Uncategorized
Day 1 – Teamster Women Fight the War on Workers
Teamster women from throughout North America gathered in New York City Friday to kick off the 2011 Teamsters Women’s Conference. The three-day event features an impressive lineup of speakers, workshops and an action in support of Teamster brothers and sisters in the Big Apple. View more photos from the event.
Hurricane Irene was no match for the force of Teamster women who took to New York. They came ready to stand up for workers’ rights at their 11th annual conference which is themed, “Teamster Women: Fighting the War on Workers.”
“Winning the war on workers is about fighting back. Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated in Wisconsin in what can only be called an uprising of workers. Teamster brothers and sisters, we need to come together and work harder than ever before to fight this war on workers,” said Sue Mauren, Director of the Teamsters Women’s Conference, President of Joint Council 32 and Secretary-Treasurer of Local 320 in Minneapolis.
The attendees received a warm welcome to New York, a city with a proud labor history, from Daniel Kane Sr., International Vice President, and George Miranda, International Vice President, President of Joint Council 16 and Secretary-Treasurer of Local 210 in New York.
Christy Bailey, Director of the Teamsters Political and Field Action Department, urged Teamsters to turn out the vote for pro-worker candidates in 2012. This was an appropriate call to action on the anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment. On August 26, 1920, women won the right to vote.
“The only way we’re going to stop this war on workers is to take back some of these state legislatures and governors’ seats,” Bailey said. “In 2012, we need to turn out like never before, get Teamsters registered to vote and contribute to DRIVE to support the politicians that support working people.”
Dr. Elaine Bernard, Executive Director of the Labor and Worklife Program at Harvard Law School, explained the current economic climate and the buildup of the war on workers.
“Going after public employees is a way of attacking the labor movement. The key groups, like teachers and local government workers, are the most densely organized sectors, which is why they are under attack by anti-union forces,” Bernard said.
Teamsters rallied this afternoon in support of Teamster brothers and sisters fighting the war against workers at Sotheby’s.
The 2011 Teamsters Women’s Conference will continue Saturday with an address from Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa.