Teamster Organizers Bootcamp Draws Crowd In Wisconsin

Teamster members from across Wisconsin assembled in Green Bay on Saturday, August 8, to participate in a Teamster Organizers Bootcamp. More than 115 Teamsters were in attendance—the largest assembly for an Organizers Bootcamp training to date.

The training was chaired by Joint Council 39 President Fred Gegare, and included a presentation by Jeff Farmer, Director of the Organizing Department.

The trainings are conducted by the Organizing and Training and Development departments, in conjunction with Joint Councils. The goal of this program is to recruit, train and deploy more than 1,000 new Teamster member organizers by the end of the year.

“I urge every Teamster who is interested in learning basic organizing skills to contact your local union and tell them you want to go to Bootcamp to help the Teamsters grow,” said Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President.

Powerful Members

“The Teamsters Union is one of the few unions that actually increased their membership in 2008. We plan to keep this trend going, and need more boots on the ground to achieve our goal,” Gegare said. “The membership of Joint Council 39 is committed to growth, and we will do whatever it takes to increase our organizing successes. I am very proud of the Joint Council Executive Board, our local union leadership and our members.”

Teamster members who participated in the training came from a variety of Wisconsin companies and industries—including dairy, freight, package, warehouse and rail.

“The Organizers Bootcamp is designed to help Joint Councils increase the number of members they can call on to organize in core Teamster industries,” Farmer said. “Teamster members are our most effective organizers. There is no one more persuasive than our members in explaining the power of our union.”

Growing the Ranks

“This seminar provided me with knowledge on how to strike up a conversation with nonunion workers about organizing. This Bootcamp put into perspective the have’s and have not’s. Workers without a union contract have not, and we can help them become part of those of us who have,” said Mathew Wimmer, a member organizer from Local 695 in Madison who works at Silgan Containers.

“Through good, direct instruction, we learned how to tell our Teamster story to nonunion workers,” said Eric Nuutinen, a UPS driver and proud member of Local 344 in Milwaukee. “For example, UPS drivers can approach FedEx drivers and deliver the union message in a personal way.”

Dan Nealey, a U.S. Foodservice member from Milwaukee-based Local 200, found the training useful and practical.

“This workshop introduced new techniques on how to organize and talk to nonunion workers. I better understand the process of organizing and I’m ready to help,” Nealey said.

Here are future dates scheduled for Organizers Bootcamp trainings.