Since 1903, the Teamsters Union has been at the forefront of the struggle for workers’ rights in North America. During Black History Month, Teamsters honor the contributions of African-Americans in our nation’s history and their important place in the union today.

Early on in the union’s history, Teamsters advocated for “no color lines” within the labor movement and would not hold with the practice of separate unions for black members. Women and minorities were part of the membership from the beginning, with black Teamsters attending at the founding convention. Teamster contracts included provisions for equal pay as early as 1917. That year, the union won a clause in a contract for women laundry workers that employees would be paid the same regardless of race.

Over the years, the Teamsters Union has been privileged to both lead and support civil rights struggles that helped build the foundation of our great union and helped make North America a better place for all of us.

“Today’s Teamsters work in almost every imaginable occupation and hail from a multitude of backgrounds and ethnicities,” said Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President. “While our heritage and tasks may differ, we share a common commitment to guaranteeing a safe and fair workplace, a secure retirement and a decent standard of living for ourselves, our families and our fellow workers.”

Photos of the Teamsters Leading 2019 Memphis MLK Day Parade

This Black History Month, be thankful for the contributions of those who have helped make our union what it is: a diverse, ever-growing organization that fights for justice, equality and fair treatment in the workplace.

Dozens of 492 Teamsters Honor Vets in NM

Over 30 Teamsters and their family members from around the state of New Mexico gathered at Santa Fe National Cemetery on December 15, 2018 to participate in the Annual Wreath's Across America project. The Teamsters were tasked with a special gravesite-specific assignment where individuals sponsor a wreath specifically for their loved one who is buried within the Santa Fe National Cemetery. There were also about 900 wreaths sponsored that were not gravesite-specific, so a section of the cemetery is designated every year where the non-specific sponsored wreaths are placed. The Teamster's broke off into two groups to tackle the special assignment. The assignment was completed successfully with due diligence and honor for each specific individual gravesite that received a wreath. There are over 60,000 gravesites at the Santa Fe National Cemetery. In total, over 300 volunteers showed up to successfully lay over 3,000 wreaths. Click Here to View Photos

Wreaths across America organization was officially formed in 2007 but the family behind it has been laying wreaths for vets since 1992, Click Here to learn more. The Santa Fe National Cemetery, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, along with Los Alamos National Laboratory's Community Partnership Division has participated in this great project since 2011. Since the beginning of LANL's participation, the Community Partnership Division has partnered up with various groups, departments, and divisions within the Los Alamos National Laboratory for the success of this project. For the first time ever, the Teamster's Local Union 492 partnered up with the Community Partnership Division, and the Santa Fe National Cemetery, to make the 2018 Wreath's Across America project a memorable success.

Teamster Brother Ralph Martinez of LANS/TRIAD who helped organize the Teamsters participation said; “I want to take this time to thank all the Teamster's, and their families, who came out to help make the 2018 Wreath's Across America project at the Santa Fe National Cemetery a success.  Thank you to the Teamsters listed below that volunteered their Saturday to help honor the veterans. It was a great day of bonding within the Brotherhood and I look forward to more of these days ahead. Thank you guys!!”

Teamsters and their family members in Alphabetical Order from LANL were; Daniel M. Abeyta, Derrick Aragon, James T. Armstrong II, Danny Esquibel, Chris Garcia, Peter Garza, Alex Gutierrez, Leroy Gonzales, Christopher & Rubina Loibl, Phillip & Vincent Lujan, Jesse Marquez, Kenny Ortiz, Modest Quintana, Michael Rivera, James Romero, Jimmy M. Sandoval, Howard Smith, Richard Suazo, Adrian Trujillo, Phillip Valdez. Teamsters from ABF were; Joseph Carrillo, Marvin Garcia, Stephen, Pamela, Dillion, Angel, & Aspen Roger's, Kirk & Brandon Weis, and Larry Ortiz from Roadway.

This article was also reposted by the IBT. 

The application process for the 2019 year is now open. 

To access the JRHMSF application process (administered by ISTS), go to: https://aim.applyists.net

Please use JRHMSF for the "Key"

Eligibility:  For the sons, daughters and financial dependents of Teamster members (including the BMWED, BLET, GCC and TCRC). Academic scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 for high school seniors planning to attend a four-year college or university and Training/Vocational program awards of up to $2,000 for use at community colleges and trade schools. For more details, Click Here.

• Application Open: November 30, 2018

• DEADLINE: March 31, 2019 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time Zone

• Membership Verification Deadline: March 31, 2019

• Notification of Selection Results: June 2019

• Funds Disbursed: August 2019

For general questions about the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund, please call 855-670-ISTS (4787) or Email: contactus@applyISTS.com

College Tuition Discount Network

As a Teamster member, there is a college tuition discount program that is available to you and members of your family. The ISTS Tuition Discount Network (TDN) is a list of For-Profit and Non-Profit colleges and universities that offer reduced tuition. The amount of the reduction can varies by school and can sometimes be as specific as major. Make sure you identify yourself as a Teamster when applying.

The link to the TDN is http://www.applyists.com/tuition-discount-network/. Click on the school's logo to view the discount. 

About James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund

James R. Hoffa became a Teamster member in 1934 and served as General President for 14 years, and, in recognition of his tireless service to the union and its members, was honored as General President Emeritus for life. At the November 1999 General Executive Board meeting, then-General Secretary-Treasurer C. Thomas Keegel presented a resolution to establish the new scholarship fund. This site describes the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund (JRHMSF) and outlines eligibility requirements and application procedures. Please click here.

The James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund is an independent organization established and registered as a tax-exempt entity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Fund is established solely to provide scholarships to the child or dependent of a member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and contributions to the Fund are deductible as charitable contributions to the extent permitted by law.

JRHoffaScholarship2019_FAQs.pdf

“Earlier this evening YRCW announced that it is launching “HNRY Logistics” to leverage its existing networks of Holland, New Penn, Reddaway, and YRC Freight and promote their services as well as provide one-stop shopping for the shipping public. We are encouraged that YRCW is using internal innovation to promote its national network of Teamster represented companies, strengthen its market share, and increase the volume of work that our members perform. We will, of course, monitor these developments and ensure compliance with our existing contracts,” stated Ernie Soehl, National Freight Division Director and Co-Chair, TNFINC on December 3, 2018.

The new HNRY website states, “With HNRY Logistics, shippers now have a single access point to one big, mind-blowing network that will deliver what you need, where you need it and when you need it. With HNRY Logistics, you’ll always have a truck ready to go, a team of people behind it and the latest technology to make it simple and easy. Welcome to the future of logistics. It’s going to be a fun ride.”

YRCW Posted; In this new era of tight capacity, YRC Worldwide is well positioned to respond to the complexities of our customers’ supply chains with a suite of solutions that complement our less-than-truckload (LTL) services. By combining one of the world’s largest LTL networks with a freight brokerage and customer-facing transportation management system (TMS), YRCW is building the future of logistics. “We are excited to leverage the enterprise synergies of Holland, New Penn, Reddaway, YRC Freight and now HNRY Logistics to bring more value to our customer base,” stated Darren Hawkins, chief executive officer of YRC Worldwide. With a North American focus, HNRY Logistics is comprised of five service divisions: Truckload Direct, Express Direct, Residential Direct, Engineered Solutions and Contract Logistics. HNRY Logistics blends cutting-edge technology and multi-mode solutions with our fleet of nearly 60,000 assets. This hybrid logistics model gives the customer a convenient one-stop-shop for all of their capacity needs. “After studying market trends and customer demand, we opted to build our own in-house freight brokerage and offer a carrier-direct TMS shipping portal (myHNRY™),” stated Hawkins. “Our customers will have a single access point to our entire network and brokerage – from rate shopping to dispatch to tracking to payment – creating a seamless digital customer experience.”