Due to delays to resolve election challenges, ballots will be mailed on October 20, 2023. 

The first day to request a duplicate ballot is October 30, 2023.  If you have not received your ballot by October 30, 2023 please call (312) 666-2750 to request a duplicate.

You must return your ballot to the PO Box by November 14, 2023.  Ballots received after 12 PM on November 14, 2023 will not be counted. 

 The count will take place on the afternoon of November 14, 2023.

Notice is hereby given of the nomination and election of the following officers of Local union No. 786: President/Principal Officer, Secretary-Treasurer, Vice-President, Recording Secretary, and three (3) Trustees. The three-year terms of office for these officers will commence on January 1, 2024, and conclude on December 31, 2026.

Nominations

Nominations will be accepted at a nominations meeting to be held on Monday October 9, 2023, at 7:00 PM at the Teamsters Local 705 Auditorium, 328 South Marshfield, Chicago, Illinois. Nomination of Candidates are to be made by a motion of any member in good standing other than the Nominee and seconded by one other member in good standing other than the nominee.

Nominations should be made orally from the floor of the Nominations Meeting but may also be made by delivering a nomination in writing to the Local 786 Secretary-Treasurer prior to 6:00 PM on October 9, 2023. Any written nomination must state the name and last four (4) digits of the social security number of the member being nominated, the nominator, and the seconder, as well as the office for which the nomination is being made. The written nomination must be signed and dated by the nominator, the seconder, and the nominee.

Eligibility to Run for Office

To be eligible to be nominated for Local Union office, a member must be in continuous good standing in Local Union 786, and actively employed at the craft with the jurisdiction of the Local for twenty-four months prior to the month of nomination. “Continuous good standing” is defined as compliance with the requirements regarding the timely payment of dues, together with no interruptions in active membership because of suspensions, expulsions, withdrawals, transfers or failures to pay fines or assessments.

A member on dues checkoff will not lose good standing as a result of a delay or default by the employer in sending dues to the Local or because of an employer’s failure to make the proper deductions from the member’s pay in any month in which the member had any earnings from which deductions could have been made.

Potential candidates are advised to check the eligibility of themselves, and the eligibility of their nominators and seconders, prior to the Nominations Meeting by submitting a written request to the Local Union 786 Secretary Treasurer.

Election

The election will be conducted by mail ballot. Ballots will be mailed to all active members and new applicants eligible for membership in Local Union 786 on or about October 17, 2023. Ballots must be received at the designated Post Office Box by 12:00 PM on November 14, 2023. Ballots shall be counted on November 14, 2023, at Teamster City Basement Hall, 300 South Ashland Avenue, Chicago, Illinois on or about 12:00 PM or as soon thereafter as ballots are retrieved from the designated Post Office Box. Members who have not received a ballot by November 1, 2023, should call the Local Union Office at (312) 666-2750.

Instructions for the completion of the ballot will be enclosed in the ballot package. This is a secret ballot vote. You should mark your ballot in private and mail your ballot, sealed in the secret ballot envelope, to the designated Post Office Box in the provided envelope. Do not give your ballot to anyone.

Nomination and Election Rules shall be in accordance with the By-Laws of Teamsters Local Union No. 786, the Constitution of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and in accordance with Teamsters Local 786 Executive Board Rules. Nomination and Election Rules are available upon request made to the Secretary Treasurer at the Office of the Union, 300 South Ashland Avenue, Suite 501, Chicago, Illinois. All Candidates, Nominators, and Seconders are encouraged to review the Nomination and Election Rules. The Executive Board of Teamsters Local 786 has appointed Will Bloom of the firm Despres, Schwartz, and Geoghegan, Ltd., as the election officer for this election. He can be reached at 786Election@dsgchicago.com with any questions.

The Officers elected by virtue of the forthcoming election shall serve as Delegates to all Teamsters’ subordinate bodies and all other conventions, except the International Convention as provided in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Constitution.

Each year, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and trade unionists worldwide recognize April 28^th as Workers’ Memorial Day (WMD) — an international day of remembrance and action for workers who have died, been injured, made ill, or disabled from their work.  This day serves as a reminder of the importance of promoting safety and health in the workplace and advocating for workers’ rights.

To view the full article as well as additional information, resources and a video montage from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters featuring General President Sean O'Brien, click here.

Today marks the beginning of National Work Zone Awareness Week, an annual spring campaign held at the start of construction season to encourage safe driving through highway work zones. The key message is for drivers to use extra caution in work zones.

Congratulations to the members at Heidelberg Materials on unanimously voting to ratify their contract with Teamsters Local 786.  Heidelberg Materials employee and Teamsters Local 786 Steward, John “Spike” Malone started the meeting off with his coworkers by saying that, “There’s a lot of firsts today.  It’s the first time every member has been present to vote on our contract.  Instead of being downtown on a Sunday, the company let us come here, to our home yard, during work; That has never happened with any of the other unions involved here, and it’s a first for me, to be a part of the negotiating committee, and I couldn’t be more proud.”  Spike went on to say that this is “the best contract we have ever seen.”

After the vote, Recording Secretary, Business Agent, and lead negotiator for Teamsters Local 786, Bryant Smith, stated, “I could not be happier for these members.  They have shown that being unified sends an incredible message to the employer that they want their voices to be heard.”  And with the unanimous ratification of this contract, they certainly have!