The results of the latest Teamsters Local 399 elections are in, and Lindsay Dougherty has been re-elected to the union’s top staff post.
Dougherty won nearly 71 percent of the vote and her political slate swept the election in a contest that concluded on Friday. A little over 1,600 ballots were cast, according to results the union posted to Instagram.
Teamsters Local 399 represents drivers, casting and locations professionals, animal experts, chef assistants and mechanics working in entertainment in the greater Los Angeles area. The union reported around 5,700 members at the end of 2024.
Also triumphant in the election was current vice president and business agent Joshua Staheli, who was appointed president of the union after current president Kenny Farnell announced he was retiring. Sitting trustee Shaun Ryan was elected vice president and current communications and operations director Amy Gorton was elected recording secretary.
Trustees of the union for the 2026-2028 term will include locations manager Robert Paulsen, incumbent trustee Joe Mora and current recording secretary Philip Quansah.
All of the elected officials ran on the Hollywood Teamsters United slate, which promised to augment the power of the union through strong contracts and visibility within the larger labor movement.
“Leadership is about understanding the issues, engaging with members face to face, negotiating strong contracts, owning the difficult times, celebrating the success of our members in the good times and growing our relationships in the labor movement to build member power,” said Dougherty in a promotional video during the campaign.
The election saw mudslinging on both sides, with opposing slate Our Union, Our Future accusing Dougherty of negotiating a weak contract in 2024 and her slate of creating a “biased” election process. Dougherty in turn blasted the opposition’s “unhinged Facebook videos” that spread “false claims of corruption.”
The Our Union, Our Future slate, led by transportation coordinator Michael Sparks, called for greater transparency, an equal emphasis on all classifications and a membership-driven approach.
The Local is set to return to the bargaining table with studios and streamers in 2027.
