Australian Students Seek to Learn
From Teamsters

On July 13, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters hosted 23 students and 2 professors from the University of Melbourne, Australia. The group toured the United States and wanted to learn more about organized labor in this country.

The program was organized by the Education Department and provided an overview of the Teamsters Union, its history and the organization’s ongoing commitment to educational efforts in the community. The program also included discussions on the challenges and opportunities in organizing, strategies for a global economy, union density and workers’ benefits, and a comparison of the Clinton and Bush administrations regarding unions and workers.

Associate Director of Education Michael Filler discussed aspects of the Teamsters’ history, what unions do, the collective bargaining process, and the benefits that union members enjoy. Deputy Director of Organizing Kim Keller spoke of human rights in general and the rights of workers to form unions to protect their rights on the job. She also discussed the causes for the decline in union density and the strategies employers use to combat unionization. Strategic Initiatives and Corporate Affairs Director Carin Zelenko and Associate Director Louis Malizia spoke about the global exportation of U.S. employers’ strategies to exploit workers, (Wal-Mart, case in point), and the need for unions around the world to unite for a common cause.

“The students appreciated the fact that none of the presenters tried to hide the enormity of the challenge facing labor at present,” said history professor Glenn Moore. “All were impressed with the determination and creativity being shown in meeting these challenges.  I think other unions in America can learn from the Teamsters. Three things that made the Teamsters stand out in this regard are the aggressive approach to organizing, the attempt to meet the challenges posed by globalization, and the emphasis on educating children and trying to impart a union culture to kids who grow up in non-union homes.” 

This was the second visit from the university under the leadership of Moore, who brought a group to the Teamsters Headquarters in July 2004.

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