[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 160 (Tuesday, October 4, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1022-E1023]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING RON HERRERA ON HIS RETIREMENT FROM TEAMSTERS LOCAL 396

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 4, 2022

  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and 
thank Ron Herrera on his retirement earlier this summer from Teamsters 
Local 396 following nearly two decades leading his local union.
  Ron Herrera grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Wilmington, CA 
as part of a proud union family. For generations, the Herrera family 
has fought to improve the lives of workers. Ron's grandfather was a 
veteran of the copper mines of Arizona, fighting the kinds of abuses 
and discrimination portrayed in the classic strike film Salt of the 
Earth. His father was a committed union man who worked the Ports of 
Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Oakland as a member of the Longshoremen's 
Union. He instilled in Ron a profound respect for worker rights, social 
justice, and the invaluable role the labor movement plays in advancing 
the interests of working people. Ron Herrera began his own union career 
in 1975 as a package car driver for United Parcel Service. At the time, 
he was one of a handful of Latino drivers employed by UPS. He first 
distinguished himself as a leader in the labor movement during the 1997 
UPS Teamsters strike--the largest strike in U.S. history.
  Teamsters champion freight drivers and warehouse workers but organize 
for numerous occupations. Teamsters Local 396 represents UPS and 
Sanitation workers in Southern California. The local union also serves 
members in other industries such as logistics, recycling, and feed 
delivery services. During his 24 years as a rank-and-file Teamster 
member, Ron Herrera represented his fellow members as a United Parcel 
Service Shop Steward. In 2000, he was hired as Business Representative 
for Teamsters Local 396 and in 2001 he became the President of his 
local union. In 2003, he was elected to the Local 396 Principal Officer 
position.
  Ron Herrera has led many successful organizing campaigns and helped 
pass

[[Page E1023]]

groundbreaking legislation at the municipal and state levels. These 
campaigns have helped workers become Teamsters Union members, allowing 
them to provide a better-quality life for their families.
  In 2011, Ron Herrera was elected as a Trustee of the International 
Brotherhood of Teamsters Executive Board and he later served as Western 
Region Vice President from 2015 to 2022.
  On September 16, 2019, Ron Herrera was nominated and elected 
President of the LA County Federation. The LA County Federation is the 
second largest labor council in the United States with over 300 
affiliated union and labor organizations that represents more than 
800,000 members in the Los Angeles County area.
  In 2020, Ron Herrera cast his vote as one of California's fifty-five 
Electoral College Electors for now President Joe Biden and Vice 
President Kamala Harris.
  Ron's efforts over two decades included raising the standard of 
living for sanitation workers. He fought for higher wages, better 
benefits, and secured contract language to protect immigrant workers 
from unjust termination. He and Teamsters across the country mobilized 
to support Temporary Protective Status holders and immigrants. In 2019, 
the Teamsters supported my introduction of The Dream and Promise Act 
(H.R. 6), crucial legislation that will ensure the future of Dreamers 
and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders.
  Ron, along with Teamsters Local 396, is part of the Don't Waste LA 
coalition of community, environmental, and labor organizations working 
to eliminate dependance on landfills and dangerous jobs in Los Angeles.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in thanking and 
congratulating Ron Herrera for his many years of exemplary leadership 
and outstanding service to labor unions. Let us wish him many happy 
years of retirement.

                          ____________________