Teamster Talk #24: Union Strength!
Quote of the month:"We are standing in solidarity with our Brothers and Sisters in Ohio." Mark Williams, Allied Waste

IN THIS ISSUE:

SUBSCRIBE | UNSUBSCRIBE | LOCAL 117 HOMEPAGE

A message from your Secretary-Treasurer, Tracey A. Thompson

State correctional employees win interest arbitration
On Friday, April 19, your Local Union’s Secretary-Treasurer Tracey A. Thompson resolved the pending bad faith bargaining Unfair Labor Practice charge against the State and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that secures full interest arbitration rights for WA State correctional employees during the term of their 2013-2015 collective bargaining agreement.

This MOU represents a significant victory for all Teamsters at the Department of Corrections. It recognizes the critical nature of corrections’ work, and it honors the men and women who staff our State’s prisons who put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe. Read more...

Shop Stewards build power at annual seminar
Over 225 Shop Stewards from across your Union - public sector, private sector, and the DOC - met at the Washington State Convention Center on Saturday, March 16 for Local 117’s 26th annual Shop Steward Seminar and Appreciation Day.

The event is an opportunity for Local 117 to recognize the incredible work Shop Stewards do in representing the members and to honor them for their service. It is also an opportunity for Stewards to educate themselves on critical issues, to review battles of the previous year, and to prepare for the fights to come. Read more...

Puget Sound sanitation workers honor picket lines
Garbage, recycle, and yard waste drivers, employed by Allied Waste/Republic Services, honored picket lines on April 17 that were established by striking Local 377 Teamsters from Youngstown, Ohio. Picket lines were set up at the company’s facilities in Seattle, Lynnwood, and Kent/SeaTac.

"We are standing in solidarity with our Brothers and Sisters in Ohio. We will not allow Republic to trample on the rights of workers in Ohio or anywhere else in the country," said Mark Williams, a commercial recycle driver at Republic’s facility in Kent/SeaTac. Read more...

Theo Chocolate's Union busting - exposed
The “fair” in fair trade has a shallow meaning when it comes to Theo Chocolate, a Seattle-based chocolatier, that despite its “fair trade” certification, engaged in a vicious anti-union campaign during a Local 117 organizing drive in 2010.

Once Theo heard that a majority of its workers wanted to join the Teamsters, the company hired a union-busting consulting firm, terminated a union leader, held workers in captive audience meetings that lasted up to four hours, and said that they would rather “shut down” the Fremont-neighborhood factory than sign a union contract. Read more...

May 2013

117 NEWS & EVENTS!
June 20 - Membership Mtg.

June 22 - Car & Bike Show

Membership Meeting - June 20, 2013
Join fellow members for Local 117's general membership meeting starting at 7 p.m. at the Union hall in Tukwila.

Dinner will be served before the meeting starting at 5 p.m.

Local 117 Car & Bike Show - June 22, 2013
Rods, customs, classics, and choppers all welcome for your Local Union’s first annual Car & Bike Show on Saturday, June 22, 2013.

This event is sponsored by the Local 117 caucuses to benefit your Union’s Solidarity Scholarship for continuing education.

Roll in at 9:30 a.m. Show starts at 10:30 a.m. Register online at www.teamsters117.org.

Scholarships Available!
Are you a member of Teamsters Local 117 and the parent of a graduating high school senior or a student who is currently enrolled in a college or technical school and is in need of money for college?

The Local 117 Jeff Alfieri Scholarship of up to $2000 is awarded to outstanding students whose parents are members of Teamsters Local 117. The deadline for the 2013 Alfieri Scholarship is May 10.

An application for the scholarship and eligibility requirements are available at www.teamsters117.org