XXI - Message from James P. Hoffa

The working world in the 21st century already appears dramatically different than that which appeared 100 years ago. The tremendous acceleration of technology-based innovations has dramatically increased productivity. Advances in transportation and communications have effectively shrunk the size of the world and ushered in the global economy. Massive political shifts, in part the result of two devastating world wars and scores of smaller ones, have established democracy and free-market capitalism as the dominant ideologies of our time.

Yet today’s worker still fights for many of the same objectives as a century ago — fair wages, workplace safety, adequate health care coverage, and a dignified retirement. The American Dream still promises that if you work hard and live right, you can raise and educate a family free from fear and poverty.

For nearly 100 years, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters has led the labor movement’s struggle to fulfill that promise by achieving economic and social justice for America’s working families. As the nation’s largest private-sector trade union, we amplify the collective voice of our 1.4 million members into a powerful force that is influential far beyond our numbers.

To make life better for members and their families — and for all working families — the Teamsters organize the unorganized, make workers’ voices heard in the corridors of power, negotiate contracts that make the American Dream a reality for millions, provide training opportunities to keep skills current, protect workers’ health and safety, and fight to keep jobs in North America.

The Teamsters Union also forms alliances with community and religious groups and with government agencies to further the interests of American workers. For example, we have worked closely with the U.S. Department of Labor on a broad range of initiatives to create and enhance jobs, including:

• The President’s Council on the 21st Century Workforce which seeks ways to improve worker training and close the skills gap in our rapidly changing economy;
• Comprehensive energy policy reform, to create tens of thousands of new jobs and to ensure that our nation has reliable domestic sources of energy; and
• Minority outreach efforts, to make sure that the composition of the labor movement is fully inclusive and reflects the rich and varied tapestry of the American workforce.

In the 21st century, we will continue our partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor, which is tasked with enforcing the laws and protecting the rights of all American workers. Our mission will remain unchanged: to serve as an effective agent for representing these workers’ concerns.

James P. Hoffa
General President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters

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