More than 7,000 Teamster delegates from across the North America will gather for the 27th International Convention June 26-30 at the Paris Hotel Convention Center in Las Vegas.These delegates, selected by their fellow local union members, are "the supreme governing authority of the International Union," the Teamsters Constitution states. It is these members who have the very important role of shaping the leadership and the direction of the largest democratically elected union in the nation – 1.4 million members strong.
The Convention is held every five years for the purpose of nominating the candidates to the General Executive Board, which includes the offices of General President and General Secretary-Treasurer.
The General Executive Board also consists of 22 regional and at-large vice-presidents, as well as three International trustees.
Voting for these candidates occurs in October and November, when ballots are mailed to all IBT members.
The number of delegates each Local Union can send to the convention is determined by its size.
In addition to selecting candidates for the General Executive Board, the Convention also debates proposed by-law changes to the IBT Constitution and votes on the proposals.
The delegates will also recommend, discuss and vote upon resolutions addressing key issues that are of interest to the membership.
Some notable issues include:
IBT assistance to Hurricane Katrina victims;
New initiatives for more effective and larger scale organizing campaigns;
The Change to Win federation;
Welcoming the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes (BMWE) and the Graphic Communications International Union (GCIU) to the IBT; and
Recognizing representative recipients of the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Award.
The deadline for discounted hotel accommodations has passed but guests may still register to attend the Convention by requesting a registration form from the IBT Travel Department, 202-624-6999. First-come, first-serve accommodations may still be available. While accommodations can no longer be guaranteed, registration is required.
