Who Are The Teamsters?

The Teamsters Union is the strongest and most diverse union in North America and, thanks to the "One Member, One Vote" amendment of 2001, also one of the country's most democratic.

In 1903, the Teamsters started as a merger of the two leading team driver associations. These drivers were the backbone of America's robust economic growth, but they needed to organize to wrest their fair share from greedy corporations. Today, the Union's task is exactly the same.

The Teamsters are known as the champion of freight drivers and warehouse workers but have organized workers in virtually every occupation imaginable, both professional and nonprofessional, private sector and public sector. Boasting an impressive 1.4 million members, the Teamsters likely represent workers in any given occupation somewhere.

Locals are the backbone of the union. There are nearly 1,900 Teamster affiliates throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

The Teamsters also belong to the seven-union, six-million-worker Change to Win federation.

The Teamsters stand ready to organize workers who want to bargain collectively. The Union provides professional service and representation, aggressive grievance handling and skilled, experienced contract negotiators.

Wages and benefits under Teamster contracts are markedly better than those of nonunion employees in comparable jobs. Union workers typically earn 34 percent more than nonunion workers, according to the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Teamster contracts are the guarantors of decent wages, fair promotion, health coverage, job security, paid time off and retirement income.

The Teamsters Union also performs vital tasks in such areas as pension management, safety and health, community outreach, governmental affairs and communications. For more than a century, the Teamsters have been a public voice for the rights and aspirations of working men and women and a key player in securing them.