One of the highlights at YearlyKos 2007 was the Teamsters Cookout on Saturday.
I went because I was hungry and somewhat curious since Jimmy Hoffa Jr. was going to speak.
When I got there I was impressed. Music, hamburgers, a bar and two Teamster owned big trucks on display, what’s not to like.
Then came the big event; a 3rd rig rolled in honking and out of it came Markos AND Jimmy Hoffa. Big hoopla, very impressive.
Markos spoke and Jimmy spoke. Bill Richardson (I am definitely warming up to his campaign) and Mike Gravel also spoke.
As Malacandra and Navajo now famously commented on the spot regarding this historical event; "This is the right wing's worst nightmare."
I agreed wholeheartedly with him. So in Shockwave fashion, I decided to do something to make it happen.
A call to action follows.
Historical photo courtesy of Ozzie.
I met Jimmy Hoffa Jr. himself. Bottom line; what I expected, charismatic, beefy handshake, a natural leader.
Markos and Jimmy had set the stage; I started thinking on how to capture the incredible human energy that I sensed in this historical event when unions and netroots came together for the first time.
I also met other rank and file teamsters and I asked them what their key issues were today.
They told me that the top issue was that, in the last 30 years, Republican appointees to the Secretary of Labor had changed the laws so much that it was now very difficult to organize workers and this was preventing union growth and was the main cause of the erosion of union power and decreasing membership.
I also met, the very competent, Leslie Miller, Teamsters’ Communications Coordinator.
I asked her to tell me where we could focus the power of the blogsphere to make a difference. Perhaps there is a company that is blocking the formation of a union chapter. One where we Kossacks can make a difference by focusing our efforts to alert local and regional media, target relevant local and regional politicians, help defend union organizers, even do fund raising and help picketing.
Leslie told me she would get back to me.
Today she did.
And here it is Kossacks; if we want to turn this symbolic event into something with consequences, let’s help the Teamsters unionize school bus drivers.
Leslie told me that if I went to the Teamsters web site, I would find a link to School Bus Drivers United, a Teamsters chapter.
So no I am in communication with the Teamsters through Leslie.
This is what I need;
. A discussion about school bus driver unionization in this thread so I can show the Teamsters that we can be a factor
. Volunteers that think this is a worthy cause
. Recommends to give this thread exposure
. Ideas
I believe together we can provide the margin of victory to the teamsters in those instances where the key company, First Student, is having success at blocking the formation of chapters.
First Student, which is about to become the biggest private school bus company in the country by buying Laidlaw is a subsidiary of Aberdeen, Scotland-based FirstGroup, which has good relations with trade unions in the UK but not in the US.
This is a chance to prove what the blogsphere and unions can do together. This is a chance to do something useful for school bus drivers everywhere. This is a chance to turn the YearlyKos event into a Republican nightmare.
And think about it; school bus drivers, school buses, safety for kids, what could be a more worthy cause than this one?
Kossacks, I will defer to anyone with more mojo than me who wants to take the wheel. For the moment count on me to get things rolling.
Kossacks let’s take this hill!