WHEREAS, Teamster Local Unions must increasingly bargain with large multinational or national corporations that have grown significantly through acquisitions and consolidation;

WHEREAS, these corporations engage in centralized, sophisticated union-busting activities and attacks on union contracts and members;

WHEREAS, these corporations take advantage of multiple individual bargaining units and white paper contracts to bring down industry standards or shift work to competing lower-wage, non-union facilities;

WHEREAS, combating the war on workers in the private sector requires a unified effort and coordinated action against corporate power;

WHEREAS, local union collaboration through regional and national bargaining is key to maintaining unity and upholding strong contracts and industry standards;

WHEREAS, coordinated organizing leverages Teamster power to take on national and international employers and build bargaining power at a regional and national level;

WHEREAS, a coordinated strategic organizing campaign involving multiple local unions will be more effective at building union membership than individual site-by-site efforts;

WHEREAS, the Teamsters have a long and successful tradition of skillfully bargaining contracts that ensure organizing rights and neutrality for unorganized units at the same employer, most notably at UPS Freight and First Student;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that all Local Unions should report to and coordinate with their Joint Council, the appropriate Trade Division or Conference, or the IBT Organizing Department, whenever they are considering an organizing campaign at a major national or regional employer or at any employer in a core industry;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that all Local Unions and negotiating teams should consider the benefits of coordinated regional or national contract negotiations when negotiating with major Teamster employers or employers in a core industry;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the power of Local Unions nationwide should be brought to bear in efforts to bargain for organizing rights at common employers; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that all Local Unions should educate their members about the benefits of coordinated bargaining and bargaining to organize.

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share via email