Because of My Dad — and the Teamsters

By Emily Sohl

Growing up, I always knew there was something different about my dad.

While my two sisters and I played with our American Girl dolls in the living room, my mom would put a finger to her lips and remind us, “Shhh, keep it down. Your father is sleeping.”

On Friday nights, while my mom made dinner, she also packed four meals, four sandwiches, and four snack bags for my dad. He wasn’t always around on weekends, or even during the week. But I always knew why.

While most people slept, my dad was on the road. As a UPS driver based in Secaucus, New Jersey, he spent his nights hauling freight across the country, driving routes that could take him anywhere from Connecticut to Missouri to New Mexico.

My dad has worked at UPS for 18 years. He is the hardest worker I know, and he has made tremendous sacrifices to provide for our family.

Because he is a Teamster, that hard work has been rewarded with what every worker deserves: job security, quality health care, a strong pension, and the protection of seniority.

Those protections made a real difference in our lives. They meant my dad could take us to the dentist when we needed care. They meant family trips to my grandmother’s beach house. They meant that when it came time for college, my sisters and I had opportunities that many families can only dream about.

My dad’s schedule looked very different from those of my friends’ parents, but he always found a way to be there when it mattered. He worked nights so he could pick us up from elementary school every day. In fact, he was often the only dad waiting in the pickup line. He would sleep during the day, and as soon as my mom came home from work, he would head out to begin another shift.

And because his hard work was backed by a strong union, those sacrifices paid off. Last year, I graduated from American University, and both of my sisters are now attending excellent colleges too. My dad has earned the paid time off, retirement security, and quality of life that every worker should be able to count on after decades on the job.

When I think about the Teamsters, I don’t just think about contracts, wages, or benefits. I think about my dad. I think about the long nights on the road, the missed weekends, and the sacrifices he made to build a better future for his family.

The Teamsters helped ensure that his hard work was met with dignity, stability, and opportunity. Because of that, my sisters and I grew up knowing that if you work hard and stand together, you can build a life filled with possibility and one that resembles the American Dream.

For that, I will always be grateful.