Partnership for the Future - Teamsters Local 25

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6867_Local25_Fall07.qxp 12/14/07 11:09 AM Page 26StewardsSpotlightEditor’s Note: The stewards featured in this edition of The Spokesman are all former members of Local379. They are all now members of Local 25 since the merger took effect on November 1, 2007.Dave DickersonSteward, Jet-A-WayDave Dickerson has driven atruck for Jet-A-Way, a commercialrubbish company for nineyears. Dickerson’s route takeshim through the heart ofBoston, where he services restaurants,apartment buildings anduniversities, among his many clients.“I got hooked on it,” said Dickerson, of driving atruck. “I like being outside, I like dealing with customersface-to-face.”The business runs in Dickerson’s family. His unclestarted one of Boston’s first minority-owned rubbishcompanies. Jet-A-Way is unique among Boston’s rubbishcompanies, having joined the U.S. Green BuildingCouncil in 2003. Jet-A-Way can recycle up to 70 percentof construction and demolition waste materialsprocessed at its Boston facility.Dickerson’s experience in dealing with customerscomes in handy in his role a steward at Jet-A-Way.“I like helping people solve their problems,”Dickerson said.Mark BatesSteward, BostonSand & GravelThe number 25 means a lot toMark Bates. He’s been a driverfor Boston Sand & Gravel for 25years, and he’s been a member ofLocal 25 (a former member ofLocal 379) for 25 years.“It’s probably one of the better chauffeuring jobs outthere,” Bates said.Bates applies the discipline he’s learned on the job in hisrole as steward in a company as large as Boston Sand &Gravel. Currently the company has 250 mixer trucks. Thecompany supplies concrete to home builders, developersand contractors throughout eastern Massachusetts.“I represent the men when there are issues with contractviolations, and help them with little jam ups,” Bates said.Brian BeatonSteward, Allied WasteBrian Beaton has worked forAllied Waste as a driver for 22years, picking up commercialwaste from Boston’s restaurantsand other businesses.Beaton was matter-of-factabout the many miles he’s drivenin the area.“You get into a job and before you know it, you’veracked up all these years,” Beaton said. “You earn a goodliving here, and there are plenty of hours to work.”Beaton enjoys his role as steward, acting as a bufferbetween management and workers. He wants the youngerworkers to be able to reap the benefits of years of service.“There will be a nice piece of pie waiting for me at theend of my career, thanks to the pension,” Beaton said. “Alot of guys lost their shirts who were non-union, and thisis a safe and protected job.”Charles “Charlie” BrownSteward, Patent ConstructionIt is a major achievement foranyone to work for the sameemployer for 28 years. That is thecase with Charles “Charlie”Brown. Charlie has worked forPatent Construction Systems inMedford since 1979. Brown hasserved as the steward for the last 12 years in the ScaffoldingDivision at Patent Construction Systems.24 | The SPOKESMAN | FALL 2007 | www.teamsterslocal25.com
6867_Local25_Fall07.qxp 12/14/07 11:09 AM Page 27“It can be a challenge to be both the steward and themember with the most seniority. Many times I find myselffighting for seniority rights surrounding the issues of overtime,job assignments and scheduling for my guys,” Brownsaid. “The company sometimes accuses me of trying to getahead because of my seniority, but the guys don’t buy it,and that’s the most important thing.”Brown says he sometimes struggles as a steward of 12guys.“The hardest part of being a steward is keeping the guystogether. The newer guys can be tough, they need to understandthat what they have for wages, hours and conditionshave come from the Teamsters Union, and not from thegenerosity of the company,” Brown said.“The merger of Local 379 into Local 25 was a very goodthing for every member in both local unions. We are nowover 11,000 members strong. I was very impressed when Imet President Sean O’Brien. He and his staff of businessagents all look prepared to take the local union well into thefuture. Gerry Godin did a noble thing by merging his localunion into Local 25. I am excited!” Brown said.Brown said he enjoys attending the monthly GeneralMembership meetings. “I have been to two so far. They arejust so informative and educational. I hope to get my guysto attend them as well.”Andy CarverSteward, Brockway-SmithCompanyAndy serves as the warehousesteward for the 26 Local 25Teamsters working at Brockway-Smith Company in Andover.Brockway-Smith is the exclusivedistributor of AndersenWindows in the Northeast.Andy is a second generation Teamster. His father, RayCarver, a member of Local 49, worked at Faulk & White, awholesale grocery distributor in Methuen, Massachusetts.Andy worked with his dad for six years before he beganworking for Brockway-Smith.Carver has worked for Brockway-Smith for 13 years,nine of those years as steward. His biggest challenge assteward is to make sure the company adheres to and followsthe contract. “The company has a unique way ofstraying away from the contract and tries to make individualdeals with some of the guys. I always put a stop to it ifI hear about it,” Carver said.Carver is excited about the recent merger into Local 25.“I have been a Teamster for 19 years, first with Local49, then with Local 379, and now with Local 25. I couldnot be happier with the recent merger. All of the programsthe union offers, computer classes, OSHA 10 training, andCDL training are so important to the membership. I lookforward to serving as steward under President SeanO’Brien.”George StewartSteward, BostonSand & GravelGeorge Stewart helps keep theconcrete mixers whirring andrunning as a welder for BostonSand & Gravel. As the maintenancemechanics steward there,he makes sure the relationshipbetween the workers and management runs smoothly aswell.Stewart says his role as steward was strengthened whenhis former Local 379 merged with Local 25.“We now have much greater numbers that will reallyhelp us out,” Stewart said. “We are much stronger now.”Stewart said being a Teamster has meant a good salaryand benefits during his 10 years with Boston Sand &Gravel.“That’s the reason why I’ve stayed in this job for solong,” he said.Stewart credits a workshop given by the InternationalUnion for helping him become a better steward.www.teamsterslocal25.com | FALL 2007 | The SPOKESMAN | 25
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Partnership for the Future - Teamsters Local 25

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