EW4D goes to the TDU Convention

Our mission at Essential Workers for Democracy is to build a powerful, revitalized, worker-led labor movement one union at a time. To that end, we're working with others in this space like Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU) that have been doing this work for years now. Last weekend we attended their convention to learn and share with others doing union revitalization work.

TDU is a 30-year old organization that has worked to revitalize the Teamsters and make it a true worker-led powerhouse union. And their efforts have paid off. The union recently won an historic contract for UPS drivers that includes major pay raises.

At the convention we talked not just with TDU folks but from others involved in union revitalization efforts in United Autoworkers for a Democratic Union (UAWD), NewsGuild, and others. Thanks to the efforts of UAWD, UAW elected President Shawn Fain with one member one vote and they are winning historic gains for workers. Our President Kyong Barry led a workshop with some of these folks.

Kyong was thrilled with how eager TDU and other experienced union revitalizers were to share what they had learned with Essential Workers for Democracy. "Last weekend was eye opening on what EW4D can do for our members like a national master contract where we would fight for everyone at once no matter where the members are. What a game changer that would be for the workers," she said.

Isaac Soto, another EW4D activist at the convention says he took away "invaluable practical knowledge" from Teamsters and UAW members who had successfully revitalized their unions. "As a rank-and-filer embarking on my own journey to do my part in revitalizing my union, I'd like to extend a big thank you to the mighty Teamsters of the TDU! I feel invigorated, inspired, and fortunate to have been afforded the experience. Upward and onward! - solidarity forever," he said.