The Independent Election Supervisor has issued the official Election Rules that will govern all aspects of the process, including the upcoming petition drive to accredit IBT candidates.
The Accreditation Petition allows slates and candidates who collect enough signatures to become officially accredited candidates.
Widespread petitioning is likely to be delayed by a month or two because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the petition drive will still be a huge part of the campaign—and Teamsters who want new leadership and a new direction for our union are preparing now.
TDU members voted to endorse the O’Brien-Zuckerman Teamsters United Slate—and we will be working hard on the petition drive effort.
The first deadline for submitting petitions to the Election Supervisor is at the end of August; there is a second deadline in December.
Thousands of Teamster volunteers will be needed to collect over 100,000 signatures.
Sign up to be a petition drive volunteer.
Candidates who turn in enough signatures will qualify for space in the Teamster Magazine and on the Teamster website.
Accredited candidates, will be given the Teamster membership list to use to support candidates to use for campaign purposes, including to support candidates for Convention Delegate.
Most importantly, the petition drive is an outreach campaign. Only 17 percent of Teamsters voted in the last election. Collecting signatures and talking Teamster-to-Teamster is a way to increase member participation in the election and in our union.
Sign up to be a petition drive volunteer.
Petition Drive & the Election Rules
The Election Rules give Teamster members authorization to collect petition signatures and campaign in the parking lot of any Teamster employer.
The Election Supervisor has changed petition drive rules. Membership signatures can now be validated by collecting either the member’s mailing address or the last four digits of their social security number.
The Election Supervisor is monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and may issue additional rules or procedures.
It is possible that the petition drive will incorporate a combination of online and paper signatures. That remains to be seen. Either way, Teamster members will be ready to win the change we deserve.