Over 200 Northern California Teamsters packed Local 287’s San Jose hall on Saturday, October 10, 2009 for a full day of instruction at the Teamsters Organizer Bootcamp. The Bootcamp, led by some of the IBT’s top organizers, is a traveling classroom dedicated to bringing 1,000 volunteers into Teamster organizing campaigns by the end of the year.

Not surprisingly, the attendance at Joint Council 7’s spirited Bootcamp was double that of any other Bootcamp held so far across the country. And if the enthusiasm and interest of the rank-and-filers assembled in San Jose is any indication of the success of the Bootcamp, it would appear that a whole bunch of Northern California’s non-union workers will soon become proud members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

Rome Aloise, the popular President of Joint Council 7 (soon to be JC45 after their merger with JC38) opened the session by emphasizing the absolute necessity of developing effective organizers. Having been a Teamster organizer for 15 years, Rome holds a special place in his heart for the difficulty organizers face and is committed to not only supporting the Bootcamps, but also making sure the trained volunteers are used in organizing campaigns.

The Bootcamp’s message was pretty clear; if we want the International Brotherhood of Teamsters to survive, we need members to get involved. Becoming a volunteer organizer is one way members can make a significant impact. JC7 President Rome Aloise understands this and so do the 200-plus members who attended the IBT's Bootcamp.