TDU members will vote on endorsing candidates for International Union office at the TDU Convention in Chicago, November 1-3. With the 2021 election for General President set to begin, Sean O’Brien will outline his vision and action plans for our union.
Other O'Brien-Zuckerman Teamsters United candidates will be at the TDU Convention, including Local 89 President Fred Zuckerman, Rhode Island Local 251 Principal Officer Matt Taibi, and Chicago Local 705 President Juan Campos.
The election for International Union officers begins next June when leaders petition for accreditation as candidates. An Election Supervisor will be appointed and Election Rules issued in early 2020.
Hoffa is not expected to seek re-election. A lame duck, Hoffa has subcontracted day-to-day leadership of the union to appointed staff Todd Thompson and Christy Bailey. The leadership vacuum has set off a scramble for who will be his successor.
O’Brien, who leads Teamsters Local 25 in Boston, is the only declared candidate for Teamster General President. Last year, O’Brien and Fred Zuckerman announced they would join forces with O’Brien leading the 2021 Teamsters United ticket for International Union office.
Multiple contenders are maneuvering to take over as head of the Hoffa-Hall slate. General Secretary-Treasurer Ken Hall and Carhaul Division Director Kevin Moore have both indicated they are running for the office.
Rome Aloise has made rumblings about running even though he is currently serving a two-year suspension from Teamster leadership positions for employer payoffs and corruption.
O’Brien-Zuckerman Teamsters United
O’Brien is the only candidate who broke with Hoffa and built a bridge to Teamsters United and Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU).
In 2017, O’Brien was named Package Division Director. He insisted on including Hoffa’s political opponents on the National Negotiating Committee and building a united contract campaign at UPS.
Hoffa opposed this direction, fired O’Brien, and replaced him with Denis Taylor. Taylor purged multiple Teamsters United supporters from the UPS Contract Negotiating Committee for opposing givebacks and an information brownout.
TDU and the 2021 Teamster Election
TDU has not endorsed any candidates for International Union office. A vote on endorsing will be held at the TDU Convention after members have the opportunity to hear directly from Teamsters United candidates.