Cannery Council Delegates Prepare for 2003 Negotiations

Cannery Council Delegates Prepare for 2003 Negotiations

December 26, 2002

Approximately 50 delegates to the Teamsters California State Cannery Council gathered in November for a series of seminars and workshops on labor issues affecting workers in the cannery industry. There are 34,000 Teamster workers in the state’s cannery industry, and the delegates who attended included principal officers, business agents and stewards from the California locals who represent those workers.

“We cover a broad range from north to south in the cannery industry,” said Ralph Ramirez, president of the council.

Ramirez said the council had not held this type of seminar in a few years, but the council wanted to make sure everyone had as much information as possible as the Teamsters prepare for major contract negotiations coming up next year.

“We have had excellent in-services this time,” said Sharon Mosley, a business agent from Local 748 in Modesto, California. Mosley said this was approximately the tenth of these seminars she has attended. “It was one of the best I’ve ever been to. There was a lot of interaction between the participants and the speakers, and a lot of questions answered.”

Workshop topics ranged from Investigating Grievances to Skills Training in the Workplace. Ramirez said one of the most valuable and informative aspects of the seminar is the fact that it covers such a wide variety of labor issues. He said there were even representatives from the Department of Labor and CAL-OSHA who came to talk to the group.

“From health and welfare to the contract negotiations coming up in 2003, this seminar has covered some important issues,” Ramirez said. “It’s been a good experience for everyone.”