"I'm Proud to be a Teamster"

 Being a member of the Teamsters gives you many rights and benefits on
the job. It also gives you a chance to join with other working people to win
changes in your work place and you community on the national and international stage.

Teamsters are strong!

The Teamsters Union is made up of 1.5 million workers who are employed in a variety of public and private industries.

There are approximately 500,000 retired Teamster members throughout the United States and Canada who mainlining their affiliation with the union and support important issues for working people.

 Unlike the company, plant or shop where you work, your union is a democratic organization---where you and the other members have the right to elect local leaders and decide the policies that will affect you. You are a member of one of the more than 500 local unions in the Teamsters. Each local has been assigned a number by the International to designate its location and is chartered to reflect the industries represented.

This booklet provides an introduction to your union both at the International and local levels, and tells how you can get involved.

Your Teamster "steward"--- one of your coworkers who coordinates union activities at the work place--- will answer other questions you may have. It is important to get a telephone number or e-mail address from your steward so you can easily access your representatives.

Solidarity Counts

Plant managers, company presidents and supervisors have numerous resources available to them to accomplish their goals. The belong to associations and coalitions that help advance their objectives

Workers, on the other hand, have only their numbers to protect them and the numbers by themselves do not insure success. It requires that the workers act in unison to achieve better wages, hours and working conditions.

Get Connected

The International Union has an official web site http://www.teamsters.org or if you live in Canada, http://www.teamsters-canada.org.
Check in and meet your International Officers and see what the latest activities are around the country by simply logging on to the internet. Find out ways you can support Teamster members and their families in their struggle for work place justice.

 

TEAMSTER PURPOSE The IBT constitution The teamsters' Constitution lays the foundation and structure for the organization. It spells out the duties and responsibilities of all officers and members. It is a product of 100 years of organization. Please take the rime to read through the constitution. It will provide you with all the information on how the union operates and ways members and union leaders can work together to achieve common goals.   Teamster Purpose The second article in the Teamsters Constitution sets up the mission and purpose of the organization. It states in part the Teamsters' primary responsibility is to organize and educate workers so they will attain a higher standard of living. In summary the key roles that the Union play include:   Organizing workers so they have a voice in the work place Educating workers so they know there work place rights and can participate fully in our democratic society Involving workers in the political process so that their issues are addressed, and Negotiating and enforcing contracts with the employers so that each worker will be treated with dignity, justice and respect   Teamster Recognition Everywhere you go throughout the world people recognize the Teamster name. People from other countries e-mail the union requesting Teamster hat, T-shirts and other union items.    The words "Teamsters" and "power" are synonymous in the minds of many people both within the labor movement and the public at large. And even though parties who have little first-hand knowledge or the union sometimes portray the union in a negative way, members speak with pride when referring to both the accomplishments and the history of the Teamsters.