The XXXI Teamsters Convention is in the books. The Convention focused on militancy, contract campaigns, strikes, organizing, and meeting new challenges from labor law reform to AI to the next UPS contract.
TDU’s goals for the Convention were to re-elect the O’Brien Zuckerman Teamsters United slate and to promote strategies and programs that are building power for working Teamsters.
TDU members spoke on the Convention podium and from the floor on Amazon, organizing, UPS, DHL, strikes, extending picket lines, new officer education, and more.
Nominations and the Election
Sean O’Brien and the entire O’Brien-Zuckerman Teamsters United slate were re-elected.
For the first time since we won the right to vote in 1989, no opposition candidates received the five percent of the vote from the delegates that is required for the election to go to a vote of the members. The vote totals from the nominations are here. They were not a surprise.
The Teamsters have the most democratic election rules in the labor movement. These rules require candidates to demonstrate some level of membership support to get on the ballot.
The rules also provide candidates with tools to build that support, including access to Teamster parking lots, a copy of the Teamsters membership list for outreach, and the right of members to elect the Convention Delegates who vote to put candidates on the ballot.
Opposition candidates were nominated from the floor and voted on by delegates, but they did not do any of the work to actually get on the ballot. Their protest campaign ended on the Convention floor.
Election campaigns can sometimes turn nasty and divisive and this one was no different. It’s time to turn the page.
International Union elections come once every five years. TDU is about bringing Teamsters together to build worker power all the time, not just at election time.
For the next five years, TDU will be working to educate Teamsters, build contract campaigns, organize, mount strikes, and build stronger local unions including by helping members run for union office.
Booing and the Convention Atmosphere
The message from Sean O’Brien and the campaign’s whips was that delegates should listen respectfully and not boo or interrupt opposition candidates. This was overwhelmingly respected by the delegates and enforced by the OZ Teamsters United whips.
There was, however, significant booing from a part of the guest section. One TDU leader who has been to multiple Conventions described the booing as 15% volume compared to 2016.
Booing and jeering other Teamsters has no place in our union, but this Convention shows we are heading in the right direction.
Our union is opening up to member participation and building unity in action across differences and that is something to build on.
Constitutional Changes
At the last Teamsters Convention, TDU won important reforms we have fought to pass for years, including majority rule on contracts and strike pay starting on day one of a strike. The constitutional changes at this Convention were largely housekeeping. The General President’s top aide’s title was changed from Executive Assistant to Chief of Staff, for example.
On officer salaries, a change was made so that GEB members get a pro-rata pay cut for meetings they do not attend without an excused absence.
The salaries for the General President and General Secretary Treasurer were increased. They had previously been set at the 1992 rate of pay ($225,000 for the GP and $200,000 for the GST) plus an annual cost of living increase. The constitution was amended to apply a CPI increase to the 1992 rate which results in a salary increase.
In another constitutional change, new local officers are required to attend New Office Training and Education (NOTE) training within their first six months.
Rank-and-File Convention is Next
TDU will host our 51st annual Rank-and-File Convention this November 6-8 in Chicago.
The TDU Convention will focus on sharing strategies to build union power with workshops and sessions on contract campaigns, strikes, grievance handling, beating apathy and getting members involved, and more.
This year’s Convention will include a UPS Contract Summit to discuss bargaining goals for the next UPS contract and the contract campaign it will take to win it.
We will also have industry meetings and strategy sessions for nurses, healthcare workers, passenger transit Teamsters, members who work in grocery and food distribution, and more.
Register for the TDU Convention today.