Nearly 150 New Members Join Local 710 as Company Sees Growth

Teamsters Local 710 is growing 150 members stronger after Canteen Vending acquired Ace Vending at the beginning of March — a nearly 140 percent increase in membership for the Chicagoland area bargaining unit.

The former Ace Vending was a non-union entity. Now, under a Teamster contract, those employees will earn the improved benefits and protections all workers deserve.

The new members will see a significant pay increase from the subpar wages they earned as Ace employees, averaging between approximately $2-$4 per hour in most cases. They will also receive complete insurance coverage through the Chicago Truck Drivers Union (CTDU) and additional personal days, and they will keep their seniority and earned vacation benefits after the existing members at Canteen.

“The improvements in working conditions and benefits these new members will now enjoy show exactly how important unions are,” said Local 710 Trustee and Teamsters Joint Council 25 President John T. Coli. “Without a Teamster contract, they were not protected the way our dedicated members at Canteen have been for over two decades, all while performing the same line of work. On behalf of Local 710, I am proud to welcome our new brothers and sisters to the Teamsters.”

Local 710 Business Agent Gary Abraham organized Canteen 23 years ago and has been representing the members there ever since. He and fellow Local 710 Business Agent Bernie Sherlock worked diligently to sign up all the new members.

Local 710 will now represent nearly 250 members who perform a wide variety of delivery and warehouse work for the vending company out of two locations in Bloomingdale and Alsip, Ill.

Teamsters Local 710 is an affiliate of Teamsters Joint Council 25, America’s premier labor union for Chicago, Illinois and Indiana.