Over 500 Teamster activists, organizers, and leaders gathered from across the country for a weekend of rank-and-file education. The 2023 TDU Convention has us feeling energized and inspired to keep building the labor movement from the bottom-up. 

EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS

We held 25 workshops ranging from enforcing the new UPS contract to organizing Amazon to winning grievances and disciplinary cases. Members gained critical skills for building rank-and-file power in their workplaces and local unions.

SPECIAL GUESTS 

We were joined by General President Sean O’Brien, Western Region Vice-President and President of Teamsters Local 399 Lindsay Dougherty, and UAW Region 9 Director Daniel Vicente. UAW President Shawn Fain, who just led thousands of auto workers on a historic strike against the Big Three, brought the house down at our Saturday night banquet.

LOCAL UNION REFORM

Teamsters Local 135 President Dustin Roach and Local 90 principal officer Alano De La Rosa talked about how they've rebuilt union power in their locals since winning office last year. 

STRIKE ACTION AT SYSCO 

Danny Edwards, a Sysco Teamster in Local 135, and Bryan Trafford, an Organizer from Louisville Local 89 talked about how they coordinated bargaining and strike action at Sysco to win good contracts and organize the unorganized.

Corey Levesque of Rhode Island Local 251, Abel De La Cruz of San Diego Local 542, Jeremy Brake of Local 439 and other UPS Teamsters compared lessons from the UPS contract campaign and shared plans on what's next: from contract enforcement to organizing at Amazon to local and regional education programs. 

CAUCUS MEETINGS 

Members networked in Black Caucus, Latino Caucus, and Women’s Caucus meetings. TDU organizes to develop diverse leadership at every level of our union. 

THE FUTURE OF TDU 

Members elected a new TDU Steering Committee. We raised over $100,000 at our annual fundraiser to support the coming year of building and growing TDU, putting more money towards educational resources and organizing support. 

Save the date for the 2024 TDU Convention, Nov. 1-3, 2024 in Chicago!