled in negotiating some of the best contracts in the country, while offering solid, strong representation to your members.

 

SYSCO-SPOKANE WAREHOUSE EMPLOYEES WIN ORGANIZING VOTE 19-8!!

This is a huge victory for the Warehouse Employees, who overwhelmingly voted yes to join Teamsters Union Local 690!  Business Representative Larry Kroetch, who also represents the Sysco Drivers, worked many long hours and on holidays educating the employees and answering questions to help them make an informed decision on whether or not to have Teamsters Local 690 represent them and negotiate a fair contract for wages, benefits and job security. International Organizer Chris Rosell accepted the challenge to assist the Local in this effort and both his and Larry’s hard work paid off!

Teamsters Local 690 members from multiple employers and industries came out to show their support of the Sysco employees for their NLRB Election yesterday.

CONGRATULATIONS SPOKANE SYSCO WAREHOUSE EMPLOYEES!

Click here to read the post from the IBT  https://teamster.org/news/2017/03/sysco-workers-idaho-join-teamsters-local-690

SOLIDARITY WITH SYSCO EMPLOYEES IN SPOKANE WHO WANT A UNION

Teamsters Local 117 Members show support for Sysco Spokane Warehouse Employees that want to Organize with Teamsters Local 690.

Members of Teamsters 117 who work in the food service industry are sending messages of solidarity to their Brothers and Sisters who work at the Sysco warehouse in Spokane.

The Spokane warehouse group is fighting to win their Union and become members of Teamsters Local 690. A National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election is scheduled for this Thursday, March 2.

“I STAND WITH MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN SPOKANE TO HAVE A VOICE AT WORK.”

Last night, dozens of our members at Food Services of America and the Sysco in Kent shared photos with signs that read, “This Teamster stands with the Spokane Sysco warehouse” and “Vote YES!” Many offered words of encouragement:

“I have been at the bargaining table and have seen first-hand what this Company has proposed and would implement if we were not Union here in Seattle,” said James Borsum, a Teamster 117 member who works for Sysco in Seattle. “I stand with my Brothers and Sisters in Spokane to have a voice at work.”

Yesterday, Sysco sent a letter to their employees’ homes trying to convince them to vote against the Union.

“These kinds of tactics are typically used to try to intimidate employees and frighten family members,” said John Scearcy, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 117. “Sysco should refrain from this kind of ugly campaigning, respect the democratic process and their employees.”

Check out more solidarity with Spokane photos on our Facebook page here.

The Teamsters Union has a long history of fighting to improve wages, pensions, benefits and working conditions for our members. The ‘Right to Work’ legislation being brought forward at the National and State Level are deceptive. In fact, the *Bureau of Labor Statistics concludes the quality of life is worse in states with ‘Right to Work’ laws. Wages are lower, poverty levels are higher and people are less likely to have health insurance with workplace safety standards being compromised, causing an increase in workplace deaths.

‘Right to Work’ legislation allows the government to unfairly interfere with your rights to collectively bargain and weakens our ability bargain for respect, fair pay, benefits and safety on the job!

This anti-union/anti-employee campaign is being promoted on a State and National Level.  Washington State Senator Michael Baumgartner (R), Spokane, has promoted this in the last two sessions in Olympia. Don’t stand idly by while Politicians and Big Business conspire to take away your competitive union wages, pension, benefits, and workplace safety that we have fought so long to achieve.

This legislation does nothing to create new jobs, grow the middle class or improve the lives of working families. It is shameful that members of Congress have once again chosen to prioritize big business interests over the loud and clear voices of the American middle class!

Please contact your representatives and let them know you are OPPOSED TO ‘Right to work’! 1-855-465-4694

*Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2014.

RtWFlyer     Deceptive Right to Work is Wrong for Workers

Teamsters Local 690 was successful in organizing the Engineers at Franz Bakery and by majority vote they voted to have Teamsters Local 690 represent them Dec 20th. They are a group of 12. The vote was supervised and the vote was confirmed by the Federal Mediation and Conciliatory Service (FMCS) at the employer’s place of business.

Download the latest newsletter! Stories in this issue include:

The 2017 schedule for both the 8-Hr Haz-Mat Worker Refresher Training and the 40-HR Haz-Mat Worker Training classes have been set.

8-HR WORKER REFRESHER 2017 SCHEDULE

Teamsters/AGC Training Center
2410 E. St. Helens St. Pasco, WA

• January 13, 2017
• January 14, 2017
• February 10, 2017
• February 11, 2017

Teamsters Local 690
1912 N. Division Ste. 200 Spokane, WA

• January 7, 2017

Tukwila Teamsters Building
14675 Interurban Ave. S. Tukwila, WA

• January 21, 2017
• February 4, 2017

40-HR HAZ-MAT WORKER TRAINING

Teamsters Training Center
2410 E. Saint Helens St.
Pasco, WA 99301

Date: January 23 – 27, 2017 (Monday – Friday)
Time: 7:00 am
Pre-requisite: DOT Physical Card. (You will be unable to attend without this.)

Space is limited. Call (888) 600-8297 to reserve your spot.

The Washington Teamsters Welfare Trust is beginning its Annual Enrollment for the 2017 benefit year. Consistent with prior years, medical plan participants will be asked to do two things:

1. Re-enroll in order for their medical claims to be paid.
2. If they live in a Group Health Options service area, choose their medical plan.

Download your appropriate Annual Enrollment packet below:

• Plan A
• Plan B
• Plan C
• Plan Z
• Plan JC28 XL
• Plans A, B, C, Z (Non-Group Health)
• Plan JC28 XL (Non-Group Health)

Every year, the Trust offers participants an incentive to complete a quick, easy and confidential Health Assessment. You can save hundreds on your 2017 medical expenses by completing your annual Health Assessment by Dec. 19, 2016.

Take your Health Assessment between Nov. 1 and Dec. 19, 2016 and:

• Medical Plans A, B, C, and Z – your annual deductible in 2017 will be $200 less for individual coverage and up to $600 less for family coverage than if you do not take it.

• Medical Plan JC28XL – your out-of-pocket maximum in 2017 will be $200 less than if you do not take it.

• Find out more.
• Find out more (Group Health).

UPS is hiring tractor-trailer drivers for Peak Season work. Contact Business Rep. Michael Valenzuela at (509) 455-9410 or (509) 710-3883 for more info.

Send us your 2016 photos of legally harvested deer with the details by Friday, December 9, 2016. The winners to be announced at the Local 690 Christmas party on December 10th.

Entries are limited to members in good standing and Retirees. Entries should be sent to:

TEAMSTERS LOCAL UNION NO. 690
1912 N. Division #200
Spokane WA. 99207

or e-mail them to us at info@nullteamsterslocal690.org

PRIZES:

1st place: $100 Cabela’s Gift card
2nd place: $75 Cabela’s Gift card
3rd Place: $50 Cabela’s Gift card
Women’s Category: $75 Cabela’s Gift Card

TIMELINE:

Deadline for entries: Friday, December 9, 2016
Winners announced: at the Local 690 Christmas party on December 10th

Connor Hickman, son of Local 690 URM member Walter William Hickman II, was just named as a recipient of a 2016 James R. Hoffa $1,000 Bootstrap scholarship.

Connor graduated on June 10th from MT Spokane High School with a GPA of 3.97 and will be attending MT. Tech in the fall.

Congratulations, young man, on a job well done!

Stories in this issue include:

At the November General Membership and Officer’s Nomination Meeting, Val Holstrom and the Teamsters Local 690 Executive Board were re-elected by acclamation of the membership.

Pictured from left to right: Taj Wilkerson, Trustee (Liberty Lake Police Dept.); Ricardo Lopez, Recording Secretary (Instructor AGC Apprenticeship Training Center); Matt Sturgell, Trustee (UPS Freight); Val Holstrom, Secretary-Treasurer; Matt President, President (Franz Bakery); Carol Stone, Vice-President (AMR); Mike Robinson, Trustee, (FSA).

TEAMSTER NATION | In this week’s podcast:

• Raucous Quinquennial Celebration Draws More Than 5K;
• Union Call on Members to Stand Up and Be Counted;
• Freight, Warehouse, Tech, Port Workers Share Stories from the Front Lines;
• Local 24 Leader Raises Awareness on Prescription Drugs;
• Rage Guitarist Slays with Performance