Experience: 9 year Teamster rank and file; 5 years as a Business Agent, 4 years as a principal officer for Teamsters Local 912 before merging with Teamsters Local 853.

Successfully Negotiated contracts in many industries, including warehousing, bottling, Ready-mix, package delivery, and healthcare.

Message from Steven: Why I do the work: After high school, I wanted to make a little money before I went off to San Francisco State for my business degree. I ended up working for a company called Cal Pacific, where there was no union, and the pay was minimum wage. I didn’t know any better because I was just there to make money, and I was happy to have a job. During that summer, I learned that hard and strenuous work doesn’t always pay so well. Everyone worked so hard, yet we only received minimum wage and no benefits such as healthcare or retirement. The work was all contracted through a hiring agency, so there was really no one to raise any concerns to other than the company itself, and their answer was always, "if you don’t like it, there’s the door." A few years later, I had the opportunity to intern with Teamsters Local 912 and help out with putting contracts together and helping out members in the office. My mom had worked for Teamsters 912 for about 12 years at that point, and she was always so good at attending to the member's needs in the office. I saw how appreciative they were to have someone to rely on for the small and big issues in the workplace. I quickly realized that this is what was missing at Cal Pacific. A voice and a fight to show the employer that these hard-working individuals deserved more than a finger pointed towards the door. They deserved respect, benefits, and a living wage.

I became passionate about this work and was asked by the Principal officer to stay on as he saw that I was able to understand the fight and capitalize for the needs of our members. I never stopped, and I took this battle to the companies each day.  From historic wage increases to winning the least favorable grievances, I knew that each win was a step in the right direction to give our members what they deserve. Today I get the opportunity to work alongside talented individuals at Local 853 and other locals in the area and not only learn from them but also share the knowledge I have gained through successful battles alongside the members who show up each day to fight. The Members Rising slate is the epitome of what it means to fight and win. This slate is backed by some of the hardest working individuals that I am proud to call my brothers and sisters. To have the support of the agents and members of the local is a blessing, and I will not stop fighting alongside them and for them until we all get exactly what we deserve.