Members’ rights weren’t handed to us. We organized and won them, one by one.

When Teamsters formed Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU) in 1976, Teamsters members had almost no rights.

We could not vote for our International Union officers. A contract could be imposed unless two-thirds of the members voted against it.
Our union was dominated at the highest levels by organized crime.

Members who criticized contract givebacks or spoke out on union issues risked intimidation, expulsion from the union, and even violence. Teamsters were blacklisted and physically assaulted.

Rights We’ve Won

Teamsters formed TDU to fight for a strong, democratic union. We began as a small group of dozens of Teamsters, mostly from the freight industry.

We got together, made plans, and got to work. We relied on each other. We got help from dedicated labor attorneys, most of whom worked pro bono to help Teamsters revitalize the labor movement.

The IBT Legal Department spent countless millions of dues dollars trying to snuff us out. Some Teamster officials even organized a goon squad to break up TDU meetings.

But TDU grew and won rights for every Teamster member, including:

• The right to participate in the union and speak out on issues and contracts without fear
• The right to majority rule by secret-ballot vote on all our contracts
• The right to a separate vote on national contract supplements
• The right to have rank and file members on all bargaining committees
• The right to elect the delegates to Teamster conventions
• The right to elect our International officers in one-member-one-vote elections
• The right to a corruption-free union, with Independent Disciplinary Officers in plac

A Turning Point

By 1991 we had won a number of these rights, including the right to vote for International Union officers.

Our focus moved from winning democratic rights to winning rank and file power.

We worked in coalition with others to achieve common goals. The right to have rank and file members on all bargaining committees was won at the 2021 Teamster Convention, when the O’Brien-Zuckerman Teamsters United slate put it forward.

Rank and File Power

Today, TDU is the largest and longest-running rank and file movement in the history of the U.S. labor movement. We have elected new International Union leadership and Teamsters have a democratic union, where members have a voice and vote.

But it only works if members get involved. That means learning our rights, filing grievances, becoming stewards, getting involved in contract campaigns, supporting organizing campaigns, or running for local union office.

TDU is the place to learn how, and to meet Teamsters who are building Teamster rank and file power. We
hold workshops, webinars, local meetings, and a national Convention.

We network members within our locals, and nationally, at various companies and industries. We learn from experts, from proven leaders, and from each other.

Employers want us weak and divided. The answer is solidarity and rank and file power. TDU gives members the tools to build it.

Standing Up to Intimidation

Teamster General Presidents used to be elected in ceremonial votes by Convention Delegates. Members did not have the right to vote.

At the 1976 Convention, General President Frank Fitzsimmons announced that he was elected unanimously.

TDU member Pete Camarata rose to disagree. Referring to Teamster General President Jimmy Hoffa, who had been murdered and disappeared by the mob in 1975, Pete put a dissenting vote on the record “for an old friend of mine that you know I haven't seen for almost a year now.”

Camarata was the only delegate out of 2,254 at the Convention who was a TDU member.

Outside the Convention floor, Camarata was beaten by goons. When he went home to Detroit Local 299, he was expelled from the Teamsters.

TDU got Pete an attorney who quickly won an injunction in federal court, reinstating him. That was the start of a long battle to win our rights. And we won them.