What real people tell Teamsters about wanting to join us

Teamsters hear from many, many people who want to join us. Most employers make it extremely difficult. They intimide and harass workers who want to form a union. Intimidation and harassment are illegal, but they did it anyway because they don't fear punishment. Sometimes we're amazed that people actually manage to join Teamster locals, given all the obstacles.

People want to join unions now more than ever. We've shared anonymous requests to join in the past, and today we bring you more anonymous requests from workers asking for help to become Teamsters. Our Organizing department is deluged with requests from workers who are bullied by employers, forced to work long hours, treated unfairly and exposed to dangerous working conditions.

Here's what they tell us: 

The Teamsters have  been trying to organize  us. I know you have been in the production people. But what about  us folks in the office? We are being run into the ground by the management! I would  really like to know what's going on and be included in the conversation. 

...we would like some information on organizing ourselves, so that we might help focus the company's vision and attract other top professionals to our workplace.

Me and my fellow coworkers have no protection. All of us work overtime but the employer does not pay -- only 40 hours.  Nor do we get paid holidays or vacations or personal days. All workers agree to vote for the union without the employer being notified. We need help organizing a union secretly. 

We are a printing company with minimum safety and they're making us run two presses at once while some pressman spend most of the time on the phone or the internet.  We are being exposed to chemicals while others are not. I'm sick and tired of being bullied and need some help. 

Please help me organize my distribution center. We have been taken over ... and they are looking to make working conditions unbearable. 

My employer changes our wage at will. They spy on us with in-cab cameras. They spy on us and give us time off for violations of their safety rules, yet we drive trucks that are unsafe? They have hourly employees supervise several other hourly employees without compensation. Several years ago a group of men tried to unionize and when the company got wind of their efforts they were all fired.

It's tough out there. 

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Posted by: Tukiyooo What real people tell Teamsters about wanting to join us Updated at : 9:22 AM

Thursday, November 21, 2013