Teamsters Local 710 Staff
Business Agents
Find your Business Agent by name:
Gary Abraham Ted Barnhart Mike Cales Chuck DeCola Ron Dillon Aisha Hurston Anthony Lamy Neil McKinney Simon McNamara Mike Ramirez John “Shaggy” Rule Del Schaefer Bernie Sherlock Mick Vendafreddo
Mike Cales
Local 710 Freight for 24 years, Business Agent since 2015
E-Mail MikeCales started his freight career at Carolina Freight in 1991, which merged with ABF Freight five years later. While at ABF, he served as a union steward before becoming a Business Agent for freight in June 2015. In his first month alone, he was able to secure over $1,200 in pay claims from grievances back to the members and help a member return to service.
Simon McNamara
Teamster for 31 years, 710 Steward for 12 years
McNamara began his UPS career in 1984 at the Rockford, Ill. facility. He became a package car driver in 1989 and served as a Local 710 steward for twelve years before joining the UPS team as a Business Agent in February 2015. He represents UPS members in northern Illinois, including the facilities in Rockford where he worked.
Del Schaefer
26 Years as UPS Teamster, Steward for 20 Years
Schaefer began his union career at UPS in 1989. He became a driver five years later and became a steward at the same time. He served on the Local 710 bargaining committee for the UPS Contract in 2002 and 2013. Schaefer joined the UPS Business Agent team in 2014, servicing members in central and southern Illinois chairing several grievance panels.
Mike Ramirez
Teamster since 1997, Business Agent since 2013
Ramirez has been with the Teamsters for nearly 20 years. He worked as a driver before becoming a Business Agent with Local 743. He is a familiar face at Local 710, having driven for Local 710 companies and being active at membership meetings. Ramirez also serves as the Executive Vice President for the Chicago Teamsters Hispanic Caucus and speaks fluent Spanish.
John “Shaggy” Rule
Teamster for 26 Years, Steward for 17 Years
Rule began his union career with Yellow in January of 1989 as a dockworker. He was elected as a steward in 1998 and served for 17 years. During his tenure at Yellow/YRC, he also worked as a saftey trainer and qualified as a spotter. He began as a Business Agent for Local 710 in October 2015 to represent members in the freight industry.
Aisha Hurston
Teamster since 2015, Business Agent and Attorney
Hurston joined the Teamsters in 2015 when she began as a Business Agent. Before joining the Teamsters, she was earning her law degree and working for the Federal Government. She is a valuable asset to the Local 710 Business Agent team, using her skills as an attorney to better represent all members of the local. Hurston is also an active member of the Women’s Committee.
Ron Dillon
Local 710 for 29 years, Steward for 21 years
Dillon worked as a Package Car Driver for UPS at the Tri-City facility in Westville, Ind. for 28 years. He was a steward for over two decades, serving on two Teamster bargaining committees for UPS contract negotiations. Dillon joined the Local 710 team as a Business Agent in 2014 and services UPS members in northern and central Indiana.
Ted Barnhart
Union Since 1991, Business Agent since 2015
U.S. Navy Veteran Barnhart joined the Local 710 freight team as a Business Agent in October 2015. Prior to that, he was a Road Driver at ABF for nine years where he drove over one million miles without an accident. Barnhart has also been involved with the Steelworkers and Paperworkers unions in Indiana and served as a steward for two years.
Bernie Sherlock
Union for 40 years, Business Agent Since 1992
Sherlock has been a union member for over four decades with the CTDU and IBT. When the CTDU merged with Local 710 in 2001, Sherlock brought 4,200 members & a wealth of experience with him. He has chaired many grievance panels and has over 25 years experience as an agent. He also has experience serving as a Trustee on union Health, Welfare and Pension Funds.
Neil McKinney
Teamster for 21 years, 710 Steward for 17 years
McKinney worked as a Package Car Driver out of the UPS Evansville facility for over two decades. He served as a steward for 17 years there before joining the Local 710 team in 2016. As an active member in both his union and community, McKinney has headed-up several charity projects. He now works representing 710 members in southern Illinois and Indiana.
Chuck DeCola
Teamster for 46 years, Business Agent for 15 Years
DeCola has been a Teamster since 1969 when he began at Yellow Freight as a spotter/dock worker, becoming a steward in 1984. For Local 710, he has been involved with labor lobbying, served on the bylaw and freight negotiating committees and worked as an organizer. DeCola serves as the chairman on many grievance panels and has been elected as a Delegate.
Mick Vendafreddo
Union Since 1971, Business Agent for 30 Years
Vendafreddo began as a union member in the Trade Show and Movie Division in 1971, bringing in freight for trade shows, and driving for movie and TV shoots. In 1985, he became a Business Agent for Local 714 and has represented Teamsters as an agent and organizer ever since. He has served on union executive boards and as a Trustee on various funds.
Gary Abraham
Union for 46 years, Business Agent since 1992
Abraham has been a union member for over four decades, starting out as a truck driver when he was 21. He was an agent and Director of Organizing with the CTDU before joining Local 710 with the merger in 2001. During his nearly 25 years as a Business Agent, he’s negotiated approximately 400 contracts and currently chairs eight grievance committees.
Anthony Lamy
Local 710 since 1979, Business Agent Since 2008
Lamy started off in the carhaul division and now serves on its national negotiating committee and manages a variety of contracts at 710. He has been an elected CFL delegate for 7 years and has experience as an organizer and DRIVE coordinator. Lamy is the co-chair for the Central/ Southern Carhaul Arbitration Committee and chairs many Local 710 grievance panels.
Office Staff
Communications Director
Karen Burcham
Comptroller
Krista Grant
Receptionist
Tracey Minor
TITAN Operators
Maria McCarthy
Char Reed
Terry Ruiz
