Summer before last, when gas was nine billion dollars a gallon and the heat was sweltering around everything in blurry waves, I sat in a dark Fort Worth living room with Carlos Rios as we waited for the wife of an Americold employee to bring us cold water. As she placed the glasses on the tables in front of us, she apologized, “I’m sorry I’m in my robe, but I just got back from the hospital.”
Carlos immediately responded, “Oh, gosh. I’m so sorry. When would be a better time for us to come back? I hate to barge in on you like this.”
“You’re fine. There couldn’t be a better time,” she insisted before disappearing into the hallway. We listened as she told her husband, who was half-asleep from his long day at the warehouse, “The Teamsters are here. They want to talk to you about what’s going on at work.” Five seconds later, he joined us in the living room hoping that, during his obviously difficult time at both home and his job, we could somehow help. His wife was dying from cancer, and complications from her illness were beginning to manifest themselves into struggles within his workplace.
Back then, I really didn’t know anything about Carlos Rios other than the basic facts: He’s an aggressive, successful steward for the Arlington center who is incredibly organized and cares about labor issues. However, as I watched him discuss working conditions with the Americold employee that afternoon, I realized Carlos also has a heart deeply rooted with compassion for our great cause. Working alongside him in that organizing campaign, it was easy to see with every visit, with each door we knocked on, and during every call we made that Carlos was genuinely excited about getting assistance to these future Teamsters; he wanted them to have what we have and told them as much every opportunity he got.
When we got back into his vehicle after that visit, Carlos told me, “I really hate seeing people suffering like that, but I hate it even more when the company takes advantage of its employees in such dire times. I wish I could help that family today, you know?”
I agreed, yes, and so that’s when I first admired Carlos’s significant ambition as one of a truly selfless nature — an attribute which lifts all limits for charitable service.
Last fall, Carlos’s efforts, in conjunction with the leadership of Sandra Jimenez, the IBT, and a handful of other volunteers, paid off. Americold voted overwhelmingly in favor of unionization, but Carlos didn’t want to stop there. He says, “I’ve dedicated myself to being a strong union member. I attended organizing meetings. I worked on organizing campaigns. I signed up members in my center. I wanted to help other people become Teamsters. I think one of the best ways to do this is to make our members proud to be Teamsters, proud to pay dues, proud to sign up their co-workers.” For his commitment to the advocacy of improving labor issues, Carlos was recognized by the current officers and even offered an interview for a position at the local. However, Carlos was put off by some of the requirements.
