Teamster David Welker to Speak Tonight at 6 pm in Nashville
Isaac Robinson
Bio on Larry Smith sent out earlier this week. Here is the bio for Mr. Welker and info on the Teamsters. Brother Smith and Brother Welker will speak at today's 6 pm labor caucus meeting and will be on a dynamic panel on Saturday morning honoring Dr. King.
David Welker
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Package Division Senior Strategic Campaign Coordinator
David Welker has been a Package Division Senior Campaign Coordinator since September 2005. Under the direction of International Vice President and Division Director Ken Hall, he conducts the research and communications efforts on parcel industry companies including FedEx. Prior to joining the IBT, Welker was Special Projects Director at the AFL-CIO Food and Allied Services Trades Department. He previously was a Program Officer at the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center concentrating on China and Indonesia. He also was an Economic Policy Analyst at the Congressional U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission from 1999 to 2002.
A Long Legacy of Teamsters and Supporting Civil Rights
From its earliest days, the Teamsters fought for racial equality. Part of a contract for female laundry workers in 1917 included a non-negotiable provision that black women must be paid the same as white women doing the same job.
In 1919, the union adopted the national slogan, "Equal pay for equal work," a signal that the Teamsters were strongly supportive of all their members.
Teamsters had a good relationship with Martin Luther King Jr. The Union donated $25,000 to SCLC in 1965.
Teamsters participated as "Freedom Riders" on buses from northern cities heading south.
General President James R. Hoffa, Vice President Harold Gibbons and Martin Luther King Jr. attended the funeral together of Viola Liuzzo, Teamster wife killed for civil rights activities by KKK. Teamster members from many locals sent supplies to Freedom Village and to marchers in Selma.
One of the last photos taken of King was at Local 522 as he accepts a check for the Poor People Campaign before heading to Memphis in 1968.
Teamster leaders and rank and file members marched in Dr. King's funeral procession.
Scores of Teamsters members were among the more than 200,000 people who participated in the historic March on Washington in 1963. Buses carrying Teamsters arrived from near and far, some driving through the night to join the activities on time. Locals 810 and 239 of New York, Local 875 of Flushing, New York, Local 20 of Toledo, Local 688 of St. Louis and Local 743 of Chicago were all noted in particular for outstanding participation.
In April 1961, Teamsters collected four tons of food and clothing for evicted sharecroppers in Tennessee. In addition, General President Hoffa announced that locals across the country would help provide food and clothing to black families who were being punished for registering to vote in the 1960 presidential election.
General President James R. Hoffa was strongly opposed to segregation of any kind and chose to forfeit prospective members rather than abandon the principles of the union. At one point in the 1950s, he and Vice President Harold Gibbons traveled to New Orleans to lead an organizing campaign at a chemical plant but were stonewalled by white workers demanding a separate local for black workers. Hoffa refused, knowing they would lose the election because of the decision. Hoffa was angry about the loss but felt the union was better off without such racist members. "We don't need 'em," he said. "Their way is not the Teamster way."