REGISTER TO VOTE

The 2014 elections will be critical to the future of the Teamsters Union, the American middle class and working class Texans. With the War on Workers continuing to rage in all states, there are thirty-six Governors seats (including the Texas Governors race), control of the United States Senate and numerous state legislative chambers up for grabs.

Union Members cannot allow a repeat of the disastrous 2010 mid-term elections and what that election has done to labor, so the time to begin preparing for November is right now.

Unions in Texas will monitor the Democrats to see their party platform. Already the Texas Republican Party has adopted language to attack Labor by encouraging a National Right to Work Act (The Right to Work for Less and become an “employee at will”). They have strong opposition language against the Employee Free Choice Act and included pro-business language in their platform. There is nothing for the Texas workers or Labor Union included in their platform. Nowhere do they address the Texas Workers Compensation Laws that fail so many Texas workers who get injured on the job.

“Report of Permanent Committee on Platform and Resolutions As Amended and Adopted by the 2014 State Convention of the Republican Party of Texas”:

“Right to Work- We oppose the Employee Free Choice Act and any action that eliminates the secret ballot. Every worker should have freedom to work in their preferred job without being forced to join or pay dues to any organization. Our right-to-work law has provided this freedom and a good climate for industrial expansion, higher employment, and a stable management-labor relationship and should be retained. We also encourage the adoption of a National Right-to-Work Act”.

The first step to making sure that Texas Teamster Union members turn out to vote for worker-friendly candidates this fall is to get you registered to vote, regardless of party affiliation. Teamsters Local Union 988 and IBT Joint Council 58 are strongly encouraging every Teamster Union member to register to vote throughout July and August, and especially during our upcoming Teamster Voter Registration Week of Action July 7 - 11.

To assist with these efforts, we have mailed a letter signed by each Principle Officer in Joint Council 58 asking our members and their family members to register to vote. The IBT has supplied records that show members who are not currently registered to vote in the county in which you live; were once registered and moved; or got married and/or have a name change. The Texas Secretary of State’s office has supplied voter registration cards to Teamsters Local 988. Local 988 has mailed a card to each members who is not registered to Vote. Please legibly fill out the enclosed Voters Registration Card (exactly as your name and address appears on your Texas Drivers License) and mail it to the Texas Secretary of State’s office today. The Texas Secretary of State’s office will then process the card and you will be able to help Labor fight for the Texas middle class and the working class in November.

Teamster Local Union No. 988 and IBT Joint Council 58 (covering the southern half of Texas) will continue to update our records and monitor all of our Union members in this process. Please fill out the enclosed Voters Registration Card and mail it today, then call us at 281-560-2011 so we can update our TITAN records to remove you from future mailings.

Fraternally Yours,

TEAMSTER LOCAL UNOIN NO. 988

Robert Mele

President/Business Manager