At the Teamsters Convention, Teamsters shared their stories of waging strikes to win strong contracts. Teamsters have waged almost 25% of all recent strikes in North America: 350 strikes in the last four years.

Five years ago, the Teamsters Convention voted to approve strike benefits beginning on day one. Sean O’Brien and Fred Zuckerman and the Teamsters United leadership team have paid enhanced strike benefits of $1,000 per week.

Teamsters have gone on strike to win strong contracts, first contracts, and even to fight for union recognition.

Today’s Convention heard from strikers from Republic Services, US Foods, Dairy Farmers of America, Sysco, NJ Transit, Long Island Rail Road, Horseshoe Casino, Henry Ford Hospitals, Rinker Quikrete, Breakthru Beverage, and DHL.

“Going on strike is never easy,” said Jose Zepeda, Republic Services in Local 439, where 40 Teamsters went on strike to win their first contract. “But we didn’t just talk about solidarity, we lived it.” More than 2,000 Teamsters honored picket line extensions. “When Teamsters stand together there's no company big enough to break our solidarity.”

At Horseshoe Casino, table game dealers struck for 52 days after management refused to recognize their union. Theirs was the first strike for recognition in over 40 years. 

“There were so many delays in an effort to break us. We were left with no choice but to strike,” said TDU member Dakota Massman from Indiana Local 135. “Suddenly everyone stood up, took their things, locked the tables and walked out together. I never felt more united with my colleagues,” Massman said. 

The first strikers to receive the enhanced strike benefit were at DHL-CVG. “Going on strike was scary,” said Local 100 Teamster and TDU member Jenny Poynter.

“From our perspective, this was never Jenny’s fight,” said Eric Camarena, Local 986 shop steward at DHL at LAX, “it was our fight too.”