Teamsters Local 888

Today in Labor History
July 8, 1966
From July 8 to August 19, 1966, over 35,000 airline workers across the nation employed by five airlines went on strike. After several years of stilted wage gains as the airline industry invested heavily in jet technology, aircraft mechanics and other ground service workers represented by the International Association of Machinists (IAM) were anxious to share in the substantial profits of 1965. Facing a bargaining impasse between the IAM and the five carriers (United, Northwest, National, Trans World and Eastern) covered in the industry’s first multi-carrier labor contract, a Presidential Emergency Board presented a “compromise” package. In the summer of 1966, IAM members rejected this compromise and walked off the job in the largest strike in airline history. For 43 days during the peak summer travel season, 60 percent of the U.S. commercial airline industry was literally inoperative as 35,000 workers stayed out on strike.
~ Voices of Labor

February 2015

Updated On: Mar 27, 2015

Black history is the story of every Teamster
Feb. 3, 2015 | [Editor's note: February is Black History Month.]… From the inception of the union, many Teamsters understand that racial divisions play into the bosses' ploy to divide and weaken the working class. Black unionists were at the center of the Teamsters since our founding in 1903. At a time when Jim Crow held sway in the south and discrimination against African Americans was commonplace nationwide, the Teamsters called for "no color line" in the union as early as 1906. Learn more here.

Boston GCC Teamsters halts deportation of Salvadoran refugee
Feb. 3, 2015 | Demonstrating the importance of community outreach, Graphics Communications Conference/IBT Local 3-N in Boston has worked successfully with the local Jobs With Justice branch, elected officials and faith-based organizations to halt the threatened deportation of a Salvadoran GCC/IBT press operator. Full story here

Teamsters congratulate Walmart workers
Feb. 20, 2015 | Walmart workers who spoke out and took action won a raise for 500,000 Walmart workers nationwide. The Teamsters have supported Walmart workers since the first Black Friday strikes in 2012. "When you fight, you can win," said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. "I'm so proud of the members of OUR Walmart for pushing Walmart to commit to raising their wages. I'm also proud of the thousands of Teamsters who stood side-by-side with them in the fight for justice." Full story…