Local 853 members attended the 2009 Annual Membership Appreciation Meeting for a variety of reasons; gifts, prizes, a place to hang with co-workers and old friends and an opportunity to hear Secretary-Treasurer Rome Aloise’s annual State of the Union address.

Following are highlights from Rome’s speech (video can be seen on YouTube and Google Videos):

Membership appreciation & diversity: “Our Local has a very diverse membership . . . The different jobs and the different ethnic qualities and the diversity of our Local is what makes us strong . . . that’s what makes us Teamsters Local 853 and that’s why our membership should appreciate each other.”

“This Local is known throughout the country.”

Obama: “President Obama has done some good things for us.”

Employee Free Choice Act: “That’s what unions wanted, that’s what Obama promised us he would get passed through the Congress. We’re still waiting.”

“Getting the EFCA passed is urgent for us to protect your jobs. It’s very, very important.”

Health care reform: “It isn’t what I thought it would be. It’s not going to be what I thought it should be. But any health care reform is better than none.” “Our plan is the best in the country.”

“Some of these Republicans want to tax “Cadillac” health plans, they’re talking about the plans that the majority of you are covered under. They’re talking about Union plans. It’s a veiled threat against Unions.”

Pension reform: “We have the biggest pension plan in the nation, in the Western Conference of Teamsters, and probably one of the most secure.”

“Without pension reform, major league pension reform, we’re all going to be working until we die . . . its important that we get this legislation passed and its important we participate in it.”
Local 853 contracts: “We’ve settled every contract this year without a strike.”

“Every contract we’ve been into, the employer wants relief . . . its just using the economy to take advantage of the worker.”

“We’ve been lucky enough to get through this round of negotiations without having any strikes . . . that’s because we have great shop stewards that keep their fingers on the pulse; we have great members that will listen when its time to listen and do what we need.”

“Because our members follow our lead, because we have cohesive leadership in this Local, because our Business Agents care about what goes on and because our shop stewards work hard and because you guys follow that lead, we’ve been through it, we’ve gotten through it, we’ll continue to get through it.”

National recognition: “Our Local is simply one of the most prominent in the country . . . because of you . . . We get things done lots of locals can’t get done . . . that’s because of you, the membership.”

Fundraising: “We were the highest fundraiser for the Teamster Assistance Program . . . for the sixth or seventh year in a row.”

“We raised $45,000 for Multiple Sclerosis.”

Organizing: “You are the best organizers . . . There’s nothing more valuable than a member talking to a member.”

Mentoring new members: “Whatever you’re getting here is because . . . the union members here fought for it . . . it wasn’t out of the goodness of the company’s heart that we got this, it was because of the Union.”

“ . . . The employers know that you’ll fight if you need to fight, you’ll stick together when you need to stick together.”

The future: “It’s going to be another couple of years before the work economy picks up here . . . we’re going to have to fight and we better be ready for it. So, its time to close ranks.”