Local 812 shop stewards, key members, officers and staff gathered for several days in August to sharpen their skills, exchange information, learn more about our union benefits and to hear from other Teamster Leaders.
Participants left the conference ready to better serve the Local 812 membership on the shop floor, in arbitrations and in negotiations. Below are take aways from some of the members and stewards who participated:
“The seminar has been very educational and helped us to better understand how to respond to write ups.”
-Peter Ford, Steward, Coca-Cola Haulage
“It was really good to learn from one another about what is going on at other companies. Now I know how other companies are treating worker injuries and rules for leave.
-John Kelly, Steward, Boening Brothers Driver
“We got a lot of good advice on arbitrations and the importance of honesty.”
-Angel Medina, Steward, Coca Cola Driver
‘We were given a lot of information and also what changes we can expect and how we can learn from other stewards' experiences.”
-John Nardella, Steward, Coca Cola Vending
“The conferences get better each time. We’ve learned about how to react and respond in arbitration hearings, especially where you have gray areas. We are full, willing and able to back up members!”
-Peter Esposito, Steward, Pepsi Cola Warehouse
“The union is helping stewards to better handle situations and keep us ahead of the curve. Speakers stressed that accidents must always be reported and that we’ve all got to always tell the truth.”
-Juan Lopez, Steward, Coca Cola
“We’ve been provided with better tools for resolving issues. We also received a lot of important health benefit information that we will share with our members.”
-Edgar Tores, Union Beer
“We’re starting to prepare now for contract negotiations. We can expect our benefits to be an issue on both sides, so we have to be ready to fight for them.
-Clem Vaccaro, Steward, Pepsi Cola Warehouse
“We have a lot of newer stewards, so it’s great to share tips and information, like how to get a fair solution before going to arbitration. This Executive Board is behinds us 100%. They’ve worked hard to preserve all our jobs with the consolidations at Liberty Coca Cola.”
-Kevin Murphy, Coca Cola Production
“We’re learning how to protect what we have and how to best deal with the company going into negotiations. We’re ready to defend our benefits, which are the best in the business, and with our strong strike fund, companies know we are serious.”
-Anthony Broquadio, Steward, Coca Cola Production
“The most important job we have is organizing and educating our members. For the next negotiations, we’re communicating with members in other buildings to unify and take on the company. The Executive Board is always behind us, improving our benefits.”
-Ray Schwarz, Steward, Coca Cola, Merchandiser
“The seminar Q & A’s were really informative. We ‘ve all got to stay on top of everything, and taking good notes is really important. We’ve got to keep our members out of trouble and always follow the rules.”
-John Vargas, Steward, Union Beer Driver
“I’ve gained a better understanding of the arbitration process. Discussing real examples helps us to be better stewards. We’re starting early to prepare for negotiations, getting ideas and developing a strategy. The Clare Rose strike was a sacrifice for our whole union, but it made us stronger.”
-Bill Hinderliter, Steward, Pepsi Cola Warehouse
