Pete Camarata

Pete Camarata was a Teamster labor activist and one of the founders of Teamsters for a Democratic Union a rank-and-file union democracy movement organizing to reform the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, or Teamsters.

Early years

Camarata was born in Detroit, Michigan, the auto capital of the world. Pete was the son of a United Auto Workers organizer, Caspar Camarata who worked for Packard Motor Car Company.

Teamster activism

At the young age of 29, Camarata was the solo TDU affiliated delegate to the 1976 Teamster convention, where he spoke out against the International Brotherhood of Teamsters leadership. He was later beaten unconscious for his opposition.

Death

Camarata died of renal cancer at the age of 67 in Chicago, Illinois, on February 9, 2014.