It was an impressive show of union power: Hundreds of Teamsters 117 Shop Stewards filling a massive auditorium at the Washington State Convention Center in downtown Seattle. 

The occasion? Our annual Shop Steward Seminar and Appreciation Day, which was held on Saturday. View photos from the Seminar here.

"As Shop Stewards, you are the backbone of this Union," said John Scearcy, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters 117, as he welcomed the group. "Your work on the shop floor and in the community is essential to our success at growing our Union and building power and unity for working families across the Pacific Northwest."

The theme of this year's Seminar was United for the Future.  "Our strength is our pathway to unity," Scearcy said, as he laid out his vision for the future and unveiled a new mission statement for our Union:

OUR MISSION: We build unity and power for all working people to improve lives and lift up our communities. This is our Union.

The new mission, Scearcy said, was inspired by input from over 2,500 membership surveys collected over the past few months. 

Scearcy was followed by Senator Rebecca Saldaña (37th LD), this year's keynote speaker. Senator Saldaña has been dubbed a rising star in Olympia who is able to reach across the aisle to get things done. 

The breakout workshops focused on developing our Union's strategic plan, building power in the workplace, and forging our future through family, strength, and community.

During lunch, members tried their luck at stumping four attorneys, including three from the labor-side law firm, Schwerin Campbell Barnard Iglitzin & Lavitt LLP, along with our new Associate General Counsel, Marie Duarte.

Thank you to our members who attended the event and to all Local 117 Shop Stewards. You make our Union strong!