Atlanta Boot Camp Brings Member Activists Together

Teamsters Joint Council 75 recently held its second Teamsters Organizers Boot Camp hosted by Local 728 in Atlanta and also attended by GCC Local 527-S.

"Our local was proud to join with our Joint Council and the International Union to hold this boot camp. We brought together some of the best rank-and-file activists and stewards from throughout our local to attend,” said Randy Brown, President of Local 728. “Now we have 50-plus volunteer member organizers ready to hit the streets to build our great union!"

The boot camp was one of many held across the country recently to engage the membership and recruit and train new member organizers.

“This seminar helped me become more aware of the employers’ anti-union tactics and how to counter act them with knowledge. I also learned from the section on the house call agenda. This boot camp was very informative,” said Edith Dunlap, a member of Local 728 and driver at First Student.

“I found this seminar to be useful in giving me some tools to better organize. I have a better grasp of how to get our message out the right way and give the truth about our union to workers,” said Dale Cartwright, a member of GCC Local 527-S. I also appreciated the opportunity to network with fellow Teamsters”.

Hitting the Streets

In addition to a day of education in the classroom, the volunteers also had the opportunity to take part in a live action in front of the offices of Mail Contractors of America (MCA). About 100 workers at MCA in Atlanta were organized last December and are currently working on a first contract. The boot camp engaged the member activists, who took part in a rally to show their solidarity with MCA drivers in getting their first contract, by calling on the company to negotiate in good faith.

"We are prepared to engage and involve our volunteer member organizers to take on strategic organizing targets in our area,” said Ben Speight, Organizing Director for Local 728. “The boot camp was a great resource to our members, giving them the tools they need to immediately join our efforts to organize in unprecedented numbers in the months and years ahead!"