News & Publications

On Wednesday, November 22, Teamsters 856 members at the Le Méridien hotel, now known as The Jay, in San Francisco ratified their first union contract in bargaining unit history.

Following the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) decision to halt the autonomous vehicle company Cruise’s robotaxi permit in San Francisco, California Teamsters are calling on CPUC Commissioner John Reynolds to resign.

Mobile collections workers at American Red Cross in Oakland have voted unanimously to join Teamsters Local 856. Oakland Red Cross workers join fixed collections workers in Newark and Pleasanton who became members of Local 856 two weeks prior.

The following statement is from Peter Finn, Teamsters Western Region International Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 856:

The 2023 Teamsters Women’s Conference kicked off on Monday, August 28, setting the stage for a vibrant celebration of unity, empowerment, and progress. With over 1,500 Teamster women in attendance, this year’s conference was the largest in our history. “I couldn’t be prouder of our Teamsters 856 members who represented our local at the TeamstersRead More >

On Friday, July 28, Mount Diablo Unified School District (MDUSD) Teamsters ratified a new contract closing months of intense negotiations.

It was standing room only at the Dent Center as over 110 Mount Diablo Unified School District Teamsters packed the school board meeting on Wednesday, May 10, demanding board members invest in our students and provide a fair contract for classified workers. 

For the second week, Crowne Plaza SFO Teamsters 856 members, accompanied by Scabby the Rat and dozens of Bay Area union members, rallied on Thursday, May 5, to protest and picket at the Crowne Plaza SFO hotel calling on the company to do the right thing and negotiate a fair contract.

On Monday, January 30, Local 856 members joined hundreds of fellow Teamsters and lawmakers at the State Capitol to highlight the introduction of Teamster-sponsored legislation that would require human operators to be present in autonomous vehicles (AVs) weighing over 10,000 pounds. “Here’s the bottom line: big corporations are trying to implement autonomous vehicles for oneRead More >

Dozens of union members and elected officials joined the Crowne Plaza SFO Teamsters Local 856 members on Thursday, November 17, for an informational leaflet in front of the hotel demanding a fair contract and calling for hotel ownership to bargain in good faith.  Special thanks to CA State Senator Josh Becker, Burlingame Councilmember Emily Beach,Read More >

Members of Local 856 joined hundreds of Teamsters from across the country for the 45th Annual Teamsters National Black Caucus (TNBC) Educational Conference in New Orleans, last August. “It felt like home,” said Barry Deandre Anderson, Shop Steward, Sunsweet. “I am an activist in, and out of work, so it was great to get involved andRead More >

Statement from Peter Finn, Teamster Food Processing Division Director and Teamsters Local 856 Secretary-Treasurer on the passing of SB 490 – The Buy American Food Act: “The Teamsters Food Processing Division thanks Governor Gavin Newsom for signing SB 490 to strengthen Buy American requirements for school meals. Once again, California leads the nation and isRead More >

May is Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, also knows as Asian Pacific American Month, when we celebrate the incredible history, culture, and accomplishments of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. The AAPI community has had and profound impact on the Labor Movement and the fight for justice. We’re taking a look atRead More >

(Brentwood, Calif.) — Nearly 500 Brentwood Union School District employees have overwhelmingly chosen to join Teamsters Local 856. The employees, who are a part of the Classified Liaison Committee, formalized the affiliation on Tuesday after a card victory driven by the need for more robust representation. “We have had a lot of changes at theRead More >

The Executive Board of Teamsters Joint Council 7 has unanimously named Peter Finn as President, effective February 1, 2024. Jeff Berdion will remain as Vice President and has been appointed to the Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Fund. John Bouchard will now serve as Secretary-Treasurer and Don E. Garcia as Recording Secretary. Tony Delorio andRead More >

(SAN FRANCISCO) — The San Francisco Municipal Attorneys Association (MAA) formally affiliated with 20,000-member Teamsters Local 856 this week. The association comprises 500 deputy district attorneys, deputy public defenders, and city attorneys serving the citizens of San Francisco. The new members join Teamsters 856-represented public attorneys throughout Northern California, including in Alameda, Sonoma, Marin, andRead More >

The following is a statement from Peter Finn, Teamsters Western Region International Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 856, regarding a forthcoming report by law firm Quinn Emanuel on the General Motors (GM) autonomous vehicle (AV) subsidiary Cruise. Cruise hired Quinn Emanuel to conduct an internal investigation after the California Dept. of Motor Vehicles (DMV) revoked Cruise’s permits for allegedly lying to regulators about an incident where a woman was hospitalized after one of its robotaxis ran her over and dragged her for 20 feet.