The Mighty Army of Teamster Organizers Wants You

As Teamsters, you already know the importance of a union contract, a grievance procedure, seniority and a number of other things that most American workers must do without.

Now you can help nonunion workers who want Teamster representation by joining the Mighty Army of Teamster member organizers who are fighting to rebuild the middle class and raise standards for working families.

“There is no better spokesperson for the Teamsters than a Teamster like you,” said Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President.

Millions of Americans want to form a union at work but are thwarted by employer intimidation and archaic election rules. The Employee Free Choice Act would make it easier for workers to form a union while at the same time rebuilding the American middle class.

Once the Employee Free Choice Act passes, the Teamsters Union will be deluged with organizing requests, and that’s where you come in.

“To meet the many organizing challenges our union will face after passage of this commonsense legislation, the Teamsters Union is seeking to recruit and train 1,000 member organizers before the end of 2009,” Hoffa said. “We are engaged in national campaigns that will test the resources of the union. Without a mighty army of Teamster member organizers, we’re not going to get it done.”

“Every worker in this country has the right to organize. Right now, with the economy the way it is, having a job that is protected by a contract is priceless,” said Tom Keegel, General Secretary-Treasurer. “I encourage anyone who would like to help grow and improve the lot of America’s middle class to support this effort.”

What to Expect at Bootcamp

Members who volunteer will go through a daylong “Organizers Bootcamp” covering the basics of what they’ll be asked to do as member organizers and they will participate in an ongoing campaign.

Bootcamp will consist of one full (8–10 hour) day of intensive training combining classroom and real world experience designed to produce Teamster activists with knowledge and understanding of Teamster Organizing. These trained activists become part of the Mighty Army of Teamster Organizers, able—at the direction of the Joint Council Organizing Coordinator—to assist locals, the Joint Council and the Teamsters Union in any ongoing campaigns.

The Bootcamp program will vary according to circumstances, but will consist of some combination of the following:

• An introductory section touching on the ole of unions in the economy and the challenges facing organizing.
• A brief section defining the role of volunteer Member Organizers and the structure of the Member Organizer program in your Joint Council.
• Role playing and other classroom activities to develop best practices in Teamster-to-unorganized-worker communications.
• Preparation for and participation in an active organizing campaign as agreed upon by the Joint Council/IBT Member Organizing Program Team.
• Debriefing the action and next steps for the Member Organizers in the Joint Council.
• As time permits, other sections may touch on identifying leaders in the workplace, recruiting other member organizers and activists, and other topics.

After Bootcamp, the Organizing Department will continue to work with the Joint Council to keep Member Organizers actively engaged, whether in local, regional or national campaigns. The Organizing Department will dedicate space on Teamster web sites for Member Organizers and host periodic conference calls and other activities to engage Member Organizers from across the continent.

View Bootcamp Updates.