By Rev. Donald L. Perryman, Ph.D.
The Truth Contributor
I ran for the presidency, despite hopeless odds, to demonstrate the sheer will and refusal to accept the status quo. – Shirley Chisholm
They said it couldn’t be done, and Aubry Stallworth takes it personally. No Black individual or all-Black slate has ever mounted a serious campaign for leadership in a local union hall where, for decades, the only Black employee was the janitor. Yet, Stallworth and his team are determined to prove otherwise.
With Black members comprising nearly half of the Teamsters Local 20 labor union’s 6,000 members, Stallworth insists the campaign is about more than representation: it’s about reconnecting leadership to the rank-and-file. And with frustration mounting over contracts left unnegotiated and voices left unheard, Stallworth and his team say it’s time for change.
I spoke with Stallworth, a 30-year member and president of the Teamsters National Black Caucus, who, like Shirley Chisholm before him, knows what it means to step forward when the odds seem stacked.
Perryman: Please tell our readers a little about Teamsters Local 20.
Stallworth: The Teamsters Local 20 is a 6,000-member labor union representing workers across more than 130 companies, including UPS, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Johns Manville and Frostbite.
Perryman: Why did you decide to run for president of Local 20 now?
Stallworth: I’m trying to do what they say can’t be done. This is the first time ever that a Black person has run here in the local elections. For decades, at least since 1982, the only Black person working in the hall was the janitor.
Perryman: Please discuss the historical significance should your campaign for leadership in the local be successful.
Stallworth: I can’t just say it’s always been about bias or prejudice, but when you look at the hall and see no Black officers or administrators since 1982, it tells a story. The significance is that there is no more complaining. We have decided to just step up and finally put our names in the hat so that leadership can reflect the membership.
Perryman: How have members across different backgrounds responded so far to your candidacy?
Stallworth: People will try to make this about race. But the truth is, we’ve endured this reality for decades. However, in the last 13-14 elections, only about 485 of 6,200 members voted. We believe that if we mobilize our members, particularly those who’ve been overlooked, we can make history.
Perryman: You’ve talked about a campaign message of trying to “bring the hall back to the membership.” Please explain.
Stallworth: Too many members feel disconnected. Take me, for example. I have been 12 years without a contract. I pay my union dues, but it still hasn’t been done. Every three-to-four years, your contract is supposed to be renegotiated.
If we win, our goal is also to restore membership meetings — not just steward meetings — so that information flows back to the rank and file. We want to rebuild rapport with members and remind them that this union belongs to them.
Perryman: Should you be successful, what are your top priorities?
Stallworth: First, reconnecting leadership and members by making Local 20 more responsive to its members. We will bring the hall back to the membership because it has forgotten that it works for us and not the other way around. A majority of the members don’t even know who the president is. So, we will be making sure contracts are negotiated and grievances are addressed.
Second, tackling automation and nonunion labor. Companies like UPS are restructuring in ways that hurt workers. We need to make sure our union members are taken care of first.
Third, protecting rights in the workplace. Too many people are being fired without due process, just because of some he-said-she-said without evidence or due process. That isn’t right, and we need stronger protections.
Perryman: Labor unions have historically been powerful political actors. What role do you think the Teamsters still play today, particularly in this polarized political climate, and what role would your leadership play?
Stallworth: Unions have always played a political role, and Local 20 should be no different. We should endorse candidates who stand with workers’ rights and oppose policies that weaken labor. Our slate wants to be part of making sure workplaces are fair, that workers have rights, and that unions reflect the communities they serve.
Perryman: What message would your election send to younger workers and to Black workers?
Stallworth: It would show them that leadership is possible, that the union hall is not closed off to them. If we’re successful, it would also mean more economic opportunity. Right now, only about six percent of Black people in this country make six figures. At the union hall, leadership positions bring a different quality of life. Having Black leaders visible in those roles says to younger workers, “You belong here. You can lead here.”
Perryman: You’ve been a Teamster for three decades. How has that shaped your vision for leadership?
Stallworth: I’ve worked at Toledo Paint and Chemical for 30 years. I’ve filed grievances, fought for contracts, and seen what happens when members are left behind. I’ve personally gone without a contract for more than 12 years.
I’m also president of the Teamsters National Black Caucus under the umbrella of the International Brotherhood of the Teamsters (IBT), led by Sean O’Brien in Washington, DC. Our main objective is to get Blacks in leadership roles within the local and IBT. That experience drives me to want a union that fights harder for its members and listens to them, rather than leaving them on their own.
Perryman: What do you want members to remember most when they cast their ballots this fall?
Stallworth: That this is about history and about the future. It’s about making Local 20 stronger by making it more representative and more accountable.
We’re not running to divide the union — we’re running to unite it, to give every member a voice. For too long, too many have felt unseen. This election is their chance to change that.
Contact Rev. Donald Perryman, PhD. at drdlperryman@centerofhopebaptist.org