GCIU Members Strongly Ratify Merger With Teamsters

GCIU Members Strongly Ratify Merger With Teamsters

Hoffa Welcomes Nearly 60,000 New Members

December 7, 2004

(Washington, D.C.) – In a historic vote, nearly 60,000 members of the Graphic Communications International Union (GCIU) have approved a merger with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in ballots tallied earlier today. With this tally, the GCIU becomes the third major union to merge with the Teamsters in 2004.

“This is a historic moment for the GCIU and the Teamsters,” said Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President. “Graphic communications workers exemplify quality work and the belief that workers deserve fair treatment in the workplace—fundamental traits of the labor movement and principles that guide the Teamsters Union. This merger will strengthen both unions and allow us to better provide workers with real power on the job and in the political arena.”

George Tedeschi, President of the GCIU, will become President of the GCIU Conference. Tedeschi said he was “extremely gratified that a majority of our active members showed the wisdom and foresight to approve merger with our good AFL-CIO sister union. We know that by becoming an IBT conference, the GCIU will have a powerful new alliance for organizing and negotiating decent wages and benefits for our members.”

According to the merger agreement, the GCIU will become an autonomous conference within the Teamsters Union, allowing the GCIU and its locals to maintain their autonomy and identity, including authority over their contracts. GCIU pension and health care plans are fully protected. Members of locals will see a reduction in their per capita dues payments and will have access to the Teamster Strike Fund at no additional cost.

These members of GCIU are the third union to join with the Teamsters Union in 2004. Seventy thousand members of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees joined in January and November, respectively.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States and Canada.