WHEREAS, the Teamsters Union has embarked on an ambitious campaign to organize workers in the tech industry; and

WHEREAS, contract tech industry drivers for multi-billion dollar global corporations, including Facebook, Apple, eBay, Yahoo, Zynga, Genentech,  Amtrak and Google, among others, have united in the past year to gain Teamsters Local 853 representation; and

WHEREAS, Teamsters Joint Council 7 has led the way to a better life for hundreds of tech industry workers by negotiating contracts providing for significant wage increases, paid holidays, paid vacation, guaranteed hours, fully paid health care for workers and families of full-time workers, minimum work  hour guarantees, workplace protections and much more; and

WHEREAS, workers’ lives have been transformed since becoming Teamsters, with some workers who were homeless being able to now afford a home; and

WHEREAS, there are thousands more unorganized contract workers in Silicon Valley and beyond; and

WHEREAS, “app-based” workers in Seattle with Teamsters Local 117 have benefited from an ordinance allowing for collective bargaining and are organizing with the Teamsters; and

WHEREAS, the Teamsters Union is leading a growing movement of workers challenging income inequality and worker inequality in the tech industry.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED at this 29th International Convention that the Teamsters Union is committed to workers in the tech industry and is determined to continue this campaign for the long term in order to organize a majority of the workers in the industry; and

FINALLY, BE IT RESOLVED that Local Unions, Joint Councils and the International Union will work together to ensure that workers in the tech industry organize to improve their working conditions and that the Teamsters Union leads the way in organizing in the tech industry into the future.