The Teamsters Union’s rules and regulations are designed to govern and control the activities of their members, both on and off the job – and the union defines that control in writing, in a very critical document – the Union Constitution.
Click on the sections below to learn more about what it means to be a Teamster.
The union is serious about collecting money from members as the constitution states:
… all such financial obligations imposed …shall be legal obligations of the members…and are enforceable in a court of law.
— Article XXVII, Section 1
The union spells out the ‘Trials and Appeals’ process of members who violate their constitution.
Any member who commits any one of the 14 violations and specific offenses is subject to reprimands, including fines, suspension and/or expulsion. — Article XIX.
The constitution makes it clear who really runs the union:
The General President shall the authority to interpret the Constitution and laws of the International Union, including the authority to interpret the Bylaws of subordinate bodies…
— Article VI, Sec. 2, (a)
The union’s constitution restricts the freedom of their members and violations of these rules can and do result in disciplinary action, including fines, for their members. The fact remains that the only way to avoid having to work with these restrictions is to avoid working under a union.