More than 65,000 workers have joined the Graphic Communications Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (GCC/IBT) to bring democracy into their lives on the job. These members have built for themselves:

• Local unions, representing workers in one bargaining unit or shop.
• District councils, representing members in various geographical regions.
• The Conference, representing all of the 65,000 active members and tens of thousands of retirees.

Just as the U.S. Constitution guarantees that the American people run their government and the Canadian democratic system ensures citizens' rights, the GCC/IBT's constitution guarantees that the members run the union.

The constitution protects your rights

In the GCC/IBT's constitution, there is a Bill of Rights guaranteeing your rights as a member of this Conference:

• You have the right to speak out at your local union meetings.
• You have the right to elect your own local union and Conference officers.
• You have the right to vote on your local union's dues structure and constitution.
• You have the right to a full accounting of how your dues money is spent by your local union, district council, and Conference.

You elect the officers

After the employees of your company vote for union representation, you will have the right to vote to elect the officers of your local union and the Conference, such as the president, vice presidents, and secretary-treasurer. Most GCC/IBT locals have elections every two years. Every member is eligible to run for office, to make nominations, and to vote in the elections.

You decide on the constitution and dues structure

The members in every GCC/IBT local union vote to approve their own local constitution. They vote on the amount of local dues they will pay to support the services of their union, such as collective bargaining, grievance handling, legal counsel, and others.