With so much turmoil facing our communities, we wanted to highlight inspirational stories of members and their families within our Union. 

Recently, we had the honor of recognizing two members of Teamsters 117, along with the daughter of one of our members, as the first-ever recipients of the Jayme Biendl Working Womxn's scholarship.

This scholarship was established by our Union's Womxn's Committee in the lead up to our inaugural Teamsters 117 Womxn's Conference held in Tukwila in 2019. The scholarship is named in honor of our Teamster Sister, Officer Jayme Biendl, a Local 117 member who was murdered in the line of duty in the Monroe Correctional Complex in 2011. 

Through this scholarship, we honor Officer Biendl's sacrifice by supporting the education of Teamster women who are dedicated to serving their communities. 

The recipients of the Jayme Biendl Working Womxn's scholarship for 2020 are: 

• Julia Bonsell, member at the Tacoma-Pierce County Humane Society
• Candace Kludt, member at South Sound 911
• Jade Leota, dependent of member Christine O'Brien at the Port of Seattle

We congratulate these inspiring women who embody the indomitable spirit of Officer Biendl through their service and sacrifice. 

You can learn more about the Jayme Biendl Working Womxn's scholarship and our Union's other scholarship opportunities on our website here. To join in the exciting work of our Union's Womxn's Committee, please reach out to Jill Reese at [email protected].