July 19, 2022
Vote provides resounding statement of support for current and future Teamsters Local 174 members
At a special meeting at the Teamsters Union Hall Saturday morning, Local 174 members voted by a margin of more than 90% in favor of increasing their own assessments to provide better strength and stability to the Local 174 Strike Fund and Organizing Fund. The meeting was called after a group of members made a motion at the May 2022 General Membership Meeting to amend the Local 174 Bylaws for the increase. With the added funds evenly split between the Strike Fund and Organizing Fund, the ratified amendment also spells out a system for adjusting Strike Fund payouts to the health of the fund – the more the Strike Fund grows, the higher the weekly benefits will be.
The Local 174 Strike Fund has existed for decades, and pays striking workers a weekly benefit that is in addition to the benefits they receive from the International Teamsters Strike Fund. The Organizing Fund will also grow, which supports staffing and materials necessary for bringing nonunion workers into the Teamsters.
“Organizing is the lifeblood of our organization, and being in a position to take on greedy Employers is the key to delivering the strong contracts our members deserve in exchange for the value they provide to their Companies,” said Teamsters Local 174 Secretary-Treasurer Rick Hicks. “In 1976, rank-and-file members voted to assess themselves additional funds each month to address both of these situations, which our current members have now voted to improve upon.”
“This vote is a clear signal that the Local 174 members of today are willing to continue to invest in a strong future,” Hicks continued. “More than 90% of the members in attendance committed to a slightly higher rate in order to build resources that will allow us to further our goals in organizing new members, and allow us to stand up to greedy Employers with a long-lasting strike fund that pays out meaningful benefits.”
“In fact, many of those objecting to the Assessments did so because they felt the increase was not substantial enough, and should have been higher. The overall commitment to investing in our Union was universal and should be a signal to employers that the Teamsters are stronger than ever and will not back down from any fight,” Hicks concluded.
Founded in 1909, Teamsters Local 174 represents 8,600 working men and women in Seattle and the surrounding areas. “Like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TeamstersLocal174.