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Teamsters on the Trail: Oct. 7-13

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The trail was a little quieter than usual during week nine, with just one Iowa event to highlight. However, big news came Friday when the union publicly unveiled its Teamsters 2020 Primary Engagement program. More on that below.

Monday, Oct. 7

Iowa City, Iowa: Local 122 member Payton Corbett joined fellow Teamsters in the Hawkeye State to talk to Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) about pensions and retirement security. Booker, for his part, lauded the union for its efforts on the topic, saying “the Teamsters have been phenomenal in this issue and I want everyone to hear it because it is outrageous what is going on.”

Asked what his solution would be to keep the Teamsters’ Central States Fund and other multiemployer pensions afloat, Booker said he understood a lot is at stake.

“What these men and women are saying is they need help to stabilize their pension funds,” the senator told those in the audience. “I support the legislation currently in the Senate right now to stabilize those funds. …. If I am your president, you have my commitment … that I am going to drive this legislation across the finish line.” Video here.

Friday, Oct. 11

The Teamsters publicly rolled out its 2020 political engagement program, including a new website.  The site details the candidates’ stances on key issues and the results of the national Teamsters 2020 Presidential Survey on the issues that matter the most to members when they vote. We have asked all candidates to sit down in front of the camera to record their thoughts and plans to address top Teamster issues. You can watch those videos at www.teamstersvote.com.

Surveys were collected at worksites and submitted online. More than 22,000 members from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and American Samoa completed the survey. Local 986 turned in the largest number of surveys with over 1,400 surveys returned thanks to a rapid response worksite program that tasked business agents and stewards with collecting surveys.

The results of the survey showed that the issues members were most concerned about were protecting pensions and retirement security, collective bargaining rights and fair trade. Those are the issues that the union will be judging each candidate on during the endorsement process. 

The Teamsters have asked all Democratic and Republican candidates, including President Trump, to make a series of commitments to be considered for the union’s endorsement.

For more on the 2020 program, see here.