People's Struggle Loses a Fighter
St. Paul, MN – Matt Conbere, a working class fighter in the Twin Cities, a union man and a friend to many, tragically died Sunday, Sept. 15, 2002. Matt worked at Alliant Foods as a driver. He worked difficult shifts with strenuous routes. People describe Matt as a very giving, thoughtful and kind man. He was an inspiration to all who knew him.
First in Matt's mind was his sense of justice. He saw the need for a strong union where he worked. Talking about change was not good enough; he needed to be involved with it. Matt participated in his union, Teamsters Local 120, actively helping fellow sisters and brothers who were on strike or had a problem at work. The union officials were never that excited about Matt's passion for rank-and-file member involvement, but that didn't stop Matt from working in the trenches to build the class struggle.
Matt was deeply involved in Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU), a rank-and-file organization fighting to reform the Teamsters. He worked with the Minnesota chapter of TDU and was on the executive board.
Matt deeply desired that the American working class would see a better day, and as one of the speakers at celebration of International Workers Day – May Day, 2001 – he expressed that hope.
It is with great sadness that we see our friend and brother Matt leave us. He will be missed greatly by his family and friends.