The George Washington University and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters launched an initiative in 2008 to build an educational and research environment to explore the role that the American labor movement in general, and the Teamsters in particular have played in the history of the United States. The records of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters serve as a foundational collection to this initiative. Key aspects of this collaboration include an active archival program to acquire, arrange, preserve, and provide access to historically-significant materials documenting American labor history; rotating exhibits; academic courses; a state-of-the-art reading room; and meeting spaces for the Teamsters and members of the GW community.
The Teamsters archives include IBT publications, convention proceedings, documentary materials from the various IBT departments, trade divisions and area conferences, photographs, films, and video/audio tape reels and cassettes. Digital copies of the film and microfilm material are available from anywhere in the world. All other material must be viewed onsite. You can begin your research by viewing this timeline of Teamsters' history.
The Labor History Research Center maintains and provides access to the archives of the one of the largest and most occupationally diverse labor unions in North America, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT).
Gelman Library's Special Collections is also the home to a large number of manuscript and book collections related to labor. Officially launched in October 2010, the Center is located on the 7th floor of the Estelle and Melvin Gelman Library, The George Washington University, 2130 H Street NW, Washington DC, 20052. A permanent exhibit celebrating IBT history in terms of identity, community and solidarity is open to members, retirees and the general public.
Teamster.org is the main site for the Teamsters with a wealth of information available. The website posts news, events and a wide range of coverage of issues relevant to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
Map of Local's Records at GW
December, 2024: The map of local's records is being edited and may be temporarily unavailable.
For more than a century, the Teamsters Union has been working on behalf of its members and pursuing legislation to improve working conditions for all Americans. While this work often happened at the national level, the day-to-day operations often happened locally. This community-level work is reflected in the records held by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Labor History Research Center (IBTLHRC).
As locals have merged and folded over the years, numbers used as identifiers have disappeared or been reused. As a result, the historical records we hold may be associated with a local number that no longer exists or refers to an entirely different union. In order to facilitate researchers finding records for the specific local or community they are most interested in, the IBTLHRC has created a map of all cities hosting locals whose historical records are found in our collections.
Clicking on any point on the map links you directly to the catalog entry for the records of the respective local affiliate. If we hold records from multiple locals in a city, you will be directed to a separate map.
If you have any questions or wish to view any of the records we hold, please contact the Teamsters Labor History Archivist Vakil Smallen.
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