Local 208 in L.A., Grandfather local in the west formed in 1904, was my first union in 1972. 208 Hiring Hall jobs in Montebello on Bluff Rd, handling local freight driver dispatches, guided by the NMFA provisions and the Western supplement. The contract provided a dispatched driver the 8 hour guarantee w/ top pay per hour, pension contributions for each hour equal to all drivers, on job protections and conditions w/ each barn having shop stewards oversight, guaranteed payment w/in 24 hours for each day, with the right to penalty of 8 hours pay for each day late through the grievance process, the right to refuse crossing a picket line, and much more. Our local union had a militant history confronting the L.A. business powers throughout the 30s, 40s, 50s, as a member driven union in the tradition of the Teamsters, strengthened by the powerful leadership of Mr. James R. Hoffa, the strike tool, and organizing successes. My father, Robert "Bobby" Lopez, entered the Teamsters as a disabled WWII veteran, driving/delivery of meat in the 50s, driver and steward at Western Carloading in Commerce, Calif., and later becoming the Hiring Hall dispatcher that formalized the rotation dispatch and request system for daily hires, which garnered full time jobs for so many local veterans, and a diverse membership (Teamsters maintained equality rights before & after the civil rights era). The NMFA & supplement provisions provided for the 12 day clause (if hired daily as a supplemental driver for 12 or more days, the specific driver was hired, without a probationary period, with seniority determined on the first day of dispatch), and, other hiring provisions to force the companies to hire full time drivers. These basic provisions lifted and empowered our union industry, my interests in a college education and the time to attend school, was enhanced by the opportunity of a hiring hall, daily work, equal pay, pension, and on the job protection. In short, after fulfilling my annual contribution hours and age over 30 years, early retirement at 56 yrs young was my reality, full retirement thanks to a Teamster union & contract. Working class power.
On the anniversary of the Teamsters being founded 121 years ago today, our union wanted to take this opportunity to hear from the millions of Teamsters and their families whose lives have been positively shaped by the Teamsters.
Comment below to share your Teamsters story!
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