Teamsters Attend Boot Camp in Chicago

Members Across Illinois Volunteer to Organize
at Teamster City

More than 100 Teamsters throughout Illinois mobilized to strengthen the union on Saturday during an Organizers Boot Camp at Teamster City in Chicago.

Hosted by Teamsters Joint Council 25, the event brought the International Brotherhood of Teamsters together with union leaders in Chicago to train members as volunteer organizers. Packing the Teamsters Local 705 auditorium, local union members officially joined the national effort to recruit and train more than 1,000 volunteer organizers before the end of the year.

“The determination of our members in Chicago and Illinois to come together and help drive the union forward is absolutely inspiring,” said John T. Coli, President of Joint Council 25. “Participation in the Organizers Boot Camp is a selfless commitment to bringing significant change to thousands of workers in this country. It’s heartening to see so many members assume such responsibility.”

The new volunteer organizers participated in a range of training exercises, from in-depth discussions on the rights of workers to active presentations on how best to communicate the Teamster message.

“Our local was just getting ready to start new organizing campaigns and the Boot Camp really hit home with us for getting started,” said Beverly Sisson, a member of Teamsters Local 743. “The training helped us think about how we can help people without harming the campaign. It really got us into gear.”

Members from each of the 22 local unions represented by Joint Council 25 had the opportunity to gear up for future efforts. Antoine Brown, a Teamsters Local 142 member, wasted no time putting some of the techniques of the training to use.

“I learned a lot of little things about organizing that I didn’t know before, like all the good ways to break the ice,” said Brown. “Everyone’s got a story and the Boot Camp gave me methods to share my story the very next day on an organizing campaign.”

Teamsters Joint Council 25 represents more than 100,000 hardworking men and women throughout Illinois.

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