Ricardo Espinoza’s entry into politics started with a concern over public education. “I’ve always been a huge advocate for education,” he professes to Teamsters Local 117 Political Coordinator Dustin Lambro as they discussed his campaign in a meeting room at the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center.

Officer Jerry Wonders is a bit of a legend at DOC. He’s served the citizens of our state for 25 years, 19 at the prison complex in Monroe and another 6 at Coyote Ridge.

For 27 years, Officer Brett Clinton has been giving back to his community. Not only does he serve and protect the citizens of our state through his work at the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center, he has been as a volunteer firefighter since high school.

The Labor Education Research Association (LERA) held its annual meeting in Minneapolis at the end of May. LERA is an organization where professionals in labor relations can network and share ideas about current developments in the field.

On May 23 and 24, our Union bargaining team met with the State in Olympia to bargain over our 2017-2019 contract for Teamsters at the Department of Corrections.

Our Coalition of Unions bargaining team was back at the table with King County on May 25 for total compensation contract negotiations.

Arbitrator Howell Lankford issued a perplexing and ultimately disappointing grievance arbitration decision yesterday that effectively changed his original interest arbitration award. In his original interest arbitration award, Lankford held that DOC must rationally evaluate the operational impacts of eliminating assignment pay.

In a massive display of union solidarity, Teamsters who work at the Darigold processing plants in Seattle and Issaquah, voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike over the weekend.

John Scearcy, our Union's Secretary-Treasurer, presented the Union leadership award at the annual Puget Sound Sage awards breakfast.

Teamsters working at US Foods’ distribution facility in Fife refused to cross the picket line in solidarity with Teamsters in Severn, Md., who began an unfair labor practice strike against the company last month.

Teamsters Local 117 has been on an organizing tear recently. Over the past two years, the local has brought over 900 members into the union.