THE TEAMSTERS
Background
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) or otherwise known as The Teamsters started on August 1903. This union started at a joint convention in Niagara Falls, N.Y. Cornelius Shea was elected its first General President. The teamsters where originally men who drove horse-drawn wagons. In their day work consisted of 12-18 hour shifts with small pay. A teamster was expected haul his load and also to assume liability for bad accounts and for lost or damaged merchandise. All the risks where taken by them with little or no reward. In 1901, angry drivers joined together to form the Team Drivers International Union (TDIU), and a year latter they broke up forming their rivals, the Teamsters National Union. Samuel Gompers convinced both unions at the joint convention in Niagara Falls, N.Y. that they were stronger together and that's what brought about the Teamsters.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) or otherwise known as The Teamsters started on August 1903. This union started at a joint convention in Niagara Falls, N.Y. Cornelius Shea was elected its first General President. The teamsters where originally men who drove horse-drawn wagons. In their day work consisted of 12-18 hour shifts with small pay. A teamster was expected haul his load and also to assume liability for bad accounts and for lost or damaged merchandise. All the risks where taken by them with little or no reward. In 1901, angry drivers joined together to form the Team Drivers International Union (TDIU), and a year latter they broke up forming their rivals, the Teamsters National Union. Samuel Gompers convinced both unions at the joint convention in Niagara Falls, N.Y. that they were stronger together and that's what brought about the Teamsters.