Teamsters Gear Up To Fight Proposition 32

In an historic event, over 800 Teamsters travel an area larger than 41 states to attend campaign kickoff

On Saturday, July 28th, over 800 Teamsters gathered at the Pleasanton Fairgrounds to kick off a massive member mobilization against Proposition 32, the “Special Exemptions Act.”  Teamsters came from as far away as Redding to Bakersfield, Salinas to Visalia – an area roughly larger than 41 states. View more photos from the event, here.

Attendees learned how Prop. 32, an initiative on this November’s ballot, is very misleading.  The initiative says it will remove “special interest money” from politics, when actually it is riddled with exemptions for corporations and Super PACs.  Prop. 32 doesn’t reform the broken system, it actually makes it worse by allowing unlimited corporate spending.  Furthermore, Prop. 32 will eliminate the voices of working families and unions in the political process.

“Prop. 32 threatens our ability to fight for our wages, our benefits, and our future,” said Joint Council 7 President Rome Aloise. “This initiative doesn’t fix anything, it’s an attack against unions.”

Other speakers included State Superintendent of Instruction Tom Torlakson, a former teacher and ally of working families throughout his time in local government, the legislature, and statewide office. Art Pulaski, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the California Labor Federation, rounded out the program with a call to arms.

“Prop. 32 is the first of a one-two punch,” said Pulaski.  “The corporate interests behind Prop. 32 want to take us out of politics.  Then they can go after our wages, our pensions, our healthcare benefits, and our right to collectively bargain.  If Prop. 32 passes, we won’t be able to fight back.”

Teamsters left armed with voter registration cards.  Joint Council 7, which includes over 100,000 members in the Central Valley and Northern California, has already registered over 2,600 members to vote.  Joint Council 42, which includes over 125,000 members in Southern California, has registered over 7,800.  Teamsters are blitzing work sites throughout the state in an enormous member education and mobilization program.