Van's co-workers at Swire Coca Cola show their support. 

Inside the Coke warehouse, everyone knows Van Huynh. Van is an outstanding shop steward who does not tolerate any injustice towards his co-workers.

But Van is more than that. He is a survivor of Viet Cong atrocities. When his family immigrated to the U.S., he dealt with debilitating disease, the loss of his sister, and poverty. Working hard despite all odds, Van provided for his family, including a handicapped parent, and today his kids are on the way to college. Van is the stuff American dreams are made of.

Evidently this means nothing to Van’s employer. Earlier this month, Swire Coca-Cola, forced him to accept what they are deceptively calling a “voluntary resignation.” Instead of granting him a leave of absence as Van had requested, the company took advantage of long immigration backlogs to terminate him.

A representative of the Department of Justice (DOJ) contacted Coke management to inform them that the termination was unnecessary. Nevertheless, Coke ignored the advice of the DOJ and moved ahead with the “voluntary resignation.”

Early this morning, Van’s co-workers at Swire Coca-Cola wore solidarity stickers and signed a petition in support of the eight-year Local 117 member.

In the petition, members are demanding that Coke grant Van an immediate leave of absence so that he can return to work as soon as his paperwork is processed. The petition goes on to say:

We believe that Swire Coca-Cola should value employees like Van for their hard work, dedication, and commitment to the company. We are also concerned that Swire Coca-Cola may be retaliating against Van for his involvement in the Union.

We strongly condemn any retaliation by Swire Coca-Cola that may be targeting Van or any other union member for involvement in protected, concerted union activities.

Van has been a Shop Steward for two years and has worked aggressively to enforce our contract at Coke and protect members’ rights under the contract. He is also a graduate of our Teamster Leadership Academy and authored a powerful story about how the union has positively impacted his life.

“Van is an inspiration to members across our union,” said John Scearcy, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 117. “We will fight to protect his rights under the contract and under the law and will hold Coke accountable for retaliation of any kind for Van's involvement in the union.”

Teamsters Local 117 is demanding justice for dairy workers who are facing harassment, retaliation, and other abuses on the farms that supply Darigold milk. Local 117 Secretary-Treasurer, John Scearcy, will join farm workers and elected, community, faith, and labor leaders to speak out in support of the workers, who will begin a 5-day reconciliation fast starting on Thursday.

Earlier this week, the Seattle City Council unanimously passed a resolution in support of the Darigold Dozen and called on Darigold to take immediate steps to improve working conditions at Darigold-member dairies.

“We applaud the City Council for taking action in support of dairy workers,” Scearcy said. “Workers have the right to a safe workplace free from harassment and discrimination no matter if they work on the farms, in the stores, or in the plants that process Darigold milk.”

Teamsters Local 117 represents 250 production workers at Darigold’s processing plants in Seattle and Issaquah. Workers at the Issaquah plant make butter, sour cream, and cottage cheese, while workers in Seattle process hundreds of thousands of gallons of milk every year, supplying Costco, Walmart, and other grocery stores throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Check out our amazing team that attended the Teamster Women's Conference this week in Orlando!

Our Coalition of Unions has achieved a tentative agreement with the State on your health care benefits for the 2019-2021 biennium.

The agreement maintains the status quo on your premium share from the previous biennium. Your employer will continue to contribute 85% of the total weighted average of the premium, while members will contribute 15%. The agreement also provides some relief for those making less than $50,004 per year in the form of a flexible spending account (FSA) paid for by the employer. You can view the details here.

Our Coalition of State Employee Unions recommends that you vote yes. You can vote online here. 

We will be conducting a vote by Internet/Telephone for all state employee bargaining units covered under the agreement. Voting is being conducted two ways:  (1) by telephone or (2) through the internet.  You may only vote by one (1) method. The telephonic and online internet polls open at 8:00 AM on Tuesday, September 18, 2018, and close at 5:00 PM on Friday, September 28, 2018.

To Vote By Phone:      

1. Dial:  1-888-349-7030
2. Enter your PIN (Department of Corrections members use your Employee ID Number, for all other members use your Teamsters 117 member ID Number).

To Vote By Internet:    

1. Go to:  www.electionadmin.com/1111802.aspx
2. Enter your PIN (Department of Corrections members use your Employee ID Number, for all other members use your Teamsters 117 member ID Number).

If you cannot find your Department of Corrections Employee ID number or Teamsters 117 member ID Number, please contact the office at 1-888-872-3489 between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

Only active members have the right to vote.  Religious objectors and non-members are not eligible to vote. If you have questions about this vote and the changes proposed, please talk to your Local Union Representative. 

We have some good news to report on health care for state employees. Our Coalition of Unions has achieved a tentative agreement with the State on your benefits for the 2019-2021 biennium.

The agreement maintains the status quo on your premium share from the previous biennium. Your employer will continue to contribute 85% of the total weighted average of the premium, while members will contribute 15%.

The agreement also provides some relief for those making less than $50,004 per year in the form of a flexible spending account (FSA) paid for by the employer. You can view the details here.

We will be conducting a vote by Internet/Telephone for all state employee bargaining units covered under the agreement. Voting instructions will be sent to you by mail. Watch your email over the next few days for more information.  

Our Coalition of State Employee Unions recommends that you vote yes. If ratified, this agreement on health care will be incorporated into your collective bargaining agreement as required under state law.

Thank you for your service to our communities.

Stand strong, Teamsters! Gear up with Local 117 swag and merchandise at our union's new online store.

Some of the items for purchase include:

• Teamster Power T-Shirts
• Union Til' I Die T-Shirts
• Teamsters for Tomorrow T-Shirts
• Team"Sis"ter T-Shirts
• Shirts for kids
• Skull Caps
• Scarves
• Patches & pins

You can have the gear delivered to your door or pick it up at the hall. Talk to your union rep about in-person delivery. So wear your union colors! Show your Teamsters pride in the workplace and around town. Be union strong!

You can access our online store here.

The City of Seattle is hosting a series of workshops to help young people identify economic opportunities.

Come share your story about how having a Teamsters job has contributed to your economic well-being. Too often young people do not fully grasp the value of unions and as Teamsters, it's our job to educate them!

Here is the description of the event from the City's website: 

We are now hosting several public events in mid-September to share the stories we heard and for you to contribute your ideas on ways that the City of Seattle can better serve our young people.

These events will be interactive and fun! If you are a young person or have a young person in your life that you care about – we want to hear from you!

Join us to:

* Share your career journey
* Cultivate a deeper understanding about youth and young adult experiences
* Learn about and use human-centered design to move from insights to opportunities

Let’s harness our collective wisdom to facilitate creative breakthroughs that will result in a set of ideas that will make a difference for Seattle’s residents. No previous design or innovation experience is required. All you need is an optimistic mindset.

These are drop-in events. Refreshments will be provided. For more info and to RSVP, visit the City's website.

Teamsters fighting hunger (from l to r): Matthew House, Mark Hackett, Chris Ellrodt, Roger Gale, and Jed Slagter. 

A group of sharpshooters from two Teamster police departments joined forces last month to take aim at hunger. Officers from the City of Pacific and the University of Washington along and their union representative, Matthew House, teamed up for the Emergency Food Network’s annual Breaking Hunger Trap Shooting and Archery Tournament.

The contest, held at the Gig Harbor Sportsmen’s Club on August 10, raised over $16 thousand dollars to help feed hungry families in Pierce County. “This was my first time,” said Sergeant Jed Slagter, who heard about the event from a fellow officer. “It was for a good cause, well organized, and a lot of fun.”

"It was for a good cause, well organized, and a lot of fun."

Slagter, who’s been on the force at the City of Pacific Police Department for five years, talked about the importance of his union giving back to the community. “It’s great for Teamsters to participate in these kinds of charitable events,” he said.

Our union’s Executive Board covered the team’s registration fee. All proceeds from the event go to benefit the Emergency Food Network.

Thank you to our members from the Teamsters Law Enforcement & Corrections Division who participated in the tournament:

• Jed Slagter, City of Pacific Police Dept.
• Roger Gale, City of Pacific Police Dept.
• Chris Ellrodt, University of Washington Police Dept.
• Mark Hackett, University of Washington Police Dept.

The Pierce County emergency food system includes 67 food banks providing over 15 million meals annually to over a hundred thousand families in need. Teamsters Local 117 is a generous supporter of EFN and has participated in a number of volunteer events to benefit the organization.

Late yesterday afternoon our King County Coalition of Union bargaining members unanimously recommended moving forward a tentative agreement on economics.

This includes the landslide victory of a 4% general wage increase for 2019 and a total of 3% general wage increase for 2020 plus a $500 bonus only offered to Coalition Union members.

It also includes enhancements to insurance such as a full reinstatement of retiree benefits, long-term disability paid for by the County, an added voluntary short-term disability plan and increased benefits for vision coverage. This means an increase to wages of 10.25% (plus a $500 bonus) over a three-year span.

Our Union Coalition and its member representatives have been negotiating with the County for months and are pleased to come to this tentative deal. We still have individual contract negotiations before the agreement is finalized and ready to vote, but we will keep you updated with more information to come.

We appreciate the many hours of negotiations, work and advocacy the entire bargaining team put into these negotiations and are confident that it will be a competitive package for our members.

More details to come as they materialize, but we are very excited to announce this excellent news.

Today our union’s legal team presented a powerful closing statement before the arbitrator as we concluded our case for higher compensation for DOC Teamsters in our 2019-2021 contract.

Our union’s number one priority is a general wage increase for all bargaining unit members that recognizes the challenging and dangerous nature of your work and the critical public safety service you provide to communities across Washington State.

Our case is built on compelling testimony from members who spoke during the arbitration of threats to their families, assaults against staff, high turnover, crushing overtime, and other safety-related concerns that make working inside a prison in our state unique.

In closing, our union attorney summarized our argument:

“The Department, the State, and its citizens benefit every hour of every day that its correctional workers put themselves in harm’s way for the sake of the Department and the public at large, and it cannot continue to be the case that these employees continue to internalize some portion of the cost of the work by being undercompensated.”

Our case is also built on persuasive comparable data presented by a financial expert witness retained by the union. Our witness testified that compensation for Washington State corrections employees is not commensurate with corrections workers in similarly-sized states, counties, and jurisdictions.

The employer tried to dismiss our data at the county level, stating that the DOC is not losing large numbers of employees to the counties. We vigorously contested that position. No matter how you slice the data, members of the bargaining unit are significantly undercompensated. Even the State admitted that your compensation falls well below the comparators.

Still, throughout the hearing, the State clung to its final economic proposal in negotiations. The State’s attorney testified in her closing argument that a general wage increase of 2% in year one and 2% in year two of the contract is “fair and reasonable.” This proposal is grossly inadequate and would not even keep pace with the cost of living. It’s no surprise that the State’s proposal was rejected by 99% of members participating in our recent contract vote.

In contrast, our union's final protected position going into arbitration was an across-the-board general wage increase of 8.5% in year one and 8.5% in year two of the contract, plus a 3.6% cost-of-living increase in each year of the contract. Our position was based on comparable data researched by our financial experts and the current consumer price index.

Our case also showed how profound recruitment and retention difficulties at the Department adversely impact morale, safety, and lead to inordinate amounts of overtime. We presented evidence that the Department has an astounding 8% vacancy rate in CO2 positions alone. In their closing, the State continued to downplay recruitment and retention as a problem.

The arbitrator must issue his decision by no later than October 1 and has indicated that we can expect it to come as early as September 26. As soon as we receive the award, we will publish it on our union’s website with a summary and our analysis. Thank you to the members who took time away from their families to testify during arbitration. Their testimony about the challenges of working in Washington State prisons makes our case for higher wages genuine, compelling, and strong.

Looking for things to knock off your list this Labor Day? Check out these family-friendly events:

BURIEN: The King County MLK Labor Council is putting on a BBQ & Block Party in Burien Town Square Park on Monday, September 3 from 11AM to 2:30PM. Come celebrate with your family alongside Teamsters and other union members, with food and games for the kiddos. You can learn more & RSVP for the event on the MLKCLC Facebook page.

Saturday September 3rd from 11-2:30 join us and @mlklabor for a block party and cookout! Let’s catch up with old friends and make some new ones! #Community #DiscoverBurien #MLKLabor #burien pic.twitter.com/aFDsWMS35K

— Discover Burien (@DiscoverBurien) August 21, 2018

LAKEWOOD: The Pierce County Central Labor Council is holding their annual Labor Day BBQ event, also on Monday. The event will take place at Fort Steilacoom Park from 11:30AM to 5PM. They'll have mouth-watering barbecue prepared by union members as well as games and prizes for the kids. All union members and their families are welcome! Get more info and RSVP on Facebook. 

EVERETT: The Snohomish County Labor Council will host a Labor Day March and Block Party on Monday, Sept. 3. The march begins at 11 a.m. at the Everett Workers Memorial (Pacific & Wetmore) and Block Party will follow at the Labor Temple, 2810 Lombard St. Get details.

Later that afternoon, union members will be gathering for a rally at the Westin Hotel in downtown Seattle from 4:30PM to 6PM to support members of UNITE Here Local 8. We'll be calling on the Marriott, the world’s biggest and richest hotel company, to provide one job that is enough for hotel workers. Find out more here.

Lots going on for you and your family to plug into the fun, meaningful ways we all can support workers this Labor Day.

Over the last few days, our interest arbitration hearing has been marked by powerful testimony from members and some frustrating moments from DOC management.

Last Thursday, correctional officer James Deuel of WCC testified about scaled-back staffing levels on graveyard shift and how it impacts safety. He also addressed the cumulative stress of the job:

“I'm a human being.  I don't think that anybody should have to see some of the things that I've seen.  I mean, when it comes to offenders assaulting other offenders, possibly killing them, which has happened, hurting themselves, hurting each other…”

Officer Deuel also spoke about threats to his own safety and to his family, and of encountering offenders after they’ve been released into the community:

“If I'm by myself, it's just like being at work.  If I'm with my kids it's very -- it's nerve-wracking, something you don't want to see.”

Adam Kapa, a transportation sergeant at WCC, testified about the dangers of operating a chain bus:

“We don’t know what we're getting.  We haven't had time to classify them.  We haven't had time to get to know them, they're just delivered to us by the counties….we don't know what else their temperament is like, what they're going to do.”

Like Deuel, Sergeant Kapa spoke of threats directed at him and his family:

“I've received threats of physical harm or death to myself, to my family, rape of my wife and daughter, and myself.  I've – several threats – pretty much as heinous as you can think.”

Through member testimony, like that of Officer Deuel and Sergeant Kapa, our union’s legal team is establishing the risks and high-level stress associated with the job as we continue to make our case for higher compensation than the State proposed in contract negotiations.

Last week, we also heard from DOC Secretary Stephen Sinclair. Sinclair’s testimony irked members in the room, especially when he stated that he hadn’t given a lot of thought about whether members of the bargaining unit are satisfied with their compensation.  He also testified that he hadn’t heard much from members who are dissatisfied with their compensation. These remarks seemed tone deaf and completely out of touch with the rank-and-file.

This week, we've had an expert witness present comparable data in states of like sizes and jurisdictions as well as data involving compensation for corrections employees at the county level.

We anticipate wrapping up the hearing this Friday, at which point we will give you another update. Please check your email and look for more information coming soon.

View a short video update from the hearing below:

What if you were asked to run 100+ miles up a mountain for two days and through the night? Justin Hamrick, a Local 117 member and police officer at the town of Steilacoom put together a team of eight people to do just that.

There were three Teamsters on this team representing the Steilacoom Police Department. They ran alongside high school officials from Steilacoom, police officers from the City of Lakewood and a National Guard recruiter. This challenging run was a relay race organized by Ragnar.

"It’s just the kind of people I work with — we take the challenge head on."

“Almost every person I approached was eager to join even if they were not running enthusiasts,” shared Hamrick, who was the team captain. “It’s just the kind of people I work with — we take the challenge head on.”

The weather promised to be warm, but on the day of the race the highs were just grazing fifties while nighttime turned a cold shoulder to the runners bringing with it some chilling thirties. Still, the Steilacoom team took it as an opportunity to push harder and come closer together. It was a test of individual will and team spirit. Each participant ended up covering 16 miles of rugged mountainous terrain.

Teamsters supported this race by donating $500 towards the costs, part of which went to local charities including the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Girls on the Run.

Hamrick is looking forward to making this a yearly race. “There was a big teambuilding aspect to it. We have a small team and don’t get to spend as much time together.”

From protecting to connecting to feeding our communities, Teamsters run our economy… and an occasional mountain.

Port of Seattle bus driver Tambra Fontes shows off her union solidarity band. 

You’ll see them on the wrists of bus drivers circling around Sea-Tac Airport – white bands bearing a message of unity and strength. The bands read: We decide how strong our union will be. When drivers pass each other on their routes, they raise their fists as a show of union pride.

Local 117 member Tambra Fontes got the idea for the wristbands, together with shop steward Monica Petty. “We were trying to unify all of us drivers and get us to become one,” Tambra said.

Tambra hails from a strong union family. Her father worked for the postal service, where he was a shop steward for his union. Her husband, Josh Hoopes, is a Local 117 member at Animal Supply. “Getting this job was everything for me,” she said. “Being Teamsters is exactly what my dad wanted for me. It felt like our future was set – you couldn’t ask for anything more.”

"It felt like our future was set – you couldn’t ask for anything more."

Tambra and Monica have been teaming up to alert their co-workers about the potential impact of the Janus court case. They’ve talked about the importance of sticking with the union.

Their call for solidarity has been effective as nearly all Port of Seattle bus drivers have signed cards committing to the union. “When we stand together, our freedom, power and unity cannot be taken from us,” Monica says.

Getting people signed up on commitment cards was essential, but the two women also wanted a symbol that matched the message. “Being a driver, it’s kind of hard for all of us to connect,” Tambra said. “The wristbands are something that we can wear to let everybody know we’re all one.”

With contract negotiations coming up next year sustaining that unity will be key. The drivers have already shown that no court case or external group can weaken their voice on the job. Tambra and Monica have decided that they want to keep their union strong. And because of members like them, it is.

Sysco Teamsters in front of our union hall in Tukwila after the strike authorization vote. 

There was not a single no vote in the house.  All Teamster drivers and warehouse workers who packed the union hall for the Sysco meeting on Saturday cast their vote to authorize a strike.

The unanimous strike vote sends a clear message to the company that the group is not backing down in their fight for fairness.

The company came into negotiations with a substandard proposal across the board and have taken some actions that we are investigating as potential violations of federal labor law.

“Teamsters at Sysco in Seattle are prepared to strike for fair treatment and to protect their livelihoods,” said John Scearcy, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters 117 and the lead negotiator for the union. “Our members work incredibly hard to supply safe food service products to schools, restaurants, and hospitals across our region. The company needs to recognize them for their labor.”

Negotiations between Sysco and our union got underway in July, with the contract set to expire on September 1. No extension agreement has been signed.

In other parts of the country, Sysco has been trampling on the rights of workers. In recent months, Local 117 members have participated in Days of Action to show solidarity with Teamsters in Oklahoma where the company has fired multiple shop stewards and tried to break the union. Late last year, Sysco Teamsters in Missouri established an unfair labor practice picket line to protest alleged violations of federal labor law.

We are hopeful that when Sysco returns to the negotiations table, they will bargain in good faith. We will keep you updated as soon as we have more information.