LOS ANGELES — Drivers, production workers and equipment and maintenance mechanics at Alta Dena Dairy in City of Industry, Calif. ratified their first contract since joining Teamsters Locals 630 & 166 in Southern California in September 2011 through card recognition.
The contract was a result of more than nine months of negotiations between union representatives and the company. Alta Dena Dairy, a Dean Foods subsidiary, had been a non-union facility for more than 60 years until the workers exercised their right to representation on the job.
"Perseverance and teamwork with the network of Teamster locals across Southern California Joint Council 42 Dairy Council led to this victory," said Michael Bergen, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 166. "Without the support of the leadership of the Joint Council, these workers would have never received the justice on the job they deserve."
The five-year contract includes wages near the top of the dairy industry with increases totaling $2.35 over the term of the agreement. The workers will also be enrolled in the Western Conference of Teamsters Pension fund, receive paid sick leave, holiday pay, a seniority structure and strong grievance and arbitration procedures.
"When I heard about all the gains we would receive in this agreement, the only question I had was 'Where do I vote 'Yes'?" said Alta Dena Dairy worker Carlos Moran.
When the Alta Dena Dairy workers joined the Teamsters last year, facility became the last of the Dean Foods locations in Southern California and Southern Nevada to become union shops. The Teamsters Union represents more than 550 workers at Dean Foods companies throughout the region.
"There has been a core group of workers who have never given up and have finally reached their goal," said Randy Korgan, Teamsters Union International Trustee. "It's great to see more than a decade of hard work from multiple locals came together to strengthen our union and the dairy industry of Southern California."
Source: Teamsters Locals 630 & 166