Five hundred fifty Teamsters came together at TDU’s 50th TDU Convention to share strategies for building union power from the bottom up and to set our course for the coming year, including endorsing and helping to re-elect the O’Brien-Zuckerman Teamsters United Slate.
Educational Workshops
The TDU Convention featured over three dozen workshops and breakout meetings where members learned how to organize contract campaigns, enforce their contracts, develop new leaders, run for local union office, and more.
Some favorites included our workshop on the history of TDU; Organizing Successful Strikes; Building Power With a Contract Campaign; Meeting New Threats at UPS; and more. You can see the full program of workshops here.
Speakers on Rank-and-File Power
Speakers motivated and inspired us to build union power from the bottom up.
Steve Tesfagiorgis and Christy O’Connor told us how they organized a 1,400 person strike from the bottom up at the University of Minnesota. Now, they’re running for local union office to bring that militancy to the rest of Local 320.
Erin Borgardt from Local 481 recounted how she and her coworkers organized a rank-and-file campaign to reject a weak contract, mount a strike threat, and win a better contract at the San Diego Zoo. They’re now running for local union office to revitalize Local 481.
Federal Unionists Network leader and IFPTE Local 777 President Colin Smalley spoke about how members of federal unions are fighting back against union-busting.
Cincinnati Local 100 member Brian Gaines talked about how members overcame division to win a strong contract for Zenith Teamsters with contract campaign tactics inspired by TDU and cross-local coordination between Teamster locals in Cincinnati, Louisville and Indianapolis.
Katherine Wallace, an RN at Michigan’s Corewell Health, helped organize 10,000 nurses to join their Teamsters. They’re now fighting for their first Teamster contract.
Indiana Local 135 President Dustin Roach spoke about how TDU, militant locals, and the International Union are working together to win strong contracts. “We’re not afraid to prepare for strikes,” he said. “We’re not afraid to use them. We’re not afraid to win them.”
Isaac Lauters, a Wisconsin Local 344 shop steward, talked about how UPS Teamsters and shop stewards are networking to share strategies to enforce the contract, involve members, and take on Carol Tome’s anti-union “Better, Not Bigger” management strategy.
TDU Endorses O’Brien-Zuckerman Teamsters United
Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien and General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman both attended the TDU Convention.
Speaking to the Convention on Friday night, O’Brien emphasized achievements over the last five years, including: stronger contracts, $1,000 weekly strike benefits starting day one, majority rule on contract votes, coordinated bargaining, organizing, and more.
“The coalition of TDU and OZ has proven to be effective,” O’Brien said. “As long as I have the privilege and the opportunity to serve as the General President, I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that this coalition continues to thrive, grow, and collaborate.”
On Saturday, members debated and voted to endorse the O’Brien-Zuckerman Teamsters United slate in the 2026 International Union election, with TDU continuing “to participate in the Teamsters United coalition as an allied, but independent organization that charts its own course and has its own campaigns.”
Members voted on TDU’s strategic priorities for the year and also elected the TDU Steering Committee and officers for the coming year.
Save the Date: 2026 TDU Convention
The next TDU Convention will November 6-8, 2026 in Chicago. Mark your calendars now!