The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen, and Helpers of America, is one of the largest trade unions in the world. It was first chartered as the Team Drivers International Union in 1899. The name was changed to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in 1903. The Teamsters came about like other unions because workers were not protected from economic exploitation or from the consequences of illness, disability, or unemployment. The Teamsters enabled employees to participate in many types of political activities and to protect themselves by political and economic means.
             The membership consists of about 1.7 million people in such different fields as transportation, warehousing, health care, office management, and construction, as well as many workers in the bakery, dairy, brewery, and food-processing industries. The Teamsters is the only union that represents every craft of workers in the airline industry. The union also represents a growing number of public employees, especially ones working in prisons. One out of every ten union members is a teamster.
             The union is organized into five area conferences that help some 700 locals in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico with regional contracts and negotiations. Their Headquarters is in Washington, D.C.
             Unlike other labor unions, the Teamsters union is structured to promote strong local unions, and strong local leaders. Since the locals negotiate most Teamster contracts and provide most of the services to the members. At the union's headquarters in Washington, D.C., the International Brotherhood of Teamsters supports local unions with coordination of national contract negotiations, political action, and organizing; Training and educational programs for local leaders, stewards, and members; Advice and assistance from experienced organizers, negotiators, researchers, attorneys, safety and health professionals, auditors, and communications specialists....