WHEREAS, the economic crisis that is still with us led to enormous pressure on dozens of Teamster employers, both big and small, to restructure their operations and balance sheets to survive, and

WHEREAS, through decades of collective bargaining the Teamsters Union has achieved contracts in many sectors of the economy that have produced the highest wage and benefit standards in those sectors, and

WHEREAS, in many of those sectors most affected by the great recession, Teamster members have been confronted with the difficult zero-sum choice of preserving jobs versus preserving standards, and

WHEREAS, in each instance – from YRCW and Interstate Brands to carhaul to regional and local contracts – the Teamsters Uunion leadership has done everything in its power to negotiate the best options that simultaneously protect jobs and minimize the reduction in standards, and

WHEREAS, in each instance the Teamsters Union has deployed the full assets of the International Union using our political and membership leverage to require the other stakeholders, banks and other financial institutions to also contribute ‘to our employers’ restructuring, and

WHEREAS, in each instance the ultimate decision- making power on choices to be made was in the hands of the Teamster membership through democratic contract ratification procedures, and

WHEREAS, the jobs of thousands of Teamster members have been saved as a result, and

WHEREAS, while the Teamsters Union did its best to protect member jobs, the Teamsters leadership is not satisfied with minimizing job loss as historic standards are eroded,

BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED, that the while the Teamsters Union will continue to put a priority on the preservation of jobs, the Union will work to counter those political and financial forces that are destroying our industries through one-sided trade agreements, deregulation, lax financial oversight, and the weakening of existing labor laws; 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Union will work to counter corporate power through greater local union and joint council coordination and the establishment of bargaining committees and other union-wide initiatives to simultaneously restore wage and benefit standards that have been affected as the overall economy improves.