Sisters and Brothers -

The global pandemic has brought immense challenges for our Union and our communities, but it hasn’t stopped us from thinking strategically and planning for the future.

Over the last few months, we’ve been engaged in a strategic planning process to fortify our ability to achieve strong contracts, improve the lives of all workers, and lift up our communities.

Our planning committee has put together a short video outlining the priorities we’ve established through this process.

The strategic planning process at Teamsters 117 has led to three main priorities based on the feedback of thousands of members through an online survey and through member focus groups. As we approach all of the work under this plan, equity, racial justice and the inclusion of all members will be our top priority.

These are the focus areas that will help guide our Union’s work over the next three years:

• Invest in Member Action & Development: We will empower members to take full ownership of the Union through intentional training, development, engagement, and leadership opportunities.
• Grow our Union: We will fortify our Union for the diverse working people of our State and use growth to meet the future’s challenges and uncertainty.
• Unite our Power: We will establish a single union-wide effort that has an impact beyond any individual contract that benefits our members and the community at large.

Some of the exciting initiatives we are considering under this plan include creating an out-of-work hiring hall at the Local, providing bi-monthly training opportunities for members, and incorporating common good demands into our contract campaigns.

If you have questions about our Union’s strategic plan or the planning process, please contact one of our strategic planning committee co-chairs, Will Pittz or Jill Reese.

Thank you for helping to build a stronger Union for the future.

In unity,

John Scearcy
Secretary-Treasurer