Amid the heat of contract talks and the national election campaign, Local 237 President Carl Haynes and International Brotherhood of Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa called for unity and a massive voter turnout to secure the future of working American families.

The Teamsters leaders came together to welcome “the backbone of Local 237,” said Haynes at the 11th annual Shop Stewards Seminar held June 14-17 at the Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City.

“We are the most recognizable union in this country,” said Haynes, reflecting on Local 237’s distinction as the largest local of the 500 that are affiliated with the 100-year-old IBT. “We’re different and we want to make sure our contract is different,” said Haynes, affirming that Local 237 will not accept a copy of the recently ratified DC 37 contract with its givebacks in salaries for the unborn, sick time, overtime and vacation. “You deserve to be treated right and we’re going to fight.”

Hoffa emphasized an even broader fight to “Take back America.” Teamsters is “a word that sounds like power,” said Hoffa, affirming that “if we all get involved we could exercise that power,” to defeat President Bush who “stands for everything we don’t believe in.” Citing Bush’s efforts to crush unions through privatization and further erode workers’ rights to minimum wages, overtime and social security, Hoffa identified three main election year issues: “Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!”

It’s about “your jobs,” he said, adding that it’s every Teamster’s job to “become a leader.” Hoffa said that Local 237’s seminar was “impressive,” and urged the nearly 600 shop stewards who attended to take advantage of the 29 workshops to learn how to do their jobs better. “You are key to everything. The rank-and-file look up to you.” He also encouraged the stewards to get active in politics. “You are public employees,” he said.

“As stewards you need to tell members to get involved in the political process; to vote.” He recalled how Local 237 stopped Giuliani from privatizing hospital police because the union exercised political power.

On the national front, Hoffa reminded stewards that a mere 530 votes in Florida got Bush in the White House, and he encouraged the stewards to “excite members about voting.”

The stewards expressed their own excitement with cheers as Hoffa closed with the rally cry to “Send George Bush back to Texas.”