Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU)

Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU) emerged in the 1970s as a socialist reform faction within the Teamsters.  They targeted Teamster corruption and "business  unionism" that colluded with employers and enforced hierarchies that excluded rank and file workers and benefited union officials.  They saw worker frustration in the canning industry as an opportunity to intervene and challenge the Teamsters. They began working on Watsonville before the strike to challenge the leadership of Local 912. These activists worked with the Watsonville Strike Support Committee.  Strategically they focused on empowering rank and file workers and solidarity among workers, such as cannery workers and farm workers.  

Esperanza Torres came to Watsonville from Michoacán. She and her husband Enrique lived across from Watsonville Canning and both worked at the plant.  In her interview, Torres talks about how she got involved with TDU through Joe Fahey and Frank Bardacke, conflicts within the union, and strike activities.  Her interview is primarily in Spanish with her son translating.  Torres went on to work as an organizer for Teamsters Local 890 for many years after the strike.

The mailer below promotes Joe Fahey as a candidate for Business Agent / Recording Secretary in the Local 912 elections. Fahey was attending the UCSC teacher certification program when he dropped out to work for UPS, join the Teamsters Union, and advocate for teamster reform through TDU.  The  mailer lists how he will improve the union and help them win the strike and provides testimony from cannery workers about specific problems Joe helped them with, including child care at union meetings and a discrimination case brought against the company.

Questions

  • How did Torres get involved in with the union?  What are some of the conflicts she describes within the union?
  • How might something such as child care at union meetings impact the ability of women to participate? 
  • How does printing a flyer with both Spanish and English impact participation?

Esperanza Torres:  Groups within the Union

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Text for mailer below (PDF) Download Text for mailer below (PDF)

Pamphlet promoting candidate Joe Fahey in Local 912 electionsPamphlet promoting candidate Joe Fahey in Local 912 elections

"Esperanza Torres interviewed by Peter Shapiro." 27 Dec. 2014.  larc.oh.shapiro_29, Labor Archives Research Center.  This is a clip from a longer interview which can be found here: https://archive.org/details/csfst_006455 Links to an external site.

"Vote por Joe Fahey." Mailer. Frank Bardacke Watsonville Canneries Strike Records, larc.ms.0093, Labor Archives & Research Center, San Francisco State University.