Laws and Actions

Unions

1600Conspiracy Theory

British Structure

1700

1776Articles of Confederation

1789Constitution

1771Historical Strikes of Trades

1800

1881A.F.L.

Samuel Gompers Trade Unions

1900

1898Teamster National Union of America

1903Team Drivers InternationalUnion Chartered by the AFL

1899

Int.l Bro. Of Teamsters

1905105 day strike Montgomery Wards-4600 Teamsters support tailors-21 killed

1912First TransConDelivery by Motor

Growth of membership in the IBT from 1,700 to 40,000

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN LABOR HISTORY

1914 Ludlow Massacre

Two organizations form:

First General PresidentCornelias Shea

1907 Dan Tobin IBT General President for 45 years

Conspiracy Theory

• Any time workers, tradesmen or peasants got together to better their own lot it was considered a conspiracy against the crown.

The Social Structure We Inherited

GOD

KING

LORDS

PEASANTS

Where is the power?

Structure of Companies

Plant Manager

Supervisors

Where is the power?

Us

1903 IBT Charter from the AFL

Samuel Gompers, first President of the American Federation of Labor signs charter for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN LABOR HISTORYLAWS AND ACTIONS

UNIONS

WWI Teamsters move troops and supplies

1914

1920’sViolent strikes in mining/ railroad

1926R.L.A. Railway Labor Act

1929The Great Depression

1933Teamster membership hits low of 75,000

Teamsters press for area wide bargaining and uniform work rules

1935N.L.R.A.

Creation of the Committee of Industrial Organizations

1932

Norris LaGuardia Act

1938Fair Labor Standards Act and Motor Carrier Safety Act

1937Congress of Industrial Organizations

Membership increases to 145,000

1940IBT Membership reaches 456,000

1941WWII

1947Taft-Hartley Act

1931Davis-Bacon Act

1934 Historic Minnesota Teamsters Strike

National Recovery Act

NY Teamsters strike for 44 hour week

44 hr. week, .25 @ hr

“No more Co. Unions”

Teamsters once again are instrumental in the war effort

Early Workers Were Indentured

• Often paid in scrip rather than money

• Lived in company owned homes

• Purchased food from company stores

• Very little education available

IBT General Presidents• Cornelias Shea—1903 of the Team Drivers International Union was elected

President of the newly formed International Brotherhood of Teamsters from the merged Team Drivers and the Teamsters National Union.

• Daniel Tobin—1907 from Teamsters Local 25 in Boston• Dave Beck—1952 from Teamsters Local 566 in Seattle• James R. Hoffa—1957 from Teamsters Local 299 in Detroit• Frank Fitzsimmons—1971 from Teamsters Local 299 in Detroit(1971-

elected)• George Mock--1981 interim General President from Teamsters Local 598

• Roy Williams—1981 from Teamsters Local 41 in Kansas City, Missouri• Jackie Presser—1983 from Teamster Local 507 Cleveland, Ohio• Billy McCarthy—1988 from Teamsters Local 25 in Boston• Ron Carey—1992—from Teamsters Local 804 in New York, NY• James P. Hoffa—1999 from Teamsters Local 614 in Pontiac, Michigan

1929-1933

• The Great Depression--1929• Legislation passed to establish prevailing wages

for workers employed in public works was called the Davis-Bacon Act--1931

• Harlan County, Kentucky Miners’ strike--1931• Tampa, Florida—cigar makers strike—1931• F.D.R. elected—1932• Norris-LaGuardia Act—prohibiting use of a

federal injunction in labor disputes--1932

1934 Minneapolis General Strike• “Citizens Alliance” a

coalition of trucking company owners refuse to recognize the Teamsters

• General Strike is called—shuts down the city

• National Guard used to break strike—Teamsters killed

• Teamsters victorious• Leads way for National

Labor Relations Act

Teamsters

National Labor Relations ActWagner Act-1935

• Right to Bargain• Right To Organize

Signed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1935

Created legal/peaceful procedures for resolving workplace conflict

Creation of the C.I.O.Committee of Industrial Organizations

• A group of workers at the AFL convention asked to organize in a different way

• Wall-to-wall• Industry wide• Threatened trades

Two Federations of LaborAFL (Craft/Trade)—CIO (Industrial)

• The committee was expelled from the American Federation of Labor and changed its name to Congress of Industrial Organizations(C.I.O.)

• Two federations from this point until 1955 merger when—A.F.L.- C.I.O. became the United States federation of labor

• In Canada a similar process took place with the resulting Canadian Labour congress

Taft Hartley Act—1947, amends original National Labor Relations Act

• Created the option for states to restrict union security clauses

• Did away with the closed shop• Outlawed secondary boycotts• Very restrictive to labor

Right to Work and Taft Hartley

• Open Shop—You do not have to join the union –union security clauses are illegal

• Closed Shop—Outlawed completely• Union Shop—permitted in the non right to

work(for less) states• Fair Share or Agency Shop—employees

pay their fair share

29 Free States 21 R-T-W States

• Alabama Nevada• Arizona North Carolina• Arkansas North Dakota• Florida South Carolina• Georgia South Dakota• Iowa Tennessee• Idaho Texas• Kansas Utah• Louisiana Virginia• Mississippi Wyoming• Nebraska

Laws and Actions

Unions

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN LABOR HISTORY

A.F.L. AND C.I.O. MERGE

1955

James Hoffa Elected IBT General President membership reaches 1.5million

1959

1957

Landrum-Griffin Act LMRDA

Dave Beck, IBT General President proposes bill leading to modern interstate highway system

1959 President Hoffa creates D.R.I.V.E.

1964Hoffa negotiates National Master Freight Contract

1987 Teamsters reaffiliate with the AFL-CIO

1981 Reagan breaks air traffic controllers strike

1989Teamsters accept consent degree allowing for Government intervention

D.R.I.V.E.

1964 Civil Rights Act

1953 Teamsters Hdqs. Moved to DC from Indianapolis

1952 Dave Beck elected IBT General President

1975 Weingarten Decision

1978 Airline Deregulation

1980 Motor Carrier Deregulation

Deregulation causes a significant loss in membership

1971Frank Fritzsimmons becomes General Pres.

1983Jackie Presser-Gen. Pres.

1988 Billy McCarthy—Gen. Pres.

1959-Landrum-Griffin Act Labor Management Reporting and

Disclosure Act (LMRDA)• Prescribes procedures for

running union elections• Prescribes reporting and

disclosure procedures for all union monies

• Amends original National Labor Relations Act to impose further restrictions on the right of unions to exercise economic power

Teamsters Negotiate National Master Freight Agreement

• Regional bargaining for drivers was coordinated so that expiration dates would coincide and a national agreement could be attained

• This method of bargaining gave the Teamsters more power in relation to wages, hours and working conditions with nation-wide employers

Weingarten Decision-1975

• The Supreme Court agrees with the National Labor Relations Board’s decision that employees have the right to have a union representative with them in a disciplinary meeting.

Deregulation of the Airline and Freight Industries—1978-1980

• Industries begin to fall prey to deregulation

• Claims of cheaper fares and rates do not become realized

• Loss of jobs to lower paying companies results

Reagan Breaks Air Traffic Controllers Strike

• Air traffic controllers strike in protest of working conditions and environment

• President Reagan invokes statement signed by employees at hiring, stating they would not strike

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN LABOR HISTORYLaws and Actions

Unions

1991Ron Carey elected IBT General President

1998James Hoffa elected IBT General President

2000

The Future is up to You!!!

UPS Strike 185,000 members—15 days

19972000UPS Arbitration Case is won, enforcing agreement to create full-time jobs

1999R.I.S.E. Respect, Integrity, Strength and Ethics, an Anti-corruption Committee formed by General President Hoffa

1993 Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

1999 “Battle in Seattle” Demonstration against the WTO

1990 Americans with Disabilities Act(ADA)

1995 John Sweeney elected President of the AFL-CIO

The Teamsters are united for a better future for all working families

Teamster membership is back to 1.5 million and growing

House passes “PNTR” with China (May)

Demonstra-tions against PNTR and WTO

1997-UPS Strike

• Nationwide strike for 15 days

• 185,000 employees• Intensive Employer

campaign• Issues of

part-time/full-time work

WTO Protest-”Battle in Seattle”• Teamsters protest the Geneva

based World Trade Organization(WTO) in what came to be known as the “battle in Seattle”

• Teamsters protest “Closed door” process WTO uses for determining trade policies

• Labor, environmental and community groups—not at the table

General President Hoffa Presses Arbitration Case With UPS

• UPS fails to deliver promised full time jobs

• Contractual dispute settlement procedures utilizedto force compliance

• Arbitrator rules in Teamsters’ favor

Who are the Teamsters?

Who Are the Teamsters?