Teamsters at Caesars Casino Louisville Local 89 used bold tactics to build a contract campaign and develop new leaders. Volunteers approached non-members and signed them up for the union. They organized a Contract Unity Pledge drive to show that members were ready to take action.

The turning point was a forty-person march on the boss during negotiations. “We walked through the casino floor all together,” said shop steward and bargaining committee member Randy Rowley. “We got to voice our opinions and show the strength of our group.” 

“The company divides us across departments, but being in that room, we realized we’re all fighting for the same thing,” said Sonja Hoppes, another shop steward and bargaining committee member. 

That unity helped members wage a 13-day strike that formed new bonds of solidarity across the casino. Members from every department and every shift participated. 

“There were people that I barely knew until we hit the picket line,” Rowley said. “But now I’ll trust them forever, because there’s nothing like the bond you build on the picket line—from standing next to people and understanding they’re willing to sacrifice for you and your family.”

“This contract campaign created new leaders,” Hoppes said. “I saw people grow on that picket line, and now we’ve established ourselves as a fighting union.”