Local 727 Records Another Banner Year for Growth, Bargaining
President John Coli Jr. Delivers Annual State of the Union Address
With 49 ratified collective bargaining agreements, several new bargaining units and increased membership, 2015 was another successful and busy year for Teamsters Local 727.
“What a year it’s been,” Local 727 President John Coli Jr. said in his annual State of the Union address during the general membership meeting on Dec. 20. “We continue to grow — in numbers and in strength — and our union is stronger than ever.”
New bargaining units in the hotel and paratransit industries and the transfer of more than 2,000 beverage industry workers resulted in Local 727’s average membership ballooning to nearly 9,500. This marks the local union’s eighth straight year of continuous membership growth.
In order to serve the expanding membership, Local 727 hired two new business representatives, Aisha Hurston and Chris Owoyemi, who are both attorneys.
“Our staff is well educated, and more importantly, they are incredibly hard workers who fight for our members,” Coli said.
Coli applauded the local union staff’s ability to leap into action when earlier this month Coca-Cola Refreshments workers in Niles and Alsip were forced to strike over unfair labor practices.
“The members are standing together and staying strong, and our business agents and this local union have been with them every step of the way,” Coli said.
It also was another hugely successful year for the Teamsters Local 727 Benefit Funds. The Pension Fund’s funding ratio reached 104 percent on March 1, and for the 20th straight year, the Fund’s Board of Trustees distributed an extra payment check to pensioners. The Educational Assistance Board of Trustees also distributed a record $3 million in tuition reimbursement to participants.
Teamsters Local 727 is an affiliate of Teamsters Joint Council 25, America’s premier labor union for Illinois, Chicago and northwest Indiana.
Category: Union News
