2023 Power 50: Shannon George
Photo | Courtesy of Teamsters Union Local 170
Shannon George is the secretary treasurer and principal executive officer of Teamsters Union Local 170.
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In October, the graduate students at Clark University in Worcester went on strike, demanding better pay due to the increasing costs of living in Worcester. To help their cause, the students formed a union and joined the Teamsters Union Local 170, which is part of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. When the strike began, the Teamsters used their resources to help. They brought in trucks and a voice. And there was Shannon George pounding the pavement with the students, navigating the noise to get the message out there: The union wanted fair wages, and the strike would continue until negotiations were finished.
Unions have begun to flex their muscle again across the country, and no more so than in Worcester where Starbucks workers have unionized and nurses at Saint Vincent Hospital won an historic 10-month strike. Then there were the Clark graduate students and roughly 180 technicians at Saint Vincent announced they would go on strike in December if contract negotiations didn’t progress. And there were George and the Teamsters again, leading the way.
With nearly 4,300 members and $4 million in assets, the Teamsters is the fifth largest labor union in Central Massachusetts, but right now it’s one of the most active and making the most noise. Whenever a union begins its negotiations, George will be there.
How should professionals best use the power they wield? “I believe business professionals of all shapes and sizes should best use the power they wield by helping others.”
Smile city: At the Local 170, George’s assignments include the companies Dauphinais Concrete in Douglas and Bellingham, Rand-Whitney in Worcester, Rosenfeld Concrete in Hopedale and Walpole, and Saint Vincent Hospital’s techs and therapists in Worcester.
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