Pictured at right (left to right): Business Agent Lou Marchetti, Yuri Marroquin, Oscar Fuentes, Dariusz Karas and Coke Shop Steward/Local 70 Trustee Felix Martinez.

In September 2006 Cadbury Schweppes purchased the 7-Up Northern California operation. The company has Teamster contracts in other parts of the country and it seemed as if the transition would be smooth for our members who work at the Fremont facility, but there was one major problem. A few years earlier Cadbury Schweppes had purchased the non-union Pacific Snapple facility in San Leandro . The threat of the company moving routes and product from the union to the non-union facility left Business Agent Lou Marchetti with only one option – organize them and fast.

Within a few months Marchetti collected pledge cards from over 70% of the workers. The company seeing that the workers were determined to become Teamsters agreed to card check recognition.

On Saturday, July 14, 2007 the drivers, warehousemen and merchandisers at 7-Up/Pacific Snapple in San Leandro overwhelmingly ratified their first Teamster contract. Business Agent Lou Marchetti was able to obtain the Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Plan, Teamsters Northern California Soft Drink Health and Welfare as well as increases in wages and job protections.

After the vote, new Local 70 member Dariusz Karas said; “Being able to get the Teamster pension, and with the two for one benefit, I'll be able to heal my broken time and look forward to a secure and comfortable retirement. All right!”

Marchetti thanked Local 70 members at 7-Up Fremont for their help, as well as Coke Shop Steward/Local 70 Trustee Felix Martinez who had daily contact with the Snapple drivers on his route, and especially to the workers at Snapple who ultimately made it happen.