Local 743 President Debra Simmons-Peterson

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

It is an honor for me to write this letter to you as the new President of Teamsters Local 743 and I am looking forward to working with all of you.

I know we are facing many challenges, but I also know that our strength relies upon our unity. It is crucial that we all come together at this time and work together as a team. As a rank and file member myself, I have seen how detrimental the lack of representation and absent leadership can be to this Local Union.

I believe that good representation to our members should not be just a service provided, but rather a right which must be observed at all times. Local 743 has already held several membership meetings at various worksites in the first quarter of 2014 in an effort to listen to the member’s issues and concerns and these meetings will continue throughout the remainder of the year.

Local 743 is also planning various events, the first of which will be our upcoming “Meet and Greet Your Union Representative”, to be held on Saturday, April 26, 2014. This event will allow you to have an opportunity to talk to your Union Representatives as well as members of the Local 743 Executive Board about any concerns you have at the workplace. We will also have different vendors present who will both inform and assist you with the many different benefits available to Teamster Union Members.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters Department of Training and Development will be conducting a steward training seminar at Local 743 on Saturday, June 7, 2014. We are striving to continually improve your steward representation by providing stewards with the tools and training they need in order to more efficiently represent our members.

The road ahead of us may not always be easy, but I am encouraging you to take part in this challenge and work together with your Union. I have an open door policy and I encourage members to take an active role in shaping the future of your Local Union.

Fraternally,

Debra Simmons-Peterson
President