Rank and File Organizing Pays Off

A post-pandemic spike in inflation has outpaced workers’ wages. Teamster members are fighting back and winning record wage increases. You can too.

Inflation rose by 12.7% from 2021 to 2022 and has gone up by more than 22% over the last five years. 

Hundreds of thousands of Teamsters work under contracts with wage increases that have not kept pace. 

Now, members are fighting back and winning. 

Working Teamsters are building bargaining power with contract campaign tactics first put to work at UPS, including contract unity pledges and practice picketing.

When push comes to shove, our International Union has backed members with strike benefits of $1,000 a week. The IBT’s strike fund has more than $350 million.

Vote No

When our union is leading the charge for a good contract, members need to step up—and when our union officials are falling short, rank-and-file members can take the lead.

When the San Diego Zoo and Local 481 officials negotiated a weak contract, Teamster members formed Zoo Solidarity and voted No by a whopping 860 to 272 margin. 

Rank-and-file organizing paid off. Zoo management suddenly found the money for 10% more in wage increases. Altogether the new contract increases wages by more than 20%.

Over 450 BLET Teamsters at New Jersey Transit voted No on a tentative agreement reached between the union and management. 

The three-day strike that followed secured an immediate massive wage increase from just over $39 an hour to well over $50 an hour.

Organize & Win

If you are tired of your paycheck falling behind, don’t just complain, take action. TDU is a national grassroots network of working Teamsters in every industry.

We can help you win a stronger contract by organizing with your co-workers. Teamster solidarity pays off. Put it to work for you. 

Get Advice Join TDU Donate

Recent News

New York City Mayor, Teamsters Demand Vote on Delivery Protection Act

General President Sean O’Brien and Mayor Zohran Mamdani rallied with Amazon workers, Teamsters, and community supporters on the steps of New York City Hall to demand a vote on the Delivery Protection Act.

Teamsters Join Union Effort to Ban Wall Street Payouts in Defense Industry

The Teamsters joined the United Autoworkers (UAW) and five other international unions representing members at the largest U.S. defense contracts in a letter calling on Congress to ban defense contractors from funneling money to Wall Street investors through stock buybacks and dividends instead of investing in jobs and infrastructure.

View More News Posts