The Chicago Teamsters staked its position on the General Executive Board on May 6 as International Central Region Vice Presidents John T. Coli and Becky Strzechowski were officially inaugurated at the Teamsters Unity Conference in Las Vegas.

Coli, President of Teamsters Joint Council 25, took the oath of office for his second term as an International officer. Teamsters Local 700 Secretary-Treasurer Strzechowski began her first term after being sworn in as the very first woman Vice President from Chicago. The General Executive Board's inauguration capped the opening of the two-day conference attended by more than 1,000 Teamster leaders, representatives and members from across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

"The Central Region is the backbone of the Teamsters Union, and it is my privilege to protect and represent our incredible members," said Coli, who has been an International Vice President since 2006 and Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 727 since 1992. "I'm honored to serve alongside Becky Strzechowski and our other Vice Presidents, and to work with General President Jim Hoffa to continue to move this union forward."

As International officers, Coli and Strzechowski represent hundreds of thousands of Teamsters across the Midwest. They are joined on the General Executive Board by two other Central Region Vice Presidents-Brian Buhle of Teamsters Local 135 in Indianapolis and Gordon Sweeton, the Assistant Director of the National Freight Division. Strzechowski also serves alongside Vice President-at-Large Ferline Buie of Teamsters Local 922 as the International's leading Teamster women.

"I'm so proud to be a voice for union women and for working Teamster families throughout the Central Region," said Strzechowski, who was elected to the leadership of Local 700 in 2011. "To all of our hardworking members, I pledge to work tirelessly with President Coli and General President Hoffa to make the next five years even better than the last."

Coli Urges Obama Endorsement

"If we think the War on Workers is tough right now, put Mitt Romney in office and you'll see how tough it can get," Coli said, before a raucous crowd at Bally's Hotel and Casino. "We have to do this. It's more critical than anything we do this fall."

Shortly after the endorsement, Obama called in live during the conference to thank the Teamsters for the support.

"We have a common vision for where we want to take this country, one where everyone has a fair shot. I could not be prouder for your endorsement," Obama said. "Let's get to work. Let's move this country forward."

Secretary-Treasurer Strzechowski Appointed to MPEA Board by Gov. Quinn 

Local 700 Secretary-Treasurer Becky Strzechowski was appointed to the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority Board on Monday. As the first Teamster appointed to this board, Strzechowski hopes to bring a balanced view to the table - one that includes the interests of working people.

"In addition to making sure the decisions of this board help improve the local economy and properly promote McCormick Place and Navy Pier, I'm also looking forward to being a voice for working people," said Strzechowski.

The MPEA appointed a total of eight board members on Monday. Gov. Quinn and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel each appointed four members. Gov. Quinn appointed Strzechowski.

The MPEA owns McCormick Place and Navy Pier. McCormick Place is the largest convention center in the nation, featuring 2.6 million square feet of exhibition space. Navy Pier also provides room for smaller scale trade shows and is also one of the largest tourist attractions in Illinois.

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Register Now for Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk Join Teamsters Women’s Committee for Y-Me Race at Your Pace on May 13 WHAT: 21st Annual Y-Me Race at Your Pace 5K Run and Walks WHEN: 8 a.m. Sunday, May 13, 2012 (Mother’s Day) WHERE: Grant Park, Columbus Drive at Balbo Avenue, Chicago The Teamsters Joint Council 25 Women’s Committee invites all members and their families to walk or run in support of the Y-Me National Breast Cancer Organization on Mother’s Day in Grant Park. Registration costs just $35, and all participants will receive a commemorative Y-Me T-shirt. In addition, all members are strongly encouraged to raise money for the Chicago-based Y-Me organization, which supports women, men and families battling breast cancer. Joint Council 25 will be making a generous donation toward each participant’s fundraising goal. “If each member can raise just $100, think of all the good we can do for this great charity,” said John T. Coli, President of Joint Council 25. “This cause is one that is near and dear to our union. Many of our members have battled and are still battling breast cancer. We are immensely proud to support Y-Me and its outstanding programs.” Over the past five years, the Teamsters have raised nearly $250,000 for the charity and have seen roughly 2,500 members and their families put their shoes to the ground in Grant Park. Y-Me provides support to more than 40,000 callers per year via the one-of-a-kind Y-Me Hotline. People touched by breast cancer—patients and their loved ones—can call to speak to a breast cancer survivor and be understood in 150 languages 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Y-Me also sponsors a wig and prosthesis program, a survivor match program and support groups across the country. To register online for the Y-Me Race at Your Pace: 1. Go to race.y-me.org/teamsters 2. Click “Join Team” next to “Joint Council 25 Women’s Committee”   3. Complete the online registration form Teamsters also can DOWNLOAD a registration form and return it, along with a check made payable to Y-Me Race at Your Pace, to: Y-Me Race at Your Pace 75 Remittance Drive, Suite 6523 Chicago, IL 60675-6523 “We all know someone – a family member, a friend or a co-worker – who has been affected by breast cancer,” said Debra Simmons-Peterson, Women’s Committee President. “Here is our chance to come together as Teamsters to make a difference.” Note: The Joint Council 25 Women’s Committee will have a designated tent in Grant Park. Find the complete event day schedule, parking information and pertinent maps HERE. For more information on the Y-Me National Breast Cancer Organization or to make a donation, visit y-me.org.

 On behalf of all of this year's Polar Plunge participants, our own Brother Mark Pando would like to thank everyone for their contribution. Thanks to your generosity Brother Mark's team was able to raise over $2,200 for Special Olympics Chicago. Brother Mark is a Brusiness Representative of Local 727 and member of the CTHC Board of Directors.

Click on the Photo Gallery to view more pictures of Brother Mark's team.

It gives us great pride to announce that the 2012 CTHC Scholarship application and criteria have now been posted. Click the Applications/Forms tab under Member Resources to download all three documents. Make sure to read the criteria carefully to see if you qualify, fill out the application completely and return them by June 1, 2012. Best of luck to all!