Joint Council 28 Delivers Union Message To Kent-Ridge High School

On April 29, two representatives from Joint Council 28 in Seattle met with 60 students at Kent-Ridge High School in Kent, Washington. Scott Sullivan, Joint Council 28 Organizing and Political Director, and Doug Henderson, Research and Finance Director for the Joint Council, spoke with the senior classes at the request of teacher Chris Howard.

Sullivan and Henderson shared the meaning of a labor union, the history of labor in the United States with emphasis on Teamsters history, and the advantages of working in a unionized job versus working in a nonunionized job. They also discussed major labor and social legislation, including the Social Security Act, and compared the philosophical and economical differences between a strike and a lockout. In addition, they fielded questions on every aspect of trade unionism and workplace rights.

"The experience of giving those who have just entered, or will soon be entering, the workforce some idea of what unions do for the working class is an eye opener,” Henderson said. “Our Joint Council's leadership has made reaching out to the educational facilities a priority so that these individuals can have the much needed information to carry forth the union traditions."

Joint Council 28 is in the process of contacting the Superintendent of Public Instructions to see if a labor education curriculum can be developed and implemented on a statewide basis.

Since 1999, through the Skills For Tomorrow project, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters has reached more than 40,000 students in an effort to educate them about the labor movement, global economy, workplace rights and union industries.

Back to Project in the News