WHEREAS, the Teamsters are widely recognized as one of the leading organizing unions in North America; and

WHEREAS, the Teamsters have organized 100,000 workers since the last convention; and

WHEREAS, the IBT has won organizing victories in freight, the public sector, parking, casinos, ports, bus and transit, solid waste and recycling, airlines and other industries; and

WHEREAS, the Teamsters have won by establishing strong member organizer programs and involving members in our organizing campaigns because Teamsters in the same industry are most effective at carrying the Teamster message; and

WHEREAS, Teamster Local Unions have embraced the Teamster organizing model, have established organizing committees, hired organizers and engaged in other activities aimed at building organizing capacity; and

WHEREAS, this union has strategically embraced organizing opportunities as they present themselves, having the flexibility and capacity to react swiftly to secure new members when workers reach out for a strong union; and

WHEREAS, the Teamsters have strategically selected targets and won by fighting for and winning organizing rights, avoiding drawn out battles with management for workers’ rights when we can; and

WHEREAS, the IBT has in addition, when necessary, persevered for the long haul, fighting to win breakthroughs that can change the workforce at an entire company or an entire industry; and

WHEREAS, all segments of the union – the departments of the International, industry Divisions, Conferences, Joint Councils, Local Unions and affiliates – have worked together to bring the resources to bear needed to raise up workers into the middle class.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED at this 29th International Convention that as trade unionists and as Teamsters, we have an exceptional duty to organize the unorganized and raise workers into the middle class; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Teamsters will continue to fight for as long as necessary to win, whether that is weeks, months, years or decades; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we will continue to build a mighty army and all members must be organizers, spreading the Teamster message to all unorganized workers; and

FINALLY, BE IT RESOLVED that this Union will look for and respond to strategic opportunities to organize as they appear.