(The International Brotherhood of Teamsters issued the following news release on May 12.)
LAS VEGAS — International Brotherhood of Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa today kicked off the Union’s first-ever conference devoted to recruiting new members and growing the union. The conference, titled “Changing to Grow: The Future of the Teamsters Union”, will continue through Saturday.
“The Teamsters must focus all of our energy on organizing,” said James P. Hoffa, Teamsters General President. “When we have a high percentage of workers in an industry – we get good contracts. The equation is simple – more members equals better contracts.”
More than 1,400 union leaders and activists from the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico joined Hoffa, General Secretary-Treasurer Tom Keegel at today’s opening session. Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE) President Don Hahs and other General Executive Board members also attended. The BLE and Teamsters are currently finalizing merger talks, with more than 35,000 BLE members expected to vote on the merger in the near future.
The Teamsters Union, like all of American labor, continues to battle the downturn in the economy and a recent spate of corporate bankruptcies and plant closures due to unfair trade agreements.
“Our new organizing campaign is the foundation of building Teamster power,” Hoffa added. “We must create a culture of organizing at the International, Joint Councils, and Local Unions.”
Last year, the Teamsters Union held its first-ever Special Convention to put the union’s finances in order after a decade-long financial decline. In addition to establishing a permanent Strike Fund, the Hoffa administration created a dedicated organizing fund.
“With our financial house in order, we now have the resources to spread Teamster representation throughout the country,” said Tom Keegel, General Secretary-Treasurer.
According to Hoffa, “Through our new partnership between the International Union and our Joint Councils and Local Unions, we are committing more than $60 million per year to organizing the unorganized.”
In fact, the union recently had three major victories at Bulkmatic, the nation’s largest dry-bulk carrier, BFI, one of the nation’s largest waste haulers, and Coach USA bus lines. Drivers at Coach USA in Las Vegas voted by a 249-0 margin for Teamsters representation in April.
“These victories are just the tip of the iceberg,” said Jeff Farmer, Director of Organizing for the International Union. ” “We will not rest while there are working families that don’t have their wages and benefits guaranteed by a Teamster contract.”
The “Changing to Grow” conference will feature more than 20 workshops throughout the week focusing on every organizing issue – from strategic planning and funding to public relations.
Founded in August 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters is celebrating its 100th year as a representative and advocate for working families.