July 22, 2008

Local 542 in San Diego hosted a three-day Teamsters Leadership Academy program on “Negotiating to Win.” More than 30 business agents and officers from across the country attended the workshops that were facilitated by the Teamsters Department of Training and Development.

Jaime Vasquez, Secretary-Treasurer for Local 542, coordinated the local’s involvement in the program and made sure all of their business agents and officers were on hand to assist the presenters in any way needed.

“I believe that education and training is essential to being a good labor representative,” Vasquez said. “This type of program teaches the skills our leaders need to better serve our members. We are happy to sponsor this event.”

Sally Payne, Associate Director of the Teamsters Training and Development, was very pleased with the support from Local 542 and the facilities provided for the presentations.

“Showcasing Teamster locals is an integral part of mentoring and developing the skills within the Teamsters,” Payne said.

The program covered a variety of topics and allowed the participants to engage in a number of discussions and hands-on exercises. Richard Lipsitz, a 30-year Teamster and business agent for Local 264 in Buffalo, provided an overview of the bargaining process and facilitated a mock bargaining session that allowed participants to put what they learned through lecture and discussion into practical use.

“The mock session was extremely helpful because you can see what happens when mistakes are made and how to insure against them in real life bargaining,” said Connie Oser, a business agent for Local 572. “I hope there will be more of this type of training.”

Ron Cancelose, Assistant Director of the Teamsters Economics and Contracts Department, gave an in-depth analysis of how to research employers and cost out contracts. Hemant Berry and Tris Newbury from the Teamsters Benefits Department taught a session on health care and pensions that they followed up with a mock bargaining session. Shawn D. Ellis, Teamsters Department of Training and Development’s Central Region Coordinator, led the participants through a discussion on the multiple layers of a contract campaign.

"The program helped me to understand the importance of thinking strategically and long term with early and thorough preparation,” said Mike Lagomarsino from Local 856. “Learning about the International’s different departments as a resource was also very useful. Many new business agents attended the program and learned the bargaining process from A to Z.”