the Teamsters
/ðə ˈtiːmstəz/
/ðə ˈtiːmstərz/
(also the Teamsters Union
/ðə ˈtiːmstəz juːniən/
/ðə ˈtiːmstərz juːniən/
)- a very large US trade union with over 1 million members. It was established in 1903. A teamster is a person who drives a truck, but the union now includes many other professions. Its full official name is the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Because of illegal activities within the union, the Teamsters were removed from the AFL-CIO in 1957 but were allowed back in 1985. In 2005 the Teamsters left the AFL-CIO and formed a new group of unions called the Change to Win Federation.