Meet the members building accountable, member-driven representation.
Candidate for Secretary-Treasurer
Senior Line Cook and workplace advocate from a multi-generation union family, Savannah Luraya Soto is running for Secretary-Treasurer to put clean books and real power in members’ hands.
At the San Diego Zoo she delivered concrete results: lawful meal and rest breaks, retroactive COVID pay, supported sexual-harassment investigations, and helped coworkers obtain proper classifications and pay and ADA and FMLA accommodations.
Candidate for President
Sam grew up in union towns from upstate New York to Tennessee, raised by a unionized professor and an activist mother. After earning a master’s in political science, he built a career across kitchens, classrooms, and stages from SeaWorld to local colleges and the San Diego Zoo.
As a longtime line employee, he knows the strain of low pay, favoritism, and insecurity. He’s running for president to bring rank-and-file grit to Local 481 and win the wages, security, and respect every member deserves.
Candidate for Vice President
Ash has stood up for coworkers from Cairo’s student union to San Diego job sites, fighting for fairness and respect at every step.
He brings experience across restaurants, warehouses, retail, and driving, plus a master’s in Project Management, to make sure every worker is heard.
Savannah Luraya Soto, Samuel “Sam” Forest, and Asser “Ash” Hassan are running together to transform Teamsters Local 481 through transparent books, steward power, and enforceable contracts.
