Local 294 business agent Tom Quackenbush is no stranger to politics—he has held public office for more than 17 years at the local level. However, it wasn’t until he attended the Teamsters 28th International Convention in 2011 that Quackenbush considered taking his love of public service to the next level.
“When President Hoffa called on Teamsters to run for office at the last convention, it inspired me to take my political aspirations a step further,” Quackenbush said. “When you see our collective bargaining rights being stripped away from us, I believe its time to stand up and fight for our way of life.”
That is when Quackenbush, who has served six consecutive terms as Supervisor of the town of Minden, decided to run for New York State Assembly for District 111. An 18-year UPS driver prior to becoming a business agent in 2010, he knows how important labor is to the middle class.
“I’m a Republican, but my stomach turns when I see members of my party at the national level denouncing and degrading the labor movement,” Qauckenbush said. “I feel it’s important to understand that just because you’re a Republican, you don’t have to be anti-union.”
