A majority of the GCIU General Board at a special meeting held March 3 voted to start conducting merger discussions with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT).

Teamsters and GCIU negotiators held their first formal merger discussions April 7 at GCIU headquarters. The negotiations were opened by GCIU Pres. George Tedeschi and Teamsters Pres. James P. Hoffa. They said they were optimistic about reaching a merger agreement that can be beneficial to the members of both unions. Negotiations are continuing on a regular basis.

Tedeschi appointed a General Board Futures Subcommittee in fall 2002 to determine the best path for the GCIU to take. The panel was charged with also determining whether the GCIU should consider seeking merger partners. The subcommittee met several times and made recommendations to the full General Board. Prospective merger partners were narrowed down to the Communications Workers of America and the Teamsters.

A majority of the General Board members at the special session voiced a preference – and voted for – the Teamsters because they felt that the Teamsters had more to offer.

At the regular General Board session, a majority of the members voted for a resolution that, in the event of a merger, prevents International officers from gaining extra salaries or pension benefits beyond what would be due without a GCIU merger. The General Board resolution requires that "no International officer, in office at the time said merger becomes effective, may, as a result of a merger or affiliation with any international union, accept or receive more than one salary in the new organization, nor shall they receive any increase in pension compensation from the new organization which they would not have received from the GCIU had a merger or affiliation not been consummated. These rules shall be written into the merger agreement and be binding for the entire length of the merger agreement or until all existing officers have retired or attrited, whichever is longer."