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Office of the General President Capital Strategies Department The Capital Strategies Department works to build Teamster power in the capital markets. With roughly $100 billion invested in equity assets, Teamsters are working to reform how Corporate America does business—ensuring that Teamster money works for Teamster members. By demanding responsible corporate behavior Teamsters are encouraging better corporate performance over the long-term, and greater opportunities for workers to have a voice on the job to secure fair wages, benefits and working conditions. Carin Zelenko, Director Communications Department The Communications Department works closely with International Union departments, divisions, and affiliates to spread information on union programs and goals to members, their families, retirees, allied organizations, public officials, the news media, and the general public. The department also promotes Teamsters concerns and campaigns to the news media, and responds to media inquiries. To communicate with Teamsters members, the department produces the Teamster magazine, which keeps 1.4 million members and retirees, informed about Teamster programs, their rights on the job, and ways that they can get involved. The Communications Department works closely with other International Union departments—including Government Affairs, Safety and Health, Corporate Affairs and Strategic Initiatives, Training and Development, Organizing, and the Trade Divisions and Trade Conferences—to prepare print and audio-visual materials, and to help coordinate campaigns for Teamster members. Bret Caldwell, Director Government Affairs Department As Teamster solidarity can bring about better working conditions on the job, Teamsters and their families can also work together to shape national and state government policies that affect us all. The Government Affairs Department coordinates that activity—lobbying in Congress, testifying before congressional committees and federal agencies, coordinating with the White House and executive branch departments, working with joint councils and locals to create powerful advocacy programs at the local level, activating union members to meet or communicate with elected officials, backing up efforts by Teamsters to protect their interests in state capitols, and building political power. Teamsters political action takes several forms: keeping union members informed on issues that affect their lives and the way their members of Congress vote and respond; working to elect friends and defeat those who oppose us by training and placing Teamsters in political campaigns; and by trying to insure that every Teamster family is registered to vote and participates on election day. Finally, the Teamsters’ political action committee, DRIVE (Democrat, Republican, Independent Voter Education), raises money through voluntary contributions from Teamster members and uses those funds to help elect candidates who are sensitive to the needs of working people and their families. DRIVE is a part of the Government Affairs Department. Phone (202) 624-8741 Newly created as part of the International Union’s
commitment to increasing union membership, the Teamsters Economics & Contracts
Department serves the local affiliates and Teamsters Trade Divisions/Conferences
as a key source of financial, statistical and agreements information. Jim Kimball, Director Human Rights Commission The Teamsters Human Rights Commission takes pride in the strength that is drawn from the diversity within the Union’s ranks. Further, it recognizes that different physical and cultural qualities such as "race, age, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disabilities or national origin" make individuals unique and deserving of respect. The Commission has been structured as a partnership in diversity to build better lives for all Teamsters. Therefore, the General President has appointed State and Provincial Coordinators to develop educational programs tailored to individual needs. The mission statement of the Human Rights Commission is "Diversity Works!" Several other programs fall under the umbrella of the Human Rights Commission:
Cheryl L. Johnson, Director Legal Department The Teamsters International Union Legal Department offers expert advice and assistance on a broad range of labor law issues. An experienced in-house legal staff is well versed on the laws and regulations affecting Teamster affiliates and members. Each Teamster Division is assigned a staff attorney who is familiar with the issues and concerns of that Division. The department also works closely with other departments to help the International Union and its Locals win strong contracts. Bradley T. Raymond, General Counsel Organizing Department The Organizing Department coordinates the organizing activities of Teamsters throughout the country. The department is available to assist local unions, joint councils, and trade divisions and trade conferences in establishing organizing programs, supporting local campaigns, developing budgets, recruiting and training volunteers, and providing materials. The Organizing Department also helps to coordinate industry-wide and company-wide organizing efforts, participates in joint organizing campaigns with other unions, and assists in mergers and affiliations. Jeff Farmer, Director Department for Retiree Affairs The Department for Retiree Affairs is dedicated to meeting the needs of all retired Teamsters. In the decade since the department was established, with the help of our Local Unions, over 300 Teamster Retiree Chapters/Clubs have been chartered. The department encourages members of the Retirees Clubs to participate in and support contract and organizing campaigns. The Department for Retiree Affairs, together with the Government Affairs Department, strives to influence policy makers at the national level on issues that affect all Teamsters. The department works to improve and enhance the programs and services available to our retirees. Currently, the department offers an affordable Hospital Indemnity, Medicare Supplemental and Term Life Insurance plans (TEAM MED CARE), an Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance Plan, TeamsteRX Prescription Drug Program, and the Prescription Club of America Program for Teamster Retiree Chapter/Club members. Edgar A. Scribner Safety and Health Department The Safety and Health Department coordinates the Teamsters’ safety and health programs. The department serves as a source for technical advice and training for members, local officers, and joint councils dealing with occupational safety and health and transportation safety problems. In addition the department helps represent members’ interests during collective bargaining and on regulatory matters in all aspects of the safety and health field. Specifically, department staff can provide assistance on issues such as: workers’ rights under OSHA and DOT, truck safety, chemical hazards and "right to know," medical qualifications for drivers, drug testing, exposure monitoring and ventilation, and work-related injuries. The department also administers a hazardous waste and hazardous materials handling training program (EPA Superfund, Department of Energy, and Department of Transportation) conducted throughout the United States, and can assist locals in setting up safety and health committees and training programs. LaMont Byrd, Director Strategic Research and Campaigns Department The department creates programs and materials to train Teamster officers, staff, stewards, and members on topics of concern for the Union. The department works to encourage member involvement in securing better contracts, organizing new members, winning better laws, and strengthening local unions. The department sponsors the Teamsters Leadership Academy, which provides training on all subjects vital to local leaders, bargaining, organizing, political action, and all aspects of union administration. The department also conducts educational programs for joint councils and local unions on the role of the steward, effective bargaining and building membership participation. The department works closely with International Trade Divisions and Trade Conferences to enhance their meetings/conferences. All programs and materials are continually updated to meet the needs of Teamster locals throughout North America. The department serves as advisor to the Teamsters Human
Rights Commission to develop programs and materials relevant to human rights
issues. The department also provides staffing to support special projects like
contract campaigns, and works closely with other IBT departments to better serve
the needs of Teamster officers and their members.
Accounting and Budget Department The Accounting and Budget Department is responsible for originating, analyzing, interpreting, and supplying accurate and reliable financial information. The financial information includes the following:
The department also administers the International Union’s insurance policies and oversees and processes all financial transactions relating to the worker Health and Safety Training Grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health and other government grants. The Accounting and Budget Department is comprised of six basic sections: General Ledger, Budget, and Reporting; Accounts Payable; Travel Expense, Payroll, Pre-Audit and DRIVE.
Mitzi Montemore, Director Affiliates and Automated Records Department The Affiliates and Automated Records Department records all per capita tax payments and other receipts applicable to the International Union. The department communicates regularly with our affiliates on matters such as issuance of new charters, processing revised charter applications, mailing lists, procurement of all seals, surety bond coverage for affiliates, and group exemption with the IRS. With the Office of the General Secretary-Treasurer, the department is also involved in requested waivers of dues and fees as required by the International Constitution. The department comprises three sections:
Hollis Hypes, Director DRIVE Accounting Department The DRIVE department tracks member contributions used in reporting financial information to the Federal Election Commission. The department compiles and files all Federal and state campaign finance returns, and processes all political disbursements. In addition, the department fulfills all information requests from local unions, Joint Councils, and the General Executive Board about DRIVE members. Colleen Brady Information Systems Department The Information Systems Department services the data processing requirements of the International Union headquarters and our affiliates. Applications at the International Union headquarters include, among other things, DRIVE accounting, implementation and support of the International Union’s accounting functions, development of a new accounting package for the Teamster Affiliate Pension Plan, implementation of a new payroll system, contract retrieval system, and other strategic applications. This department presently processes the mailing lists for the International Union magazine and other mailings as required through interaction with the TITAN database. Information Systems also provides the source for the mailing lists applicable to the United Parcel Service Master Agreement, National Master Freight Agreement, and the National Master Automobile Transporters Agreement. The TITAN (Teamsters Information Terminal Accounting Network) System is a local union dues accounting system and communications network that allows more than 95 percent of our affiliates to effectively administer their dues accounting and record keeping functions. In addition, it provides electronic message transmission capabilities to and from our affiliates connected to the network or International Union offices, in less time than it normally takes to make a phone call. The Computerized Bookkeeping System (CBS) automates the Manual for Local Union Secretary-Treasurers. It eliminates the required manual entries necessary to complete the Cash Receipts and Cash Disbursement functions of the required bookkeeping system for our affiliated local unions and joint councils. The system also provides the option of producing checks, which further reduces the time necessary to complete the monthly and annual financial reports. Assigned to the Information Systems Department is a staff of TITAN Field Representatives who are regularly dispatched to our affiliates for the purpose of training office personnel on the TITAN System, computerized Bookkeeping System, and, if applicable, the Manual Bookkeeping System. David Gormley, Director International Auditors As required by the International Union Constitution, there is a staff of International Auditors assigned to the Office of the General Secretary-Treasurer. The primary purpose of the International Auditors is to perform procedural and compliance audits of our affiliates. In addition, they provide services to our affiliates in understanding our required bookkeeping systems: TITAN—Computerized Bookkeeping System—Manual Bookkeeping System. Richard Bell, Executive Assistant to the General
Secretary-Treasurer
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