A Jewel in Diamond Bar

Local 11 Cuts the Ribbon on New District 6 Office

For the last decade, San Gabriel Valley-based members of District 6 had to venture all the way to Commerce to reach their geographically closest union office. 

Those days are over. On a hot but festive Friday in July, Local 11 broke the ribbon on its new District 6 office located just off the freeway on Diamond Bar Boulevard in the city of Diamond Bar. 

“Members have been asking us for quite some time to open our own office here,” said Local 11 Business Manager Joel Barton during the new office’s grand opening. “It was a long road, but now we’re finally here.” 

Union staff praised the new buildings location which will allow Local 11 to serve members bth from the San Gabriel Valley and the Inland Empire. The office will be the home base for District Business Rep Jacob Troncoza and two organizers. 

“It’s good to have a brand new fresh and clean hall we can call our own in the San Gabriel Valley,” said organizer Mario Barragan. 

The grand opening featured remarks by Barton and President Rusty Roten. Dignitaries included representatives from nearby Mt San Antonio College which utilized a project labor agreement (PLA) to allow Local 11 members to work on projects on the campus. 

Also in attendance to welcome Local 11 to their new D6 digs was District 20 State Senator Connie Leyva who noted that before entering politics, she had been a member of UFCW for nearly 30 years.  

“We are thrilled to have you here,” Leyva said. “The union has been good to you and the union was good to me, too.  When you’re union worker, you have good pay, you have good benefits and you have a pension. Sometimes we forget how important those things are.”