Rumor has it that our local officials are looking to merge our local. Do members get a say? Do they have to let us vote?
–Merger Mayhem in NYC

Dear Mayhem,

Thanks to the Teamster reform movement, virtually all Teamsters facing a merger are constitutionally entitled to a vote. Article IX, Section 11 of the Teamster Constitution requires a referendum vote of the members of the merging local except under narrowly defined exceptions.

The only circumstances under which the International can force a merger without a vote is if a local is “not capable of performing its representational functions, due to its financial conditions or where an emergency situation exists within the Local Union.”

TDU fought for this right for years and proposed it at Teamster Conventions. It is in the IBT Constitution, but the Hoffa administration may try to use the exception clause to force unwanted mergers, so members need to be vigilant in enforcing this right.

Postcript: Members are now using this right to vote to fight the proposed merger of Teamsters Local 814 with Local 810.

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If you have question or comment for the Teamster Troublemaker, call TDU at (313) 842-2600 or email us at info@tdu.org [0].