Colombian Teachers Visit Teamsters Headquarters

Group Leaves Energized With New Ideas

On July 30, six members of the largest teachers’ union in Colombia, the 225,000-member strong Federacion Colombiana de Educadores (FECODE), visited Teamsters Headquarters to learn about the union, and to take the knowledge they gained back with them to help their fellow unionists.

The group came to the United States to attend the 78th Convention of the American Federation of Teachers through the joint efforts of the United States Department of Labor, the American Center for International Labor Solidarity, and the American Federation of Teachers.

Representatives from the Teamsters Education, Research, Communications, and Strategic and Corporate Affairs Departments met with the teachers, who were presented with the Spanish version of a variety of materials about the Teamsters and unions in general.

As a result of the meeting, the two unions committed to maintaining contact and sharing information on ways to strengthen the union movement globally and within each country.

“I am surprised by the Teamsters’ diverse membership and the different occupations,” said Max Correa, a FECODE National Training Coordinator, through an interpreter. “I am also interested in the Teamsters' long history and its ability to be constantly innovative. This knowledge will help us with our goal to increase our union’s membership in different sectors.”

“The Teamsters do well at maintaining unity among its members,” said Melba Delgado, a secondary school teacher. “The union also does a good job building relationships with the general society. We share the same goals.”

“The Teamsters Union has done a great job modernizing and adapting to change,” said Laura Henao, Director in the Office of Women and Family. “We have gained valuable insights.”

The Teamsters Union is committed to reaching out to other labor unions in a unified effort to strengthen the labor movement nationally and globally.

Back to Project in the News