James P. Hoffa
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James Phillip Hoffa (born May 19, 1941) is an American
labor Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the la ...
leader and attorney who was the tenth General President of the
International Brotherhood of Teamsters The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), also known as the Teamsters Union, is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of The Team Drivers International Union and The Teamsters National Union, the un ...
. He is the son of
Jimmy Hoffa James Riddle Hoffa (born February 14, 1913 – disappeared July 30, 1975; declared dead July 30, 1982) was an American labor union leader who served as the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) from 1957 until 1971. ...
. Hoffa was first elected in 1998, and subsequently re-elected in 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016 to five-year terms. In 2018, Hoffa was elected chair of the Road Transport Section of the
International Transport Workers' Federation The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) is a democratic global union federation of transport workers' trade unions, founded in 1896. In 2017 the ITF had 677 member organizations in 149 countries, representing a combined membership ...
at its quadrennial Congress in
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
. Hoffa is the second-longest serving General President of the Teamsters Union, after
Dan Tobin Daniel Malloy Tobin (October 19, 1910 – November 26, 1982) was an American supporting actor on the stage, in films and on television. He generally played gentle, urbane, rather fussy, sometimes obsequious and shifty characters, often with a c ...
, who served from 1907 to 1952. Hoffa's final term as General President ended on March 21, 2022.


Personal life

Hoffa is the son of
Jimmy Hoffa James Riddle Hoffa (born February 14, 1913 – disappeared July 30, 1975; declared dead July 30, 1982) was an American labor union leader who served as the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) from 1957 until 1971. ...
, who was also General President of the
Teamsters The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), also known as the Teamsters Union, is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of The Team Drivers International Union and The Teamsters National Union, the ...
, and his wife Josephine (''née'' Poszywak). He has one sister, Judge Barbara Ann Crancer. Hoffa is married to Virginia (Ginger) Sue Harris (born 1945), a former teacher and licensed veterinary technician since 1969. They have two sons, David (born 1970) and Geoffrey (born 1972), and six grandchildren. Born in
Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...
on May 19, 1941, Hoffa attended Cooley High School. There, he became a member of the
National Honor Society The National Honor Society (NHS) is a nationwide organization for high school students in the United States and outlying territories, which consists of many chapters in high schools. Selection is based on four criteria: scholarship (academic achi ...
, and an all-city and all-state football player. During the summer months, the Hoffa family visited their cottage in rural Orion Township outside Detroit. Hoffa often accompanied his father to Teamster meetings and events, and became a Teamster in 1959 on his 18th birthday. Hoffa holds a degree in
economics Economics () is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics anal ...
from
Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It ...
(1963) and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the
University of Michigan Law School The University of Michigan Law School (Michigan Law) is the law school of the University of Michigan, a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1859, the school offers Master of Laws (LLM), Master of Comparative Law (MCL ...
(1966). Hoffa was awarded a Ford Foundation Fellowship to work in the Michigan State Senate as an aide to senate and house members doing constituent relations and research. Hoffa is a member of
Alpha Tau Omega Alpha Tau Omega (), commonly known as ATO, is an American social fraternity founded at the Virginia Military Institute in 1865 by Otis Allan Glazebrook. The fraternity has around 250 active and inactive chapters and colonies in the United Stat ...
. He was an attorney for the Teamsters from 1968 to 1993.


Teamsters activity


2021 Election of International Union Officers

Prior to announcing his decision not to seek re-election, Boston Teamsters leader Sean O'Brien announced his intention to run against Hoffa to lead the union. Following 23 years as the leader of the union, Hoffa chose to retire and backed the Vairma-Herrera Teamsters Power Slate. In November 2021, the O'Brien-Zuckerman Teamsters United Slate beat the Hoffa-backed slate by a more than two-to-one margin. O'Brien and his slate were sworn into office on March 22, 2022, at Teamsters headquarters in Washington, D.C. On the day his administration was installed, O'Brien fired more than 80 employees at the headquarters. He did not offer any severance or extension of benefits to the terminated staff. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters currently faces charges with the National Labor Relations Board in connection the terminations. As of November 10, 2022, the union was required to pay eligible terminated employees more than $175,000 as part of a settlement with the District of Columbia Attorney General's Office for violating D.C. Code 32-1303.


2021 Pension Reform

Hoffa led Teamster efforts to protect defined-benefit pension plans for more than a decade following the economic collapse of 2008. The legislation championed by Hoffa and the Teamsters was known as the Butch Lewis Act, named after a Teamster retiree pension activist, and became law as part of President Biden's American Rescue Plan stimulus package in 2021. As part of the ARP, more than 50 Teamster pension plans – including its largest, the Central States Pension Fund – are eligible for assistance at the outset of the bill's enactment, with more of the union's plans becoming eligible in 2022. Under the new law, money to assist eligible plans will come directly from the U.S. Treasury Department in the form of grants which would not need to be repaid. Plan participants will receive 100 percent of their earned pension benefits.


Appointments

(2019 – Present) Chair, Road Section, International Transport Workers Federation; (2019 – Present) Member, Executive Board, International Transport Workers Federation; (2015 – Present) Board Member, Roosevelt Institute; (2010 – Present) USTR Advisory Committee on Trade Policy and Negotiations; (2009 – Present) Department of Labor Advisory Committee for Trade Negotiations and Trade Policy; (2013 – 2015) National Freight Advisory Committee; (2002 – 2004) President's Council on the 21st Century Workforce; (2002 – 2004) Secretary of Energy's Advisory Board


Legislative activities during tenure

Hoffa earned a reputation as an advocate for
fair trade Fair trade is an arrangement designed to help producers in developing countries achieve sustainable and equitable trade relationships. The fair trade movement combines the payment of higher prices to exporters with improved social and envir ...
and worker safety. He transformed the Teamsters into a premier political force by changing alliances and rhetoric unpredictably. Under his leadership, the Teamsters ended a federal program that allowed
Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
truckers to haul goods beyond the
border zone Border control refers to measures taken by governments to monitor and regulate the movement of people, animals, and goods across land, air, and maritime borders. While border control is typically associated with international borders, it a ...
in the United States. The Teamsters strongly opposed a trade deal with
Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the ...
through lobbying and street protests, and were credited with helping to prevent a similar trade deal with
Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...
. The Teamsters successfully encouraged Congress to pass legislation increasing rail security in 2007. The Teamsters sued the Bush administration in 2005 to overturn regulations that extended the number of hours a driver could spend behind the wheel of a truck. The Teamsters argued the rule would contribute to
driver fatigue Sleep-deprived driving (commonly known as tired driving, drowsy driving, or fatigued driving) is the operation of a motor vehicle while being cognitively impaired by a lack of sleep. Sleep deprivation is a major cause of motor vehicle accidents, an ...
. The Circuit Court of Appeals for the
District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle (Washington, D.C.), Logan Circle, Jefferson Memoria ...
sided with the Teamsters, but it was the Obama administration that finally agreed to change the rule. Under his leadership, the Teamsters ended a federal program in 2009 that allowed Mexican truckers to haul goods beyond the border zone in the United States. Hoffa predicted the failure of a second version of the program in October 2011, and challenged it in federal court.


George Washington University

In 2008, Hoffa established the Teamsters Labor History Research Center and the Teamsters archives at the George Washington University Gelman Library in Washington, D.C. Hoffa was awarded the university's President's Medal in 2014. "George Washington is proud to honor Jim Hoffa as a passionate advocate for social justice and the labor movement, as one of the foremost experts on labor issues, and also as a dedicated partner and friend of this university," said Steven Knapp, GW President.


1996 campaign

Hoffa campaigned against the Teamsters incumbent president, Ron Carey, at the Teamsters international convention of June 1996 in Philadelphia. After nearly 500,000 votes were cast in early November 1996, Ron Carey had won the election with 52 percent of the vote.Swoboda, Frank, "Carey Claims Reelection Win as Teamsters President; Thousands of Challenged Ballots Await Tabulation in Close Race Against James P. Hoffa." ''Washington Post''. December 15, 1996: A25. Online. Nexis. October 5, 2009. At the time Carey characterized the victory as one for "reformers in the American labor movement." Five months later, in April 1997, news broke that a federal grand jury was investigating allegations that Ron Carey had received illegal campaign kickbacks and employer contributions during the Teamsters election the previous year. The union has been supervised by a court-appointed administrator ever since a consent decree with the Justice Department in 1989. A new election for Teamsters president was ordered by the federal government in August 1997, after federal official Barbara Zack Quindel's investigation uncovered a "complex network of schemes" that involved the improper use of Teamster assets. Quindel found that the Carey campaign had received more than $220,000 in illegal contributions. Ultimately, the Independent Review Board found that more than $750,000 in union assets had been used in Carey's 1996 reelection campaign. During the 1998 election Tom Leedham, then-director of the Teamsters Warehouse Division, campaigned against James P. Hoffa. Campaigning to unite the union, Hoffa won the election. After having lost narrowly in 1996 to Ron Carey, Hoffa's new role as president was considered by Teamster members as a chance to rebuild the union. Hoffa was re-elected in 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016 to five-year terms.


1999

"The first big test of the Hoffa administration" was the ratification in June 1999, of a four-year contract covering 13,000 carhaul members after an unprecedented amount of communication in the form of rallies, newsletters, and a telephone hotline that was called more than 20,000 times over the course of the contract campaign. Solidarity rallies in Detroit, Los Angeles, and Nashville attracted more than 6,000 carhaulers, family members, and friends. The new contract averted a national strike and included pension gains, job security language, and significant wage increases. "The new union leader is being closely watched in part because he has pledged to restore unity in Teamsters' ranks in the wake of a divisive campaign finance scandal." Two thousand full-time jobs were created after Teamster pressure on
United Parcel Service United Parcel Service (UPS, stylized as ups) is an American multinational shipping & receiving and supply chain management company founded in 1907. Originally known as the American Messenger Company specializing in telegraphs, UPS has grown t ...
(UPS) as part of the commitment made by the 1997 contract. "My administration sent UPS management a very clear message. We expect UPS to meet their obligations under the 1997 agreement, and we will not tolerate company delays or numbers manipulation."


2000s and 2010s

In April 2000, more than 8,000 flight attendants at
Northwest Airlines Northwest Airlines Corp. (NWA) was a major American airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines, Inc. by a merger. The merger, approved on October 29, 2008, made Delta the largest airline in the world until the American Airlines ...
voted to ratify a new contract with improvements in compensation and retirement packages and ending a 3½ year labor dispute. A decade later, Northwest Airlines merged with Delta Air Lines and ceased operations on January 31, 2010. Casino workers in Detroit saw an end to biased wages and a disregard for seniority with their new collective bargaining agreement ratified in 2001. The new agreement initiated immediate wage parity between casinos in addition to wage increases in each year of the three-year contract. Demonstrating increased strength and confidence in Teamster representation
Champion Air Champion Air was an airline based in Bloomington, Minnesota, USA. It operated general charter services to sports teams, vacation wholesalers, and government agencies. It also offered limited scheduled service. Its main base was Minneapolis-Sain ...
flight attendants voted for their first Teamster contract in March 2001. The contract resulted in improved pay rates, hours of service, working conditions, and benefits. Union protection remained in effect until the airline ceased all operations on May 31, 2008. After a month-long strike, bus drivers at
Laidlaw Laidlaw (), organized as Laidlaw International, Inc. (with corporate headquarters in Naperville, Illinois) was the largest provider of intercity bus services, contract public transit and paratransit, and contract school bus service in both ...
Education Services in Los Angeles ratified a new contract in April 2002. The strike occurred due to the disparity between the wages and benefits of drivers who are direct employees of the
Los Angeles Unified School District Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is a public school district in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the largest public school system in California in terms of number of students and the 2nd largest public school district in ...
and those paid by Laidlaw. A landmark agreement with UPS was reached in July 2002 for the 210,000 Teamsters employed there. Hoping to avoid a damaging strike similar to the one in 1997, negotiators at UPS acquiesced to Teamster demands, producing a contract with a 25% increase in wages and benefits. "These negotiations have taken place in an economic climate in which millions of American workers are seeing their health benefits cut and their retirement savings wiped out. We have shown the nation that job and benefit cuts are not inevitable," said Hoffa. Mechanics at
Continental Airlines Continental Airlines, simply known as Continental, was a major United States airline founded in 1934 and eventually headquartered in Houston, Texas. It had ownership interests and brand partnerships with several carriers. Continental started ...
ratified a four-year contract resulting in wage and benefit increases in December 2002. This was the second Teamster contract for the 3,300 mechanics and one that made subcontracting nearly impossible due to its defining all maintenance work as being within the jurisdiction of the Teamsters. Continental Airlines was merged into United Airlines in 2012. A new contract for 65,000 drivers working under the Teamsters National Master Freight Agreement was reached in February 2003. The contract restored the union's right to strike when there was a deadlock over grievances, a right given up under a previous contract of 1994. "The nation is in the depths of recession and on the brink of war, and we maintained our strong health care benefits, protected our pensions and won the highest wage increases in more than a decade," said Hoffa. Carhaulers ratified a new, five-year contract that protected health benefits and pensions and provided job security for the more than 6,500 members nationwide. The contract included increases of wages and benefits by 13.4% over the term of the agreement. Chicago area trash haulers represented by the Teamsters reached an agreement in October 2003, ending a nine-day garbage strike that left local officials begging for the garbage trucks. The new contract included higher wages and improvements to health benefits and pensions and covered 3,300 solid waste hauling workers.
Anheuser-Busch Anheuser-Busch Companies, LLC is an American brewing company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Since 2008, it has been wholly owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV ( AB InBev), now the world's largest brewing company, which owns multiple ...
Teamsters ratified a new, five-year agreement in December 2003. The Teamsters Union won a guarantee from the company that prohibits the closing of any of its 12 breweries in the United States. Wage increases, free health care, and increased pension benefits were all included in the contract covering 7,500 Teamster members nationwide. *President George W. Bush appointed Hoffa to the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations (ACTPN). "U.S. trade policy has not focused on the economic impact of unfair trade deals on working families. We must shape a trade policy that meets the needs of working families and ends the economic race to the bottom." *Members of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) is a labor union founded in Marshall, Michigan, on 8 May 1863 as the Brotherhood of the Footboard. It was the first permanent trade organization for railroad workers in the US. A year late ...
(BLE) voted to merge with the Teamsters Union by an 80% majority. With 32,000 active members, the BLE was one of the oldest labor organizations in the country. The BLE became the first members of the newly created Teamsters Rail Conference. Soon after merging with the Teamsters, the BLE changed its name to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) in recognition of the trainmen of the union. *In October 2004, members of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWE) voted to become Teamsters. More than 75% of the BMWE's members voted to merge with the Teamsters Union and become part of the growing Teamsters Rail Conference. "As did my father, I have envisioned one union representing all transportation workers – roads to rails, ports to planes –that would provide workers with real power on the job and the political arena." *A majority of the members of the
Graphic Communications International Union The Graphic Communications International Union (GCIU) was a labor union representing printing workers in the United States and Canada. The union was founded on May 25, 1983, when the Graphic Arts International Union merged with the International Pr ...
(GCIU) voted to merge with the Teamsters Union effective January 2005, making it the third independent union to merge with the Teamsters in 18 months. The union becomes an "autonomous conference" of the Teamsters. Employees of
Allied Waste Allied Waste Industries, Inc. was a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. A vertically integrated company that owned and operated solid waste collection businesses, recycling facilities, and landfills, it was a leader in the s ...
/
BFI The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
in the Atlanta area ratified their first Teamster contract in December 2005. The second-largest U.S. trash hauler, Allied Waste agreed to labor contracts that cover more than 450 workers. The Teamsters secured agreements after a year and half of bargaining during which the company tried to demoralize the union and its members by granting raises to workers in non-union location shops and intimidating union supporters. "These contracts are a testament to the workersk' courage and determination, and a major step forward in our battle to raise living standards for waste workers across the South," said Hoffa at the time of the victory. The Teamsters started contract negotiations in September 2006 with UPS over its package workers' contract and initial bargaining at a UPS Freight terminal in Indianapolis, Indiana.Boyd, John D. "UPS Opens Contract Talks on Two Fronts". Pacific Shipper. September 21, 2006. LexisNexis. Web. October 21, 2009. Ken Hall, Director of the Teamsters Parcel and Small Package Division said that the initial contract at the UPS Freight terminal in Indianapolis would serve "as a template or a model for other locations." A new, five-year contract was ratified by
NetJets NetJets Inc. is an American company that sells fractional ownership shares in private business jets. Founded as Executive Jet Airways in 1964, it was later renamed Executive Jet Aviation. NetJets became the first private business jet chart ...
mechanics, aircraft fuelers, cleaners, and stock clerks in January 2007.International Brotherhood of Teamsters. "Teamster Mechanics and Related Workers Ratify Contract with NetJets". Washington: IBT January 8, 2007. Print. "At NetJets, Teamsters are making real gains despite negative trends elsewhere," said Allen Price, Teamsters Local 284 President. The contract covers 143 workers. A tentative agreement was reached for Teamster members working at
Costco Costco Wholesale Corporation ( doing business as Costco Wholesale and also known simply as Costco) is an American multinational corporation which operates a chain of membership-only big-box retail stores (warehouse club). As of 2022, Costc ...
in California in January 2007. More than 13,000 workers at 40 locations in the state are covered under the agreement. Members of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWED) and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) ratified a new contract for those working on the nation's freight rail lines. The agreement includes general wage increases totaling 17 percent (18.2 percent compounded over the life of the agreement), which will remain effective until December 31, 2009. Both the BMWED and BLET are members of the Teamsters Rail Conference. Indianapolis Teamsters working at UPS Freight voted to ratify their first contract in October 2007. The agreement will improve wages, benefits, and working conditions. "For more than 50 years, workers at UPS Freight's predecessor, Overnite, fought to win a Teamster contract. Today the union fulfilled its promise that we would not quit until workers achieved economic justice." UPS Teamsters approved a new contract in November 2007 with a five-year term covering 240,000 workers. The contract will increase wages annually and increase funds that provide pension, health, and welfare benefits. "We…have negotiated an agreement that will greatly benefit our members at U.P.S. as well as Teamster members in other industries covered by pension and health and welfare funds." Teamster freight members ratified agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding in February 2008. Covering 60,000 workers at
YRC Worldwide Yellow Corporation is an American transportation holding company headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas. Its subsidiaries include national less than truckload (LTL) carrier YRC Freight, regional LTL carriers New Penn, Holland and Reddaway and f ...
, Yellow Transportation, Roadway and regional units at USF Holland and New Penn Motor Express. The Memorandum of Understanding included a 15% wage concession, loss of a vacation week, and reduced pension contributions. On February 20, 2008, Hoffa became the first major union leader to endorse Democratic senator
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
in his bid to become president of the United States. Hoffa campaigned in major states for Obama throughout the primary and general election. He served as a
superdelegate In American politics, a superdelegate is an unpledged delegate to the Democratic National Convention who is seated automatically and chooses for themselves for whom they vote. These Democratic Party superdelegates (who make up slightly under 15 ...
to the
2008 Democratic National Convention The 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform and officially nominated its candidates for president and vice president. The convent ...
in Denver and a member of the Michigan Electoral College. On March 11, 2008, members of the Brotherhood of Maintenance Way Employes (BMWED), part of the Teamsters Rail Conference, approved a new contract with Amtrak after eight years of negotiations. Workers, who had been working for sub-par rates for the past several years, will receive increases of wages and benefits. Workers at
DHL Express DHL is an American founded, German logistics company providing courier, package delivery and express mail service, which is a division of the German logistics firm Deutsche Post. The company group delivers over 1.8 billion parcels per year. DH ...
ratified a new national agreement in early May 2008. These were the first national agreements negotiated by the Teamsters Union in more than 30 years.International Brotherhood of Teamsters. "DHL Express Workers Overwhelmingly Ratify National Contract". Washington: IBT May 2, 2008. Print. "The vote from DHL Express members is a strong signal of support. We were determined to obtain the best contract that we could for members, and I believe we achieved that," said Hoffa. Several months after DHL signed the agreement with the Teamsters eliminating the strike clause, more than 85% of the union drivers were laid off. This contract ultimately led to the demise of the union drivers at DHL. Facilities such as DTW (Romulus, Michigan), which had nearly 200 union drivers, now have only approximately 25 drivers in which most of these workers came from the Troy and Southfield location. In all Teamsters Local 299 lost approximately 375 union jobs as the outcome of this contract as well as several thousand jobs throughout the United States. Teamster carhaulers ratified a new three-year national agreement on October 24, 2008. A record level of employer contributions towards health, welfare, and pension benefits were won by the union by the agreement covering approximately 8,100 workers. Gaining a 15% wage increase over five years, Teamsters working at Anheuser-Busch facilities in the U.S. voted in a new agreement on November 7, 2008. The contract included the promise that Anheuser-Busch, recently acquired by
InBev InBev () is a brewing company that resulted from the merger between Belgium-based company Interbrew and Brazilian brewer AmBev which took place in 2004. It existed independently until the acquisition of Anheuser-Busch in 2008, which formed Anheus ...
, would keep all 12 U.S. breweries open for the life of the contract. For the first time in nearly 40 years, pressmen at the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'' voted in a Teamster contract in December 2008. The 250 men and women working in the press operations section of the newspaper voted in their first collective bargaining agreement with the Graphic Communications Conference of the Teamsters. On September 14, pilots with
Amerijet Amerijet International Airlines, Inc. is an American cargo airline headquartered in Miami, United States. The airline delivers air freight with its fleet of Boeing 757s and Boeing 767s from its main hub at the Miami International Airport to 48 de ...
Cargo approved their first contract after five years of negotiations. Workers at Amerijet, an air freight carrier, had been on strike since August 27 partly due to the unsanitary conditions on the aircraft. The company will reinstall bathrooms on the aircraft as part of the contract agreement. For the last 14 months, Hoffa managed the Teamsters' effort as the union worked with YRC Worldwide (YRCW) as the country's largest less-than-truckload company struggled during the recession. The Teamsters and YRCW reached a labor cost savings agreement in August, and YRCW reached new bank terms with its lenders at the end of October. But in December, Hoffa sent letters to the
Securities and Exchange Commission The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The primary purpose of the SEC is to enforce the law against market ...
,
state attorneys general The state attorney general in each of the 50 U.S. states, of the federal district, or of any of the territories is the chief legal advisor to the state government and the state's chief law enforcement officer. In some states, the attorney genera ...
, state insurance officials and Congressional leaders on financial industry oversight calling on regulators to review the questionable promotion of
credit default swap A credit default swap (CDS) is a financial swap agreement that the seller of the CDS will compensate the buyer in the event of a debt default (by the debtor) or other credit event. That is, the seller of the CDS insures the buyer against som ...
s for bonds of YRCW. Hoffa urged the oversight bodies to investigate financial firms that were underwriting and/or marketing basis packages that consist of YRCW bonds and credit default swaps. Two days after the letters were sent, YRCW announced it had obtained the necessary thresholds on its bond holder debt-to-equity exchange offer, which was the final part of a comprehensive restructuring plan that required all major stakeholders—its workers, pension funds, secured lenders and bond holders—to contribute toward helping the company survive the worst freight recession in generations. Hoffa and the Teamsters were credited in several news reports for helping YRCW avert
bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debto ...
.
Bloomberg Bloomberg may refer to: People * Daniel J. Bloomberg (1905–1984), audio engineer * Georgina Bloomberg (born 1983), professional equestrian * Michael Bloomberg (born 1942), American businessman and founder of Bloomberg L.P.; politician and m ...
said
Goldman Sachs Goldman Sachs () is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company. Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is headquartered at 200 West Street in Lower Manhattan, with regional headquarters in London, Warsaw, Bangalore, Ho ...
helped YRCW complete the debt swap after the "Teamsters Union said the bank was trying to profit from a failure of the largest U.S. trucker by sales." Hoffa was re-elected to a fourth term heading the Teamsters Union in November 2011. He won nearly 59% of the vote for another five-year term. The three-way race was between Hoffa, Fred Gegare, and Sandy Pope. Gegare is a Wisconsin Teamster, trustee on a pension fund and a Teamsters International Vice President. Pope was the president of Teamsters Local 805 in New York City. On May 14, 2019, on PBS NewsHour, Hoffa endorsed President Trump's use of tariffs and a trade war with China to bring China to the table for a robust trade deal. He stated that his hope was that the tariffs would work to open the Chinese market for American goods long kept out, and that in the long run, opening the Chinese market would create more American jobs.


Labor Day speech

On September 5, 2011, he caused some controversy when introducing President Obama at a
Labor Day Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United St ...
rally in
Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...
. In his remarks, an animated Hoffa stated "We have to keep an eye on the battle we face—a war on workers. And you see it everywhere there is the Tea Party. And you know there is only one way to beat and win that war. The one thing about working people is we like a good fight. And you know what, they've got a war, they've got a war with us and there is only going to be one winner. It is going to be the workers of Michigan and America – we are going to win that war. All the way." He then urged the audience to vote in the coming election and in reference to the Tea Party, stated, "Everybody here's got to vote," Hoffa said. "If we go back and we keep the eye on the prize, let's take these sons-of-a-bitches out and give America back to America where we belong!" Following the fiery remarks, some conservative media outlets chastised the Democratic Party and President Obama for not condemning Hoffa for using violent rhetoric of the kind some claimed as leading to the
2011 Tucson Shooting On January 8, 2011, U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords and 18 others were shot during a constituent meeting held in a supermarket parking lot in Casas Adobes, Arizona, in the Tucson metropolitan area. Six people were killed, including feder ...
, while the White House Press Secretary
Jay Carney James Ferguson 'Jay' Carney (born May 22, 1965) is an American public relations officer, political advisor and journalist who has served as Amazon's Senior Vice President of Global Corporate Affairs from 2015 to 2022, and the United States Whi ...
said, "Mr. Hoffa speaks for himself, he speaks for the labor movement...The president speaks for himself." However, Hoffa responded to the controversy by stating, "We didn't start this war—the right wing did. My comments on Labor Day in Detroit echo the anger and frustration of American workers who are under attack by corporate-funded politicians who want to destroy the middle class. We're tired of seeing good-paying jobs shipped overseas. This fight is about the economy, it's about jobs and it's about rebuilding America. As I said yesterday in Detroit, we all have to vote in order to take these anti-worker politicians out of office. We're fighting back. That's what Teamsters do—we stand up for what is right," Hoffa said. "I will never apologize for standing up for my fellow Teamsters and all American workers." ''
National Review ''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by the author William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief ...
s
Jonah Goldberg Jonah Jacob Goldberg (born March 21, 1969) is an American conservative syndicated columnist, author, political analyst, and commentator. The founding editor of ''National Review Online'', from 1998 until 2019 he was an editor at '' National Revie ...
supported Hoffa's language, if not the content, saying "We are in a really weird place where the head of the Teamsters can't talk tough. I mean, I guess ex-cons are the only ones left who can still talk like men every now and then." Goldberg went on to state that the issue was not the language, but the "absolutely bizarre standard" for language established after Tucson. Some commentators and journalists have charged that the context of the quote was changed by editing out the "Everybody here's got to vote" passage by the news organization;
Fox News Channel The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is ...
and other media outlets, thus fueling the controversy by making the speech sound like a call for violence instead of a call to vote.


Organizing successes

Hoffa led a resurgence of the Teamsters resulting in a net increase of members in 2007, the first year of net growth in the union in nearly three decades. Significant organizing victories included more than 12,600 workers at UPS Freight, 9,000 mechanics at
United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.
, 22,000 school bus drivers at First Student/
FirstGroup FirstGroup plc is a British multi-national transport group, based in Aberdeen, Scotland.America West Airlines America West Airlines was a major American airline, founded in 1981, with service commencing in 1983, and having reached US$1 billion in annual revenue in 1989, headquartered in Tempe, Arizona. At the time of its acquisition of US Airways, Amer ...
, and nearly 900 crewmembers of Atlas Air, Inc. and Polar Air Cargo Worldwide. In 2009, more than 1,700 school bus workers employed at the Baumann transportation companies on
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18 ...
joined the union. The organizing victory at UPS Freight was particularly noteworthy, because it is the former Overnite Transportation, which the union struggled to organize for many years. The campaign got a major boost when UPS purchased Overnite, and it became UPS Freight. "This PS Freightis the largest organizing victory in the freight industry in 25 years. We were amazed that at the 90-day mark of our national campaign, 9,900 workers had signed cards. This shows the workers' commitment in joining a union that will give them a strong voice in the workplace." "We announced two goals for the Teamsters in 2008: To organize 40,000 workers and to elect Barack Obama
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...
. I am proud to say that thanks to the hard work by so many in our union, the Teamsters delivered on both promises.""43,000 Teamsters Reach Organizing Milestone." Teamster magazine. March/April 2009. The union's successful organizing plan has emphasized the Teamster core industries—particularly those in the global supply chain—and the management of Hoffa and the Teamsters Organizing Department involved the entire union. The bulk of the organizing resulted from coordinated, disciplined campaigns in which numerous Teamster local unions and Joint Councils participated. Organizing has been a main theme of Hoffa's administration, culminating in 2005, when the Teamsters Union left the
AFL–CIO The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO) is the largest federation of unions in the United States. It is made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 12 million ac ...
to found the new
Change to Win Federation The Strategic Organizing Center (SOC), formerly known as the Change to Win Federation (CtW) is a coalition of North American labor unions originally formed in 2005 as an alternative to the AFL–CIO. The coalition is associated with strong advoca ...
with emphasis on organizing and growth. The union has achieved an annual increase in organizing gains every year since, with 2008 marking a record-breaking year. Hundreds of volunteer member organizers have arranged worker-to-worker contacts between Teamsters and unorganized workers in the same craft. In 2009, the Teamsters began a project to recruit and train 1,000 member organizers before the end of 2009 to be ready when the
Employee Free Choice Act The Employee Free Choice Act is the name for several legislative bills on US labor law (, , , , , , , , .) which have been proposed and sometimes introduced into one or both chambers of the U.S. Congress. The bill's purpose, as taken from the 200 ...
is passed. "There is no better spokesperson for the Teamsters than a Teamster like you," Hoffa said. "We are engaged in national campaigns that will test the resources of the union. Without a mighty army of Teamster member organizers, we're not going to get it done." "We formed our union with the Teamsters so we could have an opportunity to negotiate for fair pay, benefits and equal treatment," said Nicole Miles, a monitor at First Student in Parkville, Missouri and Local 838 member. "Coming from a Teamster family, I supported the Teamsters because I wanted to be part of a union that will support me. I'm proud of our vote to join the Teamsters."


Split from the AFL–CIO

Frustrated with the
AFL–CIO The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO) is the largest federation of unions in the United States. It is made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 12 million ac ...
's lack of emphasis on organizing, the Teamsters Union and the
Service Employees International Union Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is a labor union representing almost 1.9 million workers in over 100 occupations in the United States and Canada. SEIU is focused on organizing workers in three sectors: healthcare (over half of members ...
(SEIU) split from the AFL–CIO on July 25, 2005. The group of breakaway unions, which later included the Laborer's,
United Farm Workers The United Farm Workers of America, or more commonly just United Farm Workers (UFW), is a labor union for farmworkers in the United States. It originated from the merger of two workers' rights organizations, the Agricultural Workers Organizing ...
and United Food and Commercial Workers Union, formed their own group called the
Change to Win The Strategic Organizing Center (SOC), formerly known as the Change to Win Federation (CtW) is a coalition of North American labor unions originally formed in 2005 as an alternative to the AFL–CIO. The coalition is associated with strong advocac ...
Federation. "We have been disappointed that over the last 10 years he period of former AFL–CIO President John Sweeney's tenurewe have seen a decline in membership, a decline in density." Hoffa further explained his union's decision to
Fox News The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is o ...
: "In our view, we must have more union members in order to change the political climate that is undermining workers' rights in this country. The AFL–CIO has chosen the opposite approach. We proposed that the AFL–CIO embark on a new course of action that would not only protect our existing Teamsters members and their families but lead to thousands of new working men and women to have the opportunity to organize into a strong union that would give them the chance to achieve the American dream to own their own home, send their kids to college and plan a strong retirement." Hoffa, while pledging support of the AFL–CIO, said, "Today's decision means that we have chosen a course of growth and strength for the American labor movement based on organizing new members. ... This is just the beginning of a new era for America's workers." Hoffa is an advocate of fair trade policies and a wide range of legislation. He also composed a weblog essay on the ''
Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' attacking
Whole Foods Whole Foods Market IP, Inc., a subsidiary of Amazon, is an upscale American multinational supermarket chain headquartered in Austin, Texas, which sells products free from hydrogenated fats and artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. A US ...
for undermining efforts to win Congressional reform. Hoffa also spoke on the
Thom Hartmann Thomas Carl Hartmann (born May 7, 1951) is an American radio personality, author, former psychotherapist, businessman, and progressive political commentator. Hartmann has been hosting a nationally syndicated radio show, ''The Thom Hartmann Prog ...
radio program about the politics of health care reform.Hartmann Radio Program Highlights Health Care Reform
International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), September 1, 2009


See also

*
Jimmy Hoffa James Riddle Hoffa (born February 14, 1913 – disappeared July 30, 1975; declared dead July 30, 1982) was an American labor union leader who served as the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) from 1957 until 1971. ...
* Sean O'Brien (labor leader) * Ron Carey (labor leader) * Jackie Presser * Roy Lee Williams * Frank Fitzsimmons * Daniel J. Tobin *
Dave Beck David Daniel Beck (June 16, 1894December 26, 1993) was an American labor leader, and president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from 1952 to 1957. He helped found the "Conference" system of organization in the Teamsters union, and s ...
* Cornelius Shea * William J. McCarthy


References


External links


Biography at teamster.org


* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hoffa, James P. 1941 births Living people 2008 United States presidential electors American people of Pennsylvania Dutch descent American trade unionists of Polish descent Lawyers from Detroit Michigan Democrats Michigan State University alumni Presidents of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Trade unionists from Michigan University of Michigan Law School alumni Cooley High School alumni