Dave Schneider

Dave Schneider

David Schneider is the partner of Christina Kittle. He is a package car driver and Teamster steward in Jacksonville, Florida.

Fight Back! supporter

Fight Back! / ¡Lucha y Resiste! is a Facebook group for readers and supporters of Fight Back! / ¡Lucha y Resiste! the newspaper of Freedom Road Socialist Organization/FightBack!

As of July 5 2020 members included Dave Schneider.

Iosbaker's network

Joe Iosbaker April 4 2020.

From A worker at Trader Joe’s:  Hey will you please share these things? We're trying to show our coworkers fearing retaliation that they have people on their side.

Sean Orr, Daniel Ginsberg-Jaeckle, Kristen Jefferson, Benjamin James, Dave Schneider, Cherrene Horazuk, Richard Berg, Sarah Justice, Michael Sampson II, Mike Kramer, Regina Russell, Cathleen Jensen, Gabriella Killpack, Frank Chapman, Aislinn Sol, Sol Mar, Bassem Kawar, Martha Iosbaker, Mary Iosbaker-Azzouzi, Kas Schwerdtfeger, Tracey Schwerdtfeger, Tomas de Bourgha, Michela Martinazzi.

Cuba

Dave Schneider was in Cuba in march 2016 with Dustin Ponder.

Teamster socialists

Dave Schneider October 2, 2016 near Chicago, IL ·

We got to meet with Fred Zuckerman, candidate for General President of the Teamsters. I have no doubt that Fred, John Palmer and the rest of the Teamsters United slate are committed to rebuilding #unionPOWER. In Florida, we're going all-out to win in November. #MakeTheTeamstersFightAgain — with Richard Blake, Gabriella Killpack, Fred Zuckerman, DW Ponder and Kas Schwerdtfeger.

Teamster sisters

Dave Schneider March 8, 2017.

Shout out to my Teamster sisters out there on this International Women's Day. #IWD #unionPOWER — with Charman Morgan-Davis, Tracy Molm, Joan-Elaine Miller, Alexus Dickerson and Margie Tillman.

Teamsters United

Dave Schneider and his comrades backed Fred Zuckerman, John Palmer & the Teamsters United slate in 2016 union elections.

Dave Schneider November 16, 2016 near Jacksonville, FL ·

You wanna know how we won Florida? This amazing Team right here, plus countless others not in the picture all over the state and in Georgia who believe we need fighting unions, not collaboration with Corporate America. Big shouts out to DP Williams, Connell Crooms, Richard Blake, Fern Figueroa, Jacque Griffin, Greg Vinson, William Workinger and everyone else who made this possible. The future is bright! #512POWER #HowTheSouthWasWon #unionPOWER #MakeTheTeamstersFightAgain — with DW Ponder, Richard Blake and Fern Figueroa.

Atlanta May Day 2015

Dave Schneider, Estafania Galvis, Fern Figueroa, Amber Dulaney, Michael Quintero, Alekos Zambrano, Guled Abdirashid, Jonathan Ellis, Leila Ali, Adam Cardo, Angela Grace, Marisol Marquez, Camila Buitrago, Dannelle Leigh, Violeta de la Luna, Cai Malia, Michela Martinazzi.

Socialist social

Amber Dulaney April 6, 2015.

Fern Figueroa, Richard Blake, Angela Grace, Amber Dulaney, Dannelle Leigh, Marina Djordjevic, Dave Schneider, Estafania Galvis, Jose Luis Alfonso, Jr..

Anti Afghan War protest

About 35 people in white T-shirts gathered on the Plaza of Americas October 2010 to protest the nine-year anniversary of the United States’ invasion of Afghanistan.

The rally was led by the UF chapter of Students for a Democratic Society.

The event featured eight speakers who spoke about a variety of topics: from the plight of women in Afghanistan, to facism in America, to the U.S. presence in South Korea.

They asked students to wear white T-shirts for peace, said Jose Soto, an Students for a Democratic Society organizer.

“Our goal is to get as many people to participate as possible,” said Dave Schneider, another Students for a Democratic Society organizer. “Even if it’s a small step like putting on white T-shirts.”

Cassia Laham, president of Students for Justice in Palestine, told the crowd that students need to get active and spread the word to improve turnouts.

Freedom Road

In 2016 Michela Martinazzi, Dave Schneider and Michael Sampson III, were members of Freedom Road Socialist Organization/FightBack!.

Syria rally/Jacksonville 5

Police launched reacted strongly to a “No war with Syria” rally in Jacksonville’s Hemming Park, April 7. 2017. At least four were arrested, and that one protester was "beaten so severely that he has been hospitalized".

About six Trump supporters attempted to disrupt the 50-person anti-war rally. A Trump supporter got behind the speakers with a pro Trump flag and hit a protester with it; at that point the cops launched their attack.

On demonstrator, Connell Crooms, was punched in the face and kidneys, while a taser was in his back. He was arrested and is now in the hospital. A member of Veterans for Peace, Will Haeger, was punched in the face by the cops. Rally emcee Dave Schneider was arrested across the street, where he was encouraging protesters to go to the jail to support those who had be detained.

“Police completely ignored the pro-Trump provocateurs, as they moved in to unleash merciless beatings. I have never seen this kind of brutality,” said Richard Blake, one of the protest organizers.

Five protesters were released on bail from Jacksonville jail on Saturday evening, April 8. The protesters were arrested and several were beaten at a “No War in Syria” rally held on April 7, where police allowed a right-wing provocateur with a Trump flag to enter the protest and physically assault speakers and organizers of the rally.

Instead of stopping the provocateur, the police descended upon Connell Crooms, a deaf Black man, who the provocateur had assaulted. The police savagely beat, kicked and tased Crooms - who is a well-known union activist and Black Lives Matter leader in Jacksonville - until he was unconscious and had to be taken to the hospital. The police also beat and arrested a 74-year-old Vietnam veteran, Willie Wilder; the leader of the Jacksonville Coalition for Consent Christina Kittle; and a transgender activist Toma Beckwith. Finally, the police arrested prominent union leader and activist Dave Schneider and charged him with “felony inciting a riot” for organizing the protest. Police did not arrest the provocateur who assaulted protest participants.

On April 8, over 200 people, including leaders in the labor movement, Black community, and progressive groups assembled to demand that all the charges against the Jacksonville 5 be dropped. Supporters chanted “Drop the charges” and the mother of Connell Crooms gave a tearful testament to Connell's character. Community leaders called for a full independent investigation into the police misconduct on April 7, and an investigation into the police spying program on progressive activists in Jacksonville. Just weeks earlier, Jacksonville's Florida Times Union reported that the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) had been spying on protesters, amongst them, Dave Schneider, Connell Crooms and Christina Kittle.

Teamsters United

Standing in front of more than 100 Teamsters gathered in a Boston, Massachusetts park, May 29 2018, two Teamster leaders announced plans to run together for the leadership of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) in 2021.

Sean O’Brien, president of Teamsters Local 25 out of Boston, announced he will join the Teamsters United movement as candidate for general president. Fred Zuckerman, president of Teamsters Local 89 out of Louisville, Kentucky, will run with O’Brien for general secretary-treasurer.

“We supported Fred Zuckerman in 2016 because he ran on the Teamsters United platform of fighting for better contracts, opposing concessions, reviving the strike weapon, organizing in core industries and protecting our pensions,” said Dustin Ponder, a UPS shop steward in Teamsters Local 512 out of Jacksonville, Florida. “That platform is key to making a stronger union and winning a better life for our members. I hope O’Brien and Zuckerman take up the same platform in 2021.”

Ponder was part of the Teamsters United campaign in the Southern Region, which defeated the Hoffa-Hall ticket handily in 2016. Teamsters United won the south by a vote of 10,789 to 8227 in 2016, electing John Palmer and Kimberley Schultz as the new Southern Region Vice Presidents – a sharp reversal from the previous election, when Hoffa easily won against a divided opposition slate.

“The main fight right now is the battle for better contracts at UPS and UPS Freight,” said Gabriella Killpack, a UPS package car driver in Teamsters Local 222 out of Salt Lake City, Utah who campaigned heavily for Teamsters United in 2016.

Killpack refers to the ongoing contract negotiations between the Teamsters, UPS and UPS Freight, which began earlier this year. The union raised a set of contract proposals brought forward by members to address the problems they face on the job. These included an end to forced overtime for package car drivers, monetary penalties for harassment, protections from automation and driverless vehicles, and higher wages for part-timers, among many others.

Speaking to the news, Killpack said, “This announcement by two important Teamster leaders comes at a time when our members are mad as hell and ready to fight the company, up to and including a strike if necessary. O’Brien and Zuckerman have a real opportunity to help lead the fight for an end to forced overtime; $15 per hour starting wages and $5 per hour bump raises for part-timers, monetary penalties for harassment, and protecting our job standards at UPS. That’s what Teamsters want to see right now from our leaders.”

The news came as a surprise to Teamsters activists across the country, many of whom are working to turn out a strong ‘yes’ vote in the UPS and UPS Freight strike authorization poll currently underway. Members and activists flocked to social media, like the popular ‘Vote NO on the UPS Contract’ Facebook group, and discussed the announcement – and what it means moving forward.

“We want to support leaders who are willing to fight employers and not take concessions from corporate America,” said Jared Hamil, a UPS cover driver out of Teamsters Local 396 in Los Angeles, who is active in the Teamsters United movement. “That’s the problem with Hoffa’s leadership – there’s a rat line between the corruption at the top of the IBT and the sellout contracts that Teamsters get year after year.”

Corey Uhl, a UPS combo worker out of Teamsters Local 804 in New York, agreed, adding, “Teamsters United is a movement built by members who want to make our union fight – not sell us out to employers, like we’ve seen from Hoffa. We welcome leaders committed to the same platform.”

With the next international election more than three years away, Teamsters United has more immediate fights on its plate, like the UPS and UPS Freight contracts.

But continuing to build the Teamsters United coalition for the 2021 election remains crucial.

Recent Teamster history shows the importance of united action from union fighters and activists. In 2011, the opposition movement to Hoffa divided into two separate slates with different platforms. Hoffa easily defeated both and won re-election, allowing him and Secretary-Treasurer Ken Hall to push deep concessions like the UPS contract of 2013.

“The Teamsters United movement succeeded in 2016 because it brought together fighters around a militant platform,” said Bob Kolstad, a shop steward in the Hennepin County Public Defender’s Office out of Teamsters Local 320 in Minneapolis. “As we campaigned across the country for Fred, we saw how the Teamsters United platform resonated with members who are tired of seeing our jobs and our lives get worse. We stood united, even with Teamsters we disagreed with, to make historic change. We’ll need to do that again to beat Hoffa in 2021, and we need that same militant Teamsters United platform to get it done.”

Author Dave Schneider is a UPS Teamster shop steward out of Jacksonville, FL. Richard Blake provided research for the article.

People's Potluck

Jacksonville, FL - On Dec. 7 2014, about 50 members of the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition attended the second annual People's Potluck.

After attendees helped themselves to the buffet and were seated, they were treated to a live rap show courtesy of South Georgia revolutionary rap artists, The People's Vanguard. This group works closely with the Progressive Coalition and participates in Jacksonville protests. Rag Mathis of the rap group said, “Only those who understand, that together everyone achieves more, will witness and rejoice in freedom and liberation.”

Afterward attendees watched a video highlighting the year's events, protests and marches. People applauded the victorious anti-racism campaign to rename Nathan B. Forrest High School. The new name is Westside High School. The video also showed the massive rallies in Jacksonville in outrage against the Israeli bombing of Palestine and police killing of Mike Brown over the past summer. From demanding “Hands off Syria” to winning a conviction for the white vigilante killer of African American youth Jordan Davis, the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition had a busy and successful year.

Master of ceremonies Estafania Galvis recognized organizers from the anti-war, labor, queer liberation and African American freedom movements for their contributions to the growing struggle in Jacksonville. Organizers Fern Figueroa and Richard Blake presented many awards. Wells Todd, Etta Ettlinger, Willie Hager, Bill Miniutti and Karen Morian received Longtime Freedom Fighter Awards for their dedication to the struggle and willingness to continue training newer activists.

The night concluded with a rousing speech by organizer Dave Schneider. “Although all of us here have very different struggles, we all gather here tonight because we know that together we are stronger to fight our common enemy. We live in a world where more and more of us are realizing that the people have the power to throw this rotten system away and replace it with something better.”

Activist family

Michela Martinazzi January 13, 2014.

— with Angela Grace, Jonathan Waring, Conor Monroe, Robbey Hayes, Fern Figueroa, Richard Blake, Estafania Galvis, Cassia Laham, Dave Schneider, Pamela Maldonado Velasco, Jared Hamil, Marisol Marquez.

SDS

In 2012 Dave Schneider was active in the Gainesville Area Students for a Democratic Society.

Early comrades

Gainesville Area Students for a Democratic Society/Students for a Democratic Society at UF comrades circa 2011.

Dave Schneider, Fern Figueroa, Conor Monroe.

Palestine supporter

On Sept 14, 2011 the University of Florida chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and Students for a Democratic Society at UF rallied together in favor of Palestine’s United Nation’s bid for statehood. About 30 students came together in Turlington Plaza to chant and hold signs supporting the Palestinian liberation struggle.

Led by SJP President Mohammad Tina, thunderous cries of “Free, Free Palestine!” and “Gaza Gaza, don’t you cry! Palestine will never die!” echoed across the Plaza as students changed classes.

“SJP stands for peace and justice for all oppressed people, but particularly those in the Middle East,” said Tina in a speech about the purpose of his organization on campus.

In bold red, white, and green – the colors of the Palestinian national flag – student activists held signs reading “United Nations 194th member: Palestine,” and “Stop illegal settlement-building in Palestine.”

In between the militant chants, several student activists gave speeches explaining the reason for the rally.

“Palestine deserves the same inherent rights that every nation does - the right to self-determination,” said SDS activist Dave Schneider, “which is just the right to chart out their own collective destiny.”