Teamsters
Teamsters at the Brookfield Zoo Chicago Launch ULP Strike
(CHICAGO) – More than 100 members of Teamsters Local 727 at the Chicago Zoological Society (CZS), doing business as the Brookfield Zoo Chicago, have launched an unfair labor practice (ULP) strike. All members, except for animal care specialists, walked out at 5 a.m. this morning. The animal care specialists will join the strike line once the essential care plan for the animals has been finalized.
On Friday, May 1, the zoo confirmed that its plan to provide an alternative, comparable health care plan for the members was not true. Management acknowledged that they are not proposing any heath care plan to replace the current union health care that would not be available under the company’s last, best, and final offer.
“It’s clear that management is trying to slow roll an agreement on a plan for the animal care specialists to provide essential care to the animals during a work stoppage. This is a blatant attempt to interfere with these members’ lawful right to strike,” said John Coli, Jr, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 727. “While we work to plan for the animals to be cared for, our other members at the Zoo will hold down the strike line. We urge the public not to visit Brookfield Zoo Chicago. Not only are we asking for support for our ULP strike, but many of the animals will not be on exhibit and there will be no custodial or maintenance staff on site. We have urged the zoo to close to the public until an agreement is reached.”
In a good faith effort to settle the contract, the union bargaining committee presented a full and comprehensive offer. The zoo ended negotiations, rejecting the union’s offer without presenting a counterproposal.
Teamsters Local 727 represents nearly 10,000 hardworking men and women throughout the Chicago area. For more information, go to teamsterslocal727.org.
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Temco Teamsters Rally for Fair Contract at Home Depot Headquarters
(ATLANTA) – Three months after becoming the first group of Home Depot workers to unionize, Temco Teamsters and their allies rallied outside of corporate headquarters in Atlanta, demanding union recognition and to begin negotiations for a fair contract.
The group of over 80 flatbed truck drivers for Temco Logistics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Home Depot, began organizing with Teamsters Local 528 in December 2025. Since then, Te mco and Home Depot management have engaged in repeated unfair labor practices.
“It is no shock to us that Home Depot would engage in illegal union-busting tactics. But Temco Teamsters will prove that worker solidarity always wins,” said Tom Gesualdi, Director of the Teamsters Building Material and Construction Trade Division. “We call on Home Depot and Temco to end their unfair labor practices and recognize Temco Teamsters by negotiating a fair contract.”
“I’ve been a Teamster for over four decades, and I’ve never seen as vicious an anti-worker campaign as what Home Depot and Temco are running,” said Chuck Stiles, a representative of Teamsters Local 528. “After threatening our members’ jobs and trying to buy their votes during the union election, the company is now refusing to meet and negotiate a first contract. Our members will not be intimidated by Home Depot’s illegal and immoral tactics.”
Along with improved pay and health care, Temco Teamsters are fighting for better workplace conditions and to address safety and scheduling concerns.
“As Teamsters, we will force Home Depot to listen to our demands for respect and dignity on the job,” said Damari Chase, a Temco Driver and member of Local 528. “We will not rest until we get the union contract we have earned.”
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents over 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.
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Teamsters California Condemns Rushed, Reckless DMV Rules Allowing Driverless Trucks
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) – The following is a statement from Teamsters California Co-Chairs Victor Mineros and Peter Finn regarding the California Department of Motor Vehicles’ (DMV) new rules on heavy trucks that were announced this week:
“The DMV’s decision to rush forward with driverless heavy‑duty trucks is reckless, and we will use every tool necessary to stop it — including taking this fight to the courts. Make no mistake: this is just the beginning of Teamsters California’s fight for good jobs and safety on our roads.
“We have been clear from the start: a change this sweeping should be handled through the legislature, out in the open, with real transparency and accountability. Instead, the DMV is making major public policy behind closed doors.
“The DMV is also ignoring the real-world stakes. These rules put our streets, our highways, and our jobs in jeopardy. This agency happily greenlit technology that companies still won’t fully disclose safety data on, thereby threatening the livelihoods of the professional drivers who keep California’s economy moving. That’s why California voters are with Teamsters: there’s no substitute for a human driver behind the wheel.
“Teamsters California will keep fighting for public safety and good jobs throughout and beyond the November elections — and then the next administration — until California gets rules that protect communities, protect workers, and put accountability over experimentation and corporate greed.”
Teamsters California is the united voice of 250,000 workers across dozens of industries who power the state’s economy and communities every single day. For more information, go to teamstersca.org.
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With Teamsters’ Support, Maryland Bans Mandatory Captive Audience Meetings
(ANNAPOLIS, Md.) – Maryland Teamsters are celebrating the passage of SB 417/HB 45, legislation authored by Delegate Joe Vogel (D – Gaithersburg), which bans mandatory attendance for workers at captive audience meetings. These meetings are employer-sponsored propaganda sessions designed to discourage workers from organizing.
“We started fighting for this bill three years ago because banning this undemocratic practice is a moral imperative — not just for the labor movement, but for everyone in our state who cares about economic justice,” said Sean Cedenio, President of Teamsters Joint Council 62 in Baltimore. “This a major victory for working families in Maryland, and it happened because Teamsters mobilized, showed up in Annapolis, and made our voices heard.”
Maryland is the 14th state to ban mandatory captive audience meetings. As a result, nearly one in three Americans now lives in a jurisdiction where employers can’t forcibly subject workers to anti-union meetings.
“I was subjected to vicious public attacks during a captive audience meeting when I was a rank-and-file worker fighting to form a union,” said Brandon King, an organizer with Teamsters Local 570. “No worker should ever be put in that position. Thanks to Teamsters and the leadership of Delegate Joe Vogel, State Senator Clarence Lam, and the strength of our coalition, Maryland workers are now protected.”
Teamsters Joint Council 62 represents more than 20,000 hardworking men and women throughout Maryland and Washington, D.C.
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Teamsters Ready-Mix Drivers On Strike Against Glacier Northwest
(TACOMA, Wash.) – Ready-mix drivers represented by Teamsters Local 313 at Glacier Northwest, a CalPortland company, have reached the one-month mark of their unfair labor practice (ULP) strike against the company as negotiations over a fair contract have stalled. The drivers, based in DuPont, Wash., are fighting to address significant wage and benefit disparities with other CalPortland ready-mix drivers in neighboring King County.
“Glacier Northwest Teamsters do the same work as CalPortland’s other drivers in Washington state, yet the company denies them the fair wages and respect they have earned,” said Nick Lansdale, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 313. “Rather than bargaining in good faith, CalPortland’s proposals would deepen inequality and undermine the livelihoods of hardworking Teamsters in Pierce County.”
The union also condemned the company’s decision to bring in replacement workers and engage in other anti-union tactics since the strike began on April 1. Local 313 continues to call on CalPortland and Glacier Northwest leadership to immediately return to the table and reach a fair agreement that recognizes the essential role Glacier Northwest Teamsters play in the company’s operations.
“The fact that CalPortland would bring in scabs just proves the value we provide to this company and reaffirms the decision we made last month to go out on strike,” said John Silver, a seven-year Glacier Northwest driver and member of Local 313. “All we are asking for is to be treated with the same respect and fairness that CalPortland treats drivers who live an hour away from us. We are ready to stay here as long as it takes to get a fair contract.”
Glacier Northwest Teamsters will remain on the picket line until management returns to good-faith bargaining and offers proposals that accurately reflect the importance and reliability of their work.
For over 120 years, Teamsters Local 313 has represented workers in a wide range of industries throughout the Pacific Northwest. For more information, visit teamsters313.org.
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Teamsters at the Brookfield Zoo Chicago Authorize a Strike
(CHICAGO) – More than 200 members of Teamsters Local 727 at the Chicago Zoological Society (CZS), doing business as the Brookfield Zoo Chicago, have rejected their employer’s last, best, and final offer and voted to authorize a strike.
The collective bargaining agreement expires at 11:59 p.m. on May 1, 2026. Despite having bargaining scheduled for April 27 and 29, CZS abruptly ended bargaining early on April 27 and presented its last, best, and final offer.
“Chicago Zoological Society should be ashamed for offering our hardworking members less than four percent in wage increases, while boosting their CEO’s compensation over 70 percent,” said John Coli Jr., Secretary-Treasurer of Local 727. “To add insult to injury, the zoo’s final proposal would eliminate the 100 percent employer paid union health care — something these Teamsters have earned and relied upon for decades. The zoo has used our members’ pride in working for an animal conservatory and love for the animals against them for years. Our members deserve a fair contract that addresses their staffing and safety concerns and pays them a fair and equitable wage.”
The hundreds of animal care specialists, groundskeepers, patrol officers, seasonals, aides, and custodians are demanding a contract that includes wage increases and staffing guarantees. Throughout bargaining, CZS has committed numerous unfair labor practices (ULP) including bad faith bargaining, direct dealing, unilateral change, retaliation, and threatening/intimidating union workers. There are currently eight separate ULP charges pending with Region 13 of the labor board against CZS.
Negotiations are scheduled for Friday, May 1, ahead of the expiration at the end of the day.
Teamsters Local 727 represents nearly 10,000 hardworking men and women throughout the Chicago area. For more information, go to teamsterslocal727.org.
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Olympia Fields Police Department Unanimously Votes for Teamsters Representation
(OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill.) – Patrol officers, corporals, and sergeants at the Olympia Fields Police Department have voted to join Teamsters Local 700.
“We are proud to stand with the men and women of the Olympia Fields Police Department. These officers showed tremendous courage and solidarity in demanding the representation they deserve,” said Ramon Williams, President of Local 700. “Local 700 is committed to fighting alongside them every step of the way, at the bargaining table and beyond.”
The Olympia Fields Police Department was previously represented by another union that did not provide adequate support to the members. Turnover was high and the employer repeatedly violated the contract with no repercussions, and workers knew they needed stronger representation.
“We knew we deserved better because we are worth it,” said Officer Rhonda Jones. “Now we can celebrate in pure joy knowing we have selected the best and strongest union for our brothers and sisters in blue. We just want a better quality of life to help us serve the community we swore to protect and provide a service for. We refuse to stop fighting for what is right.”
Teamsters Local 700 represents public sector workers in a variety of classifications in Cook County, and throughout the public sector of Illinois.For more information, please visit teamsterslocal700.com.
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Teamsters at Diversified Transportation Secure First Contract
(WINNEMUCCA, Nev.) – A group of 114 workers at Diversified Transportation, a subsidiary of Student Transportation of America (STA), have secured their first contract after organizing with the Teamsters last November. The new contract delivers increased wages, a guaranteed seven-hour workday, sick pay, health care, and retirement benefits.
The unit is made up of motorcoach operators who provide transportation services to workers at Lithium Americas’ Thacker Pass, a development and construction project, and to workers at Nevada Gold Mines.
“We knew from Day One that if every member of the unit stood together, we could build an important foundation for many future years of strong contracts,” said Leanna Brown, a member of Teamsters Local 533 and a Winnemucca resident. “This contract sets the standard for other workers fighting for strong contracts in the region. When workers win, our families and our local economy win too.”
The fight for this first agreement spanned many months, but the solidarity of workers throughout the contract fight ensured the company would be held accountable for decades of disinvestment, which had made working conditions unpredictable and unsafe for workers.
“This win is important for the workers and the region,” said Gary Watson, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 533. “From the time we first organized the unit, workers were ready to put in the effort to ensure that the company heard their demand for safer working conditions, fair wages, health care and retirement benefits. The commitment and work everyone put in during negotiations shows in the strong contract that they won.”
Teamsters Local 533 represents approximately 2,600 members across Northern Nevada and Eastern California in various trades. For more information, go to http://teamsters533.org/.
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2,500 Teamsters at Rhode Island Hospital Ratify Agreement
(EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I.) – More than 2,500 members of Teamsters Local 251 at Rhode Island Hospital have voted to ratify a three-year agreement that protects their Teamsters health care and includes higher wages and stronger seniority protections. The bargaining unit consists of clinical support, non-clinical, and skilled maintenance staff in nearly every department.
“Local 251 has proudly represented workers at Rhode Island Hospital for more than 30 years,” said Matt Taibi, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 251 and Teamsters Eastern Region International Vice President. “This agreement shows that solidarity has the power to win strong successor contracts.”
The new agreement maintains strong Teamsters health care, layoff protections, and adds access to FSA benefits. Rhode Island Hospital Teamsters resisted many concessionary demands, instead making improvements on job transfers, seniority rights, unused paid time payouts, tuition assistance, shift differentials, and a new pay step for over two thirds of the bargaining unit.
“My co-workers and I can confidently say this agreement provides both material and language improvements that will have a lasting impact on our livelihoods,” said Kelly Smith, a 33-year Rhode Island Hospital Teamster and steward. “Teamsters set the standard in the health care industry, and we are proud to be a part of it.”
Teamsters Local 251 represents over 6,200 workers in a wide variety of industries throughout Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. For more information, go to teamsters251.org.
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3,000 LAUSD Teamsters Overwhelmingly Ratify Contract
(LOS ANGELES) – School administrators at the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) have overwhelmingly ratified a new agreement. These workers are members of the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA), which affiliated with Teamsters Local 2010 in 2024.
“This contract is the result of our members standing together and exercising their collective power,” said Maria Nichols, President of AALA. “The administrators stood shoulder to shoulder with our union siblings and forced LAUSD to deliver real change. This victory belongs to the members who organized, took action, and refused to settle for less.”
The two-year agreement delivers a 12.15 percent improvement in compounded and retroactive wage increases, increased worker protections, and longevity bonuses. The agreement also includes an annual $5,000 stipend for principals assigned to a priority school and principals assigned to a single-administrator school of 275 or more students.
“By joining forces with Local 2010 and standing ready to take unprecedented strike action, LAUSD school administrators changed the equation for the whole district,” said Jason Rabinowitz, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 2010. “This wasn’t just about one contract — it was about building power and showing what’s possible when every part of the school system stands united.”
Teamsters Local 2010 represents 27,000 workers in California education at University of California, California State University, and Los Angeles Unified School District. For more information, visit teamsters2010.org.
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