IBT   25 Louisiana Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20001

International Brotherhood of Teamsters

n August 1903, the Team Drivers International Union and the Teamsters National Union joined forces to create the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT). The early teamsters drove horse-drawn wagons, but during the early to mid 1900s the membership expanded to include gravel haulers, beer wagon drivers, milk wagon drivers and deliverymen for bakeries. When motorized vehicles replaced horse-drawn wagons and changed the transportation industry in the United States, the Teamsters quickly organized the fast growing motorized truck delivery industry.

For more than a century, the IBT has helped millions of workers achieve the American Dream. The Teamsters union is organized under 21 Industrial Divisions that include both professional and non-professional, private sector and public sector jobs. IBT members are employed in a variety of professions including vegetable workers, sanitation workers, brewers, newspaper workers, construction workers, zoo keepers, healthcare workers, bakery workers, airline pilots, secretaries, and police officers.

The IBT serves its members by:

• Organizing workers so that they have a voice in the workplace.
• Educating workers so that they understand their workplace rights and can participate fully in our democratic society.
• Involving workers in the political process so that their issues are addressed.
• Negotiating and enforcing contracts with employers that ensure that each worker will be treated with dignity, justice and respect.

Contracts negotiated by the IBT members entitle workers to wages and benefits that are markedly better than those of non-union employees in similar jobs. Teamster contracts guarantee workers a decent wage, fair promotions, health coverage, job security, paid time-off and retirement income. The Teamsters Union is also active in areas such as pension management, safety and health advances, community outreach, governmental affairs and communications. Since the union's founding, the Teamsters have been a public voice for the rights and aspirations of working men and women and a key player in securing them.