The Teamsters Union has reached an important milestone for workers across the nation, reaching its goal of organizing 40,000 workers into the union so far in 2008. With five weeks remaining in the year, the union is well on its way to surpassing that number.

“We announced two goals for the Teamsters in 2008: To organize 40,000 workers and to elect Barack Obama President of the United States,” said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. “I am proud to say that thanks to the hard work by so many in our union, the Teamsters delivered on both promises.”

The successful, bold organizing plan focused on the Teamster core industries—particularly those in the global supply chain—and under the leadership of General President Hoffa and the Teamsters Organizing Department involved the work of the whole union.

“In order to organize on the scale needed to grow this union, we all have to be organizers at all levels—the international, divisions, Joint Councils and locals,” Hoffa said.

Organizing has been a central focus of Hoffa’s administration, culminating in 2005, when the Teamsters Union left the AFL-CIO to found the new the Change to Win federation with a key emphasis on organizing and growth.

Hoffa’s growth agenda has paid off. The union has achieved an annual increase in organizing gains every year since, with 2008 marking a record-breaking year. Contributing to the great success in organizing this year were several key campaigns, including:

• UPS Freight:  More than 120 local unions under the leadership of International Vice President Ken Hall, in partnership with the Parcel and Freight Divisions and Organizing Department, organized 12,000 drivers and dockworkers. These former Overnite Freight workers became Teamsters thanks to an organizing rights agreement negotiated with UPS.
• Canadian National Rail:  Earlier this year, Teamsters Canada added 3,200 workers at Canadian National Rail.
• School Bus and Transit workers at private and public organizations, including First Student, First Transit, MV Transportation and STA were organized this year as part of “Drive Up Standards”, the Teamsters’ National School Bus and Transit Campaign. Over 40 Teamster locals have organized more than 8,700 workers so far this year, bringing the total for the campaign to more than 14,000 workers organized since the campaign began in May 2006.
• United Airlines mechanics:  8,600 United Airlines mechanics would not have won Teamster representation without the support of seven key airline locals and the Airline Division.

“It’s because we have been able to build partnerships among Teamsters that we’ve been able to have this success,” said Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Tom Keegel. “No one part of this union has the resources to take on these big employers by themselves. That’s why these have to be campaigns of the whole union—working together and pooling our resources, we can get it done.”

Another key to the success of Teamster national campaigns is that they have become workers’ movements in their industries. Hundreds of volunteer member organizers have led these movements through worker-to-worker contacts between Teamsters and unorganized workers in the same craft. Followed up with major actions—like the school bus drivers summit in Jacksonville, Florida, and the rally against aircraft maintenance outsourcing in San Francisco, California—these movements are generating momentum for Teamster organizing, giving hope to nonunion workers, and raising standards across the board.

“It’s bigger than just our yard, even bigger than our whole company,” said Gloria Beasley, a First Student bus driver and new Teamster. “You get a sense that we’re changing the whole industry—if not the whole world.”
The Teamsters are on the verge of explosive growth by organizing port drivers, airline workers and school bus and transit workers, among other major campaigns of the whole union.

“We are organizing on a scale that will significantly grow Teamster power for our members and attract more workers to our union who want that power too,” said Jeff Farmer, Director of the Organizing Department. “And with an Obama administration in Washington raising the hopes of America’s workers, we anticipate even greater opportunities to help them realize the American Dream.”