The History of Teamster Organizing

The Job of a Union Organizer

Every local union in the labor movement that runs an active organizing campaign acts as the growth and command centers in our efforts to grow the middle class. What’s special about the Teamster organizing credo is that when we file for an election to represent workers, we do it to win. As generations of workers struggle against brutality and intimidation to organize themselves into labor unions, the public is still being misled about our tactics.  Organizing can simply be defined as a group of workers joining together to form a union in the workplace, often with the help of a union organizer. One workplace or home at a time, Teamsters communicate with as many people accomplish the goal of educating workers on their legal rights to organize themselves into a union the same way employers organize themselves. The shape of the campaign is decided by the workplace conditions and general improvements workers hope to achieve through collective bargaining. This entire process, up until the election where workers vote to affiliate or disavow union membership, is considered the organizing campaign.

Workers carry out this process to bind themselves into a single unit in what can be a beautiful and rewarding process.  Once the process of organizing has been completed the group of workers’ economic and employment interests can be bargained for by the union representatives they have chosen. That explanation is accurate in terms of procedure, but neglects to highlight the reality of historical blockades standing in the way of those who aspire to be represented by a union. Those challenges usually include workplace threats and intimidation by employers, archaic labor laws that delay the election process beyond reasonable expectation, and fail to protect workers from common threats of being fired or violently attacked by a company for union participation.

For years the definition of the word organizer meant different things to different people. Dan Tobin, 45 year Teamster President, expected General organizers to handle many daily tasks involving union business. James R. Hoffa himself became an organizer bringing hundreds of thousands of new workers into the fold in the matter in a few short years. So the term is somewhat misleading since at times it encompassed several jobs of varying levels of importance. Our records show that in 1903, the year after the massive Chicago strike, Teamster leadership was thinking forward and discussing the hiring of at least two Special or General Organizers. This is an instructive look into the job of an organizer at that time. They acted as representatives and agents for and were directly assigned by the General President. General President N.W Evans explained his reasoning for wanting to create a new category of organizer was:[i]

“To provide men who can proceed at once to the seat of any difficulty, assist Locals in presenting wage scales or effecting or assisting in effecting new organizations, I recommend the Executive board be given authority to hire at least two persons, for the purpose named for the period of one year, their salaries not to exceed $100 per month and legitimate expenses they are to be under the direction of the General President during their term of office.”

It is informative that Evans thought it necessary to defend his recommendation of hiring new organizers against criticism:

“To some this may seem like a proposed extravagance, but in my opinion it is not, as these men being always ready, could reach any point in short order, and perform effective service where money is spent, under present usage, indiscriminately and to little purpose.”

The success of these organizers in growing the size and power of the union during these early years can be attributed to many factors but it is certain that transparency and accountability on their activities contributed in a major way. A message in the 1902 Team Drivers’ Journal entitled, “Attention Officers and Organizers!” illustrates that expectation:[ii]

“Officers and Organizers of the International Union are requested to send in on the first of each month, without fail, a full report of work they have accomplished during the preceding month, for publication in the Official Journal. The report should be as brief as possible, and at the same time contain all items of interest.”

This simple but clear passage demonstrates the level of productivity these organizers were required to meet. The Journal was sent to every local union office at the time and later on distributed to the home of every Teamster member meaning that members knew what organizers were doing in their area.

In the same year T.D.I.U Local 164 President John E. Longstreet of Cincinnati gave some more description of the typical events and organizing activities of a local of that time. In the Team Drivers Journal he explained how a brother from Local 164 had been “instantly killed” when he fell from his wagon. In response, the local had decided that a customary floral tribute be sent in the form of a broken wagon wheel as a token of “high esteem” from his brothers in the union. Longstreet’s report further explains our members were sent to act as pall bearers.[iii]

These days the workers who depend on organizers have varying schedules so it requires rising early and receiving phone calls at all hours of the night.  Our organizers travel far from home, sometimes for months at a time, in order to provide assistance for those who struggle to improve their lives. Today an organizer’s job focuses mainly on just that, organizing. Successful organizing campaigns require more than 40 hours per week or more just as they did 100+ years ago.

[i] Appendix to Team Drivers’ Journal Proceedings of the Sixth Annual Convention of the Team Drivers’ International Union: (Niagara Falls, N.Y. August 1st to 11th, inclusive. 1903 .P. 29.

[ii] Team Drivers’ Journal November 1902.P.1

[iii] Team Drivers’ Journal August 1902. P. 8.