On December 16, the 25 ready mix drivers working for Northgate Ready Mix, a CRH company, in Santa Rosa successfully won their card check election and are now proudly represented by Teamsters Local 665.

The victory reflects a growing recognition among ready mix drivers that Teamsters contracts set the strongest area standards for wages and benefits in the industry.

“Ready mix drivers in the Teamsters have the area standards when it comes to wages and benefits,” said Tom Woods, Business Agent for Teamsters Local 665. “These standards ensure that drivers are highly compensated for the skilled and demanding work they perform every day.”

For the drivers at Northgate Ready Mix, organizing was about securing long-term stability and fairness on the job. Many recognized that without collective bargaining, essential benefits would remain out of reach.

“We deserve high-quality health care and retirement benefits, which we would never get by just waiting on the company to provide,” said Wade Ayres, a driver at Northgate Ready Mix. “The next step is negotiating at the bargaining table for these standards.”

With representation secured, the drivers are now preparing to begin contract negotiations. Their goal is to achieve wages, health care, and retirement benefits consistent with existing Teamsters area standards for ready mix drivers—raising the bar not only for themselves, but for the industry as a whole.