Teamster Times Summer 2019

Unions Not Corporations OR Politicians

Stand for Worker Freedom!

Freedom is one of our most cher-ished principles. However, freedom means more than the ability to speak your mind, practice your reli-gion, or choose your own demo-cratically elected leaders. Freedom is also the ability to enjoy economic security and stability and that means more than making a decent living and having enough to pay the bills. It’s about both financially sup-porting our families and having time to be there for them. Freedom is Healthcare and Retirement with dig-nity. Unions provide the power in numbers that allow workers to se-cure and protect these freedoms.

Support your Local Union, in doing so you are supporting your family and your livelihood!

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

As we pass the one-year anniversary of the Janus vs AFSCME decision, I

reflect upon the impact it has had on our local as well as the Public Sec-

tor in its entirety. While this politically motivated and wrongly decided

case needs to be overturned by the Supreme Court in the future, our

Public Sector members have done a great job in the face of this adversity

by engaging co-workers about the benefits of union membership and

have continued to stand strong.

Public sector members have made it their career to serve their country

and community, and any attempt to take away their freedom to join to-

gether is an attack on those who are the foundation of America.

Our middle class was built by everyday working people, standing togeth-

er in union. The Teamsters honor that history by continuing the fight to

give working people the promise of the American dream.

That won’t end with the Janus decision. The Teamsters will continue to

organize, mobilize, and do whatever is necessary to achieve prosperity

through collective action.

Despite the Janus decision, we are continuing to move our Local forward.

We will be meeting with our Shop Stewards striving to educate each oth-

er on the importance of orientation. Our goal is to have in each of our

Collective Bargaining Agreements an “Orientation Meeting” to welcome

our newest members. Communication amongst the members is para-

mount for unity in the work place.

We are looking for a positive turn-out for our upcoming meetings: Sat-

urday, September 14th and Saturday, October 19th. You don’t need to be

a Shop Steward; all members are welcome to attend. Forewarned, fore-

armed; to be prepared is half the victory!

Selecting the Union’s Bargaining Team We have several Collective Bargaining Agreements coming into contract negoti-ation before the end of the year. It is important to get way ahead of the situation before negotiations begin

and the process arrives at a ratification. There’s no “one size fits all” for bargaining committees, since the size and makeup of each workplace is different. Bar-gaining a contract requires a tremendous amount of time and effort, in both face-to-face negotiations and in each side doing separate preparation and research. Teams need to be small enough to get the work done efficiently. But it also makes sense for a union bar-gaining team to be large enough to include people with a close understanding of the needs of the various types of people in the bargaining unit. Whether the differences are those of day and night workers, skilled and unskilled, male and female, different races or cul-tural groups, or anything else, the union needs some way of making sure that the bargaining team can speak forcefully and accurately for all members.

On Saturday, July 13, 2019 our

membership and their families

gather at Morey’s Pier in Wildwood

for our annual Beach BBQ

Larry “Rocky” Gibbs ~ Construction Division Diane Dalton ~ Atlantic County Clerk

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

(VA) launched its new and improved Vet-

erans Community Care Program on June

6, 2019, implementing portions of the

VA Maintaining Internal Systems and

Strengthening Integrated Outside Net-

works Act of 2018 (MISSION Act), which

both ends the Veterans Choice Program

and establishes a new Veterans Commu-

n i t y C a r e P r o g r a m .

The MISSION Act will strengthen the nationwide VA Health Care System

by empowering Veterans with more health care options.

“The changes not only improve our ability to provide the health care

Veterans need, but also when and where they need it,” said VA Secretary

Robert Wilkie. “It will also put Veterans at the center of their care and

offer options, including expanded telehealth and urgent care, so they

can find the balance in the system that is right for them.”

Under the new Veterans Community Care Program, Veterans can work

with their VA health care provider or other VA staff to see if they are eli-

gible to receive community care based on new criteria. Eligibility for

community care does not require a Veteran to receive that care in the

community; Veterans can still choose to have VA provide their care.

For more information: https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/61286/va-

launches-new-health-care-options-mission-act/

Larry “Rocky” Gibbs ~ Construction Division

Diane Dalton ~ Atlantic County Clerk

https://missionact.va.gov/https://missionact.va.gov/https://missionact.va.gov/https://missionact.va.gov/

It is never too early to start planning for retirement, Arbor Group

is familiar with Teamsters Benefits Program to help you navigate

through any confusion on your journey to retirement!

ACC OF NJ: William Emmell

ATLANTIC COUNTY: Danny Santiago, Jon

Moore, Neil Marzano, Todd Schenk, Kaitlyn

Doyle, Danielle Upton, Diana Pineda, Trevor

Edwards, Riti Chakraborty, Karla Rosado

BARRETT ASPALT: William Woodson, Peter

Mele, MichaelMartin, Christopher Quigley, An

tonio Cartegena, William Morales, Arlyn Mat

thews, Shaun Winn

BRIGANTINE: Ryan Solari

CAESAR’S: Nelson Velez, Michael Chicas, Nydia Vega, Yesenia

Agustin-Santos

CAPE MAY COUNTY-MUA: Bryan Troup, Reynaldo Laws, Ryan

Adams

CITY OF ATLANTIC CITY: Joseph Rothenberger, Terrance

Jones, Nashid Salaam, Curtis Hicks

CRDA: Damon Ramos, Georgie-Ann Tyson, Joaquin Hernandez-

Lucero, Daniel Gilford, Alvin Wyatt, Ronda Lampkin, Flalim Fisher,

Asmar Williams, Daniel Jones, Naim Muniir

COCA-COLA: Silvio DePena, Thomas Matthews, Van Jones II, Mi-

chael Annicchiarico, Jr.

COMMUNITY HAVEN: John Marmolejo, Demitrius Wright

INTEGRITY NATIONAL CORP.: Bao Tran, Rafael Portillo

JCAU: Barbara Connelly, Taylor Bates, Cynithia Barberio

KRAMER BEVERAGE: Chris Massey, Ryan Hullihen, Deborah

Lloyd, Brian Doughty, William Cree, Frank Wescott, John DiFilippo,

William Daughty, Dominic Moody, David Fonville, Kyle Wiggins,

Matthew Holland, Patrick Haar, Cameron Garcia, Nathan Bell, Car-

los Archo, Jr. Jamar Hardison, Alex Rodriguez, Sean Quick, Joshua

Garrison,Mike Ricci, Garrett Woods, DeLeon Floyd, Jr., Justin No-

lan, Michael Ferreira, Bryant Thornton, George Gibbs

PODS: Eric Ramos, Larry White

SMG WILDWOOD: Tamecka Thweatt, Hilton Aggie, James Keto

TROPICANA: Nannette Werner, Britni Morgan

UPS: John Yugovich, Tyree Pesce, Matthew Gaskill, Domenic Bar-

bella

Jim Boggs—Liberty Coca Cola

Shop Steward Corner

OFFICERS & STAFF

Marcus King, President

mking@teamsters331.org

Abimael Ortiz, Secretary-Treasurer

aortiz@teamsters331.org

Kent McFarland, Vice President

info@teamsters331.org

Icy Murphy, Recording Secretary

info@teamsters331.org

TRUSTEES

Keith Adams, Business Agent - Trustee

kadams@teamsters331.org

John “Dan” Showell, Trustee

Steve Dalbow, Trustee

Lisa Costanzo, Office Administrator

lcostanzo@teamsters331.org

Mary Zippel, Benefits

mzippel@teamsters331.org

609-485-0837

Jeanne Williams, Secretary & Media

Jwilliams@teamsters331.org

WITHDRAW CARD

If you are laid-off,

terminated or quit

your employment,

get a withdraw card.

This will save you

from paying all back

dues!

CALL LISA!

Teamsters Local 331

1 Philadelphia Ave.

Egg Harbor City, NJ

08215

Phone: 609-641-2331

Fax: 609-641-2740

Email:

info@Teamsters331.org

Facebook:

Teamsters Local 331