Vol. 80 – No. 2 ® 9 June 1, 2020 The fight to protect your West- other well-funded plans across will hurt your pension if enact- plan trustees to “refinance” their Supporters of this terrible leg- ern Conference of Teamsters the country---as the GROW lan- ed. You’ve worked too long and obligations to workers and re- islation claim that transitioning pension, for both active working guage was buried in the middle too hard to have your pension tirees in the existing pension to a composite plan is voluntary. Teamsters and collecting retir- of a 2,000 page bill. credits sucked away to bail out plan over 25 years instead of 15 Composite plans are anything ees, has been raging in Team- Congresspersons in JC 42 poor pension plans. You can years, so they can divert money but voluntary. They undermine sters Joint Council 42 for the last know Teamster representatives, also mention you want your rep- to create a new composite pen- multiemployer defined-benefit two months. and they know them well. Each resentative to let House Speaker sion plan. This weakens the ex- pension plans by shifting risk Each of 23 JC 42-affiliated Local Union political coordinator Pelosi know your position, too. isting plan and leaves neither from the plan sponsor (employ- Local Unions has at least one year round keeps contact with It’s as simple as that, Cammack, plan—the existing plan, nor the er) to the worker, thereby creat- political coordinator, plus a chief congressional offices. So, access Whitmer and Mack said. Emails composite plan—with enough ing an incentive for employers executive officer who jointly pur- and communication are good. and phone calls to congression- money to pay promised bene- to flee defined-benefit plans. If sue legislative issues to benefit After contact, in most cases the al offices will do the trick. fits. GROW succeeds, it guarantees it workers in general and Team- Democrat congressional reps This legislation is still pending The current public health will be an issue in every nego- sters in particular. They have put in writing their opposition to and everyone should keep the and economic crisis illustrates tiation where unions currently been putting in overtime to fight GROW as the Heroes Act moves interest and pressure on. the harm the GROW Act would have defined-benefit plans and a threat to Teamster pensions--- on for amendments. And most Following is the position of inflict on Americans. If Con- result in a race to the bottom. the ill-named Give Retirement reached out to House Speaker your Union pension trustees gress had already passed the The more than one million Options to Workers Act (GROW). Nancy Pelosi advising of their which was distributed nation- GROW Act and it was law now, Teamsters who are essential The GROW language was in- opposition to the GROW inclu- ally the week of the Heroes workers in a previously healthy workers risking their health to serted in last month’s Heroes sion, at our Teamster represent- Act vote. It explains in detail multiemployer pension plan continue going to work amid Act legislation that passed in atives’ request. the dangers to our pensions: that converted to a composite the pandemic deserve to retire the U.S. Congress. Prior to that Now, according to JC 42 Pres- Twelve unions, representing plan would face draconian ben- with dignity and financial secu- vote, JC 42’s political coordina- ident Randy Cammack, JC 42 the majority of private-sector efit cuts. The benefits compos- rity. tors repeatedly contacted every Political Screening Committee union members, including the ite plan participants expected We urge Speaker Pelosi and Democratic congressperson in Chairman Ray Whitmer of Local International Brotherhood of they would earn would be cut House Democrats and our U.S. southern California, Hawaii and 911, and Chuck Mack, Union Teamsters, oppose the GROW 70%, and the vested benefits Senators from California, Hawaii southern Nevada urging the re- chairman of the Western Con- Act. So why have the House they already earned would be and Nevada to listen to the ma- moval of GROW from legislation. ference pension fund, it’s time Democrats included it in their cut 25%. At the same time, the jority of the labor movement to When contacted, most of the for rank-and-filers and retirees latest coronavirus relief bill? vested benefits of workers in the say No to GROW and No to un- congressional representatives to step up. The GROW Act hurts workers, existing plan would be cut 21%. dermining the pension benefits had no or little knowledge of Each Teamster should reach retirees, employers, and the To avoid benefit cuts, employers of 600,000 members and retir- GROW---technically a compos- out to their congressperson and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. would be required to increase ees. ite plan which would under- U.S. Senator and send a simple and should not become law. contributions by approximately ---the Union trustees of the mine the Western Conference message---you want them to The GROW Act is deeply flawed 82%—above and beyond what Western Conference of Team- of Teamsters pension plan and oppose the GROW Act. The Act because it allows multiemployer they already committed. sters pension trust. CHRB MEMBER Governor Appoints Castellanos California Governor Gavin cludes off-track betting as the area), and county fair meets Newsom has appointed the CHRB coordinates with other including the State Fair, Pleas- president of Teamsters Local states’ racing boards. anton, Santa Rosa, Ferndale 495, Damascus Castellanos, The industry is highly un- and Fresno. to the prestigious California ionized in California. And Lo- When you go to a race track, Horse Racing Board. cal 495 holds the jurisdiction many of the people you see The seven member Board, and represents a wide array of making the racing day work known as the CHRB, regu- track workers at golden state are Teamsters. They include lates all state horse racing tracks. Among them are Santa Local 495-represented start- and pari-mutuel betting at Anita, Del Mar, Los Alamitos, ers and assistant starters, licensed race tracks. This in- Golden Gate Fields (in the Bay continued page 2 CHAIRMAN’SBy Lou Villalvazo REPORT So. Cal.Secretary-Treasurer Food Contract Talks Preview By Lou Villalvazo families are safe and well as we are stepping off into bargaining live and work through this dev- a successor contract with the (ed: Earlier this year Villalvazo astating COVID-19 pandemic. southern California food em- was elected by leadership of Our thoughts and prayers are of- ployers covering our work. food-related Local Unions in fered to the loved ones of all our Representatives and stewards Teamsters Joint Council 42 as Local Unions who have suffered from Locals 63, 166, 495, 572, the chairman of both the coun- a terrible loss. I want to thank 630, 848 and 952 will be in- cil’s Southwest Food Council all of you for providing the great volved in the negotiations. and upcoming food contract “essential” Teamster service ben- Months ago we began our renewal negotiations) efiting the community since the journey with several meetings Brother and sisters laboring outset. and conversations with your Lo- in the Teamster food industry, As you probably know, seven cal Union principal officers and first off, I hope you and your of our Teamster Local Unions continued page 3 008753 SCT 6/2020_12pgs.indd 1 5/26/20 9:59 AM JUNE 9 SO. NEVADA TEAMSTER The Southern California Teamster (ISSN 0038-3953) ELECTION ENDORSEMENTS is published quarterly February, June, August and U.S. CONGRESS Dist. 35 - Michelle Dept.17 – Michael Pasquale October by Teamsters Joint Council 42: 981 District 1 - Dina Titus Gorelow Villani Corporate Center Dr., Ste. 200, Pomona, CA 91768. District 3 - Susie Lee Dist. 37 - Shea Backus Dept.18 – John A. Hunt Two dollars of membership dues goes towards a District 4 - Steven Horsford Dist. 41 - Sandra Jauregui Dept.19 – William David subscription to the Southern California Teamster Dist. 42 - Alexander Assefa Kephart for one year. Periodicals postage paid at Covina, CA STATE SENATE STATE UNIVERSITY REGENT Dept. 20 – L. Eric Johnson and at additional mailing offices. Dist. 1 - Pat Spearman Dist. 10 - Andrew Diss Dept. 21 – Bruce L. Gale & POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Southern Dist. 3 - Chris Brooks Caesar Almase California Teamster, 981 Corporate Center Dr., Ste. Dist. 4 - Dina Neil STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION Dept. 22 – Susan Holland 200, Pomona, CA 91768. Dist. 5 - Kristee Watson Dist. 1 - Timothy Hughes Johnson Please address all communications to: Dist. 6 - Nicole Cannizzaro Dist. 2 - Katie Coombs Dept. 23 – Karl Wesley Editor: Paul Mihalow Dist. 7 - Richard Carrillo & Armstrong Email: [email protected] Roberta Lange CLARK COUNTY Dept. 27 – Nancy Lee Allf News service by Press Associates, Inc. (PAI). Dist. 11 - Dallas Harris Commission Dist. A - Dept. 28 – Ronald J. Israel Dist. 15 - Wendy Jauregui-Jack- Michael Naft Dept. 29 – David Michael Jones ins Commission Dist. B - Dept. 30 – Jerry A. Wiese, II Governor Appoints Castellanos Dist. 18 - Liz Becker Marilyn Kirkpatrick Dept. 31 – Joanna S. Kishner Continues from front page Commission Dist. C - Ross Miller Dept. 32 – Rob W. Bare clockers, outriders, parking more respect than Damascus, STATE ASSEMBLY Commission Dist. D - and stable gate attendants, from the members through Dist. 1 - Danielle Moises Denis & Judgeships, Family Division security, water truck drivers, top corporate officers and Monroe-Moreno William McCurdy II Dept. A – William Oaks Voy hay and straw removal, gar- track operators.” Dist. 2 - Jennie Sherwood School Trustee Dist. A - Dept. E – Charles Joseph Hoskin deners, and security at satel- Castellanos said the recent Dist. 3 - Selena Torres Lisa Guzman Dept.