Teamsters

CANNABIS TEAMSTERS LAUNCH ULP STRIKE

Over 300 members of Teamsters Local 916 at Ascend Wellness in Barry, Ill., have been forced out on strike over the company’s unfair labor practices (ULPs), which includes their refusal to bargain in good faith. It’s the first strike undertaken by Teamsters at a cannabis grow house.

The company is refusing to bargain a contract that addresses wage increases, health care benefits, and overtime. Local 916 members cultivate, process, package, and distribute products for dispensaries across Illinois. The strike could have a significant impact on the cannabis supply chain statewide.

“This is one of the largest multistate cannabis operators in the country. They can afford to bargain a fair contract instead of wasting time and money to disrespect our members,” said Jesse Case, Director of the Teamsters Food Processing Division. “These workers deserve the same standard that Teamsters at Ascend dispensaries enjoy, and we won’t stop until we get it."

TEAMSTERS FORCED ON STRIKE AT OPEN KITCHENS

Drivers and helpers at Open Kitchens in Chicago have been forced to strike over the company’s unfair labor practices. The workers, represented by Teamsters Local 703, are fighting for a first contract.

Teamsters at Open Kitchens deliver meals to Chicago Public Schools and other customers throughout the Chicagoland area. Workers voted to join the Teamsters last year, but the company has continued to intimidate workers and drag out negotiations instead of reaching a collective bargaining agreement.

“We come to work every day to do our jobs and provide for our families, but management has treated us with disrespect and constant threats to our livelihoods,” said Ernesto Patino, a helper at Open Kitchens and a member of Local 703. “As Teamsters, we are not backing down from this fight until we win the dignity only a union contract can provide.”

Local 703 has filed multiple unfair labor practice charges against Open Kitchens with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging the company illegally terminated workers in retaliation for protected union activity. Those unlawful terminations, coupled with the company’s continued efforts to delay reaching a first contract, forced these workers onto the picket line.

NLRB ORDERS AMAZON TO BARGAIN WITH TEAMSTERS ON EVE OF PRIME DAY

Teamsters are lauding a ruling by the National Labor Relations Board ordering Amazon to bargain with workers at its DCK6 facility in San Francisco. The ruling came only hours before the start of Prime Day, one of the company’s biggest events of the year.

This is the second bargaining order in less than three months that the trillion-dollar company has received from the NLRB. The board previously demanded that it comply with federal law and begin bargaining with Amazon Teamsters at the JFK8 warehouse in Staten Island.

The Amazon Teamsters movement grows bigger and stronger every day and will not be stopped until union recognition and a Teamsters contract is won for all Amazon workers.

In 2023, Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien launched a new project to document Teamsters history from 1975 to 1999. These historic interviews — captured for the first time — detail the wins, losses, and challenges the Teamsters faced during a pivotal era. These include the consent decree, the first democratic election of officers, Ron Carey’s presidency, the national freight strike, the 1997 UPS strike, James P. Hoffa’s election, and so much more.

We’ve launched a new website with every single interview — raw and unedited: http://teamsterhistory.org

Want to relive the great success of the Teamsters 31st International Convention?

Check out our photo retrospective with over 100 pictures here:

Teamsters 31st International Convention Retrospective View photos from Teamsters 31st Convention below.