Local 727 Executive Board Elected to New Term
Teamsters Local 727 Executive Board (from left): Vice President Darryl Poelinitz, Trustee Jose Delgado, President Curt Ziedrich, Secretary-Treasurer John Coli, Jr., Trustee Patrice Jefferson, Trustee Anthony Wendel, and Recording Secretary William Coli.
On Sunday, November 3, 2019, the Executive Board of Teamsters Local 727 was elected to a new three-year term by an enthusiastic gathering of the Local 727 membership.
The Unity Slate, under the leadership of Secretary-Treasurer John Coli, Jr. and comprised of all current Local 727 Executive Board members, ran without opposition and won re-election by acclamation.
John Coli, Jr. remains Local 727’s Secretary-Treasurer and principal officer. He has been a member of Teamsters Local 727 for over twenty years, serving first as President of the Union for seven years before being appointed to the position of Secretary-Treasurer in 2017. Secretary-Treasurer Coli is also the Chairman of the Teamsters Local 727 Benefit Funds, including the Teamsters Local Union No. 727 Health and Welfare Fund, the Teamsters Local Union No. 727 Pension Fund, and the Teamsters Local Union No. 727 Legal and Educational Assistance Fund, the Soft Drink Industry Pension Fund, and the Teamsters Local 727 Trade Show 401(k) Plan, as well as a member of the Illinois AFL-CIO Executive Board, the Parking Industry Labor Management Committee, and the Illinois Bar.
Local 727 President Curt Ziedrich, Vice President Darryl Poelinitz, Recording Secretary Bill Coli, and Trustees Tony Wendel, Patrice Jefferson, and Jose Delgado will also retain their positions.
Thanks to Secretary-Treasurer Coli’s renewed focus on organizing, Local 727’s membership has grown steadily under the Executive Board’s leadership. In the past two years alone, the Union has organized seven new bargaining units, welcoming nearly 300 workers to the Local 727 family.
In addition to fighting for fair first contracts for the Union’s newest members, Secretary-Treasurer Coli has diligently worked to strengthen and enforce the collective bargaining agreements covering all Local 727 members. No matter the challenge posed by corporate giants like Keurig Dr Pepper or Coca-Cola, regardless of the bad faith tactics utilized by employers like Standard Parking or MV Transportation, the Executive Board has stood behind Local 727 members at the negotiating table, on the ULP strike line, and throughout the grievance and arbitration process until fair treatment and justice were secured.
“As our Union continues to grow, so too does our power to negotiate and enforce the contracts of each and every one of our hardworking Local 727 Brothers and Sisters,” said Secretary-Treasurer Coli. “There is no better way to protect workers than to ensure they have a fair contract and a strong Union backing them up.”
The Local 727 Benefit Funds have also prospered under the careful watch of the Funds Trustees, including Secretary-Treasurer Coli. Because of the financial success and stability of the Teamsters Local Union No. 727 Pension Plan, the Union was successfully able to negotiate the merger of the Local 727 Pension Plan and the Chicago Newspaper Publishers Drivers Union Pension Fund, thereby saving the pensions of approximately 850 participants, including the pensions of Local 727-represented Chicago Tribune delivery drivers.
“Our Executive Board officers have worked hard to support, protect, and improve the lives of the members of our great Union. We have dedicated ourselves to the fight for fairness, equality, and respect for all workers,” said Coli. “I am humbled by the unity of our membership and grateful for their continued trust and support.”
The Executive Board will be officially sworn in during the Union’s December general membership meeting on Sunday, December 15. The Local 727 Executive Board’s new three-year term will begin on January 1, 2020.
“While there may be challenges and fights ahead, together we have the power to overcome all obstacles,” added Secretary-Treasurer Coli. “The Local 727 Executive Board, business agents, and staff remain committed to providing our Local 727 Brothers and Sisters with the exceptional representation, unparalleled assistance, and unwavering support that they deserve.”
Teamsters Local 727 represents over 10,000 hardworking men and women throughout the Chicago area.
Nothing in this article should be read as the union’s waiver of any legal argument, position or grievance(s), or as a waiver of any rights, arguments, or defenses under any contract, collective bargaining agreement, or applicable law. The union does not forfeit its right to make any and all supplemental arguments.
Category: Union News
