Local 117 Shop Steward Matt Lewis at the Safeway Dairy plant in Bellevue

Safeway Dairy Shop Stewards, Alan Inderbitzen and Andy Peterson, work each day producing milk products and ensuring that their Teamsters contract is enforced.

Almost everyone working at Safeway Dairy is a union member, but there is a small group of lab technicians who have never been part of our Union.

Alan and Andy understand the value of their Teamsters contract and they wanted to extend the benefits and protections to the lab technicians. So they got to work.

They had conversations with the unorganized workers, explained to them the benefits of the contract and how they could become union.  Working with their Business Representative, Ryan Jarman, they set up two meetings with the organizers at Local 117 so the workers could ask questions.

Safeway Dairy did all they could to stop the three lab technicians from joining the Union.  They had group and individual captive audience meetings to try to scare them away from voting for union representation.

It became a stressful situation at work.  But through it all, Alan and Andy kept reassuring the workers that by choosing the union they would get all the benefits and security a Teamsters contract can provide.  On election day, the vote was unanimous for Teamsters 117.

Much of the credit goes to Alan and Andy for making this a success story. Their dedication and determination made this victory happen.

“I want to extend a warm welcome to our new members of Teamsters Local 117 at Safeway Dairy,” said Secretary-Treasurer John Scearcy. “Their perseverance, together with the encouragement of their co-workers, helped them achieve the benefits, protections, and respect workers get when they are part of the Teamsters Union.”

If you have unorganized workers at your shop, talk to your Business Rep or a Local 117 Organizer about the steps you can take to help get them organized. We are all stronger when more workers have a voice!