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History

Webinar: TDU's Role in the Teamsters

Since 1979, TDU has built union power from below. Watch this webinar to learn about the history of the Teamster reform movement and TDU's role in the union today.

The History of Teamster Corruption, Rebellion, and Reform

right_to_vote.jpgA 55-minute podcast interview with Ken Paff. Start the broadcast. This fact-filled podcast covers the growth of Teamster power, the parasitic corruption that accompanied it, and the victories, defeats and future of Teamster reform. Ken Paff is a founding member of TDU, and the strategist behind winning the Right to Vote for IBT Officers for all Teamsters.

Click here for a six-part history of TDU.

Click here for a history of changes to the IBT Constitution. 

Video: Reform History at IBT Conventions: 1981-2001. A nine-minute video of highlights and lowlights from past IBT Conventions.

Mother Trucker: The Diana Kilmury Story. A fact-based award-winning movie telling the history and TDU-involvement of the first-ever woman elected to the IBT General Executive Board in 1991. 

Video: Labor's Turning Point. A documentary film on the 1934 Minneapolis strikes that paved the way for Teamster growth in the trucking industry. Strike leader Jack Maloney, featured in the film, was a strong TDU supporter in his later years.
Article: "The Teamster Revolt Against the Hoffa Era" by David Levin. The story of how TDU and Teamsters United built a coalition to oust James Hoffa Jr. and transform the union.
Video: TDU pioneers Diana Kilmury ("Mother Trucker") and Ken Paff are interviewed on TDU's origin and taking on the mob.
Read: A Brief History of the Consent Order and the Right to Vote for IBT Officers.
Read: The Legal History of TDU. A detailed history of the many members' rights won by the TDU movement, and how it happened. By law professor Michael Goldberg.

Related Articles

Ron Carey and the Teamsters

May 13, 2024

Ron Carey and the Teamsters is a new book about the first-ever directly elected president of the Teamsters, who rose from being a local president to lead the IBT in 1991.

Michael Savwoir: A Crusader for the Teamster Rank & File

November 07, 2018

Michael Savwoir has fought for democracy, racial justice and a stronger Teamsters Union for well over 30 years, and he’s still going strong. Teamsters—especially TDU members—salute his unwavering commitment, as he steps down from the TDU Steering Committee, on which he has served for nearly 20 years.

The History of the “2/3 Rule” on Teamster Contracts

October 09, 2018

By Ken Paff, TDU National Organizer — As we continue to vigorously demand that the Hoffa administration renegotiate, we need to look to the future. We need a new leadership and a new direction. To make that future, we need to understand the past.

Happy Birthday TDU!

June 05, 2018

On June 5, 1976, a group of Teamsters met in Cleveland to form Teamsters for a Democratic Union. At 42 years old, TDU is the oldest, largest, and most successful union reform movement in U.S. labor history.

Happy Birthday!—TDU Turns 41 Today

September 19, 2017

On this day in 1976, a small group of courageous Teamsters met in Kent, Ohio, to form Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU).

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Recent News

Reformers Win in Fresno Local 431

December 12, 2025

A rank-and-file reform slate, United for Change Local 431, has defeated the incumbent Local 431 Fresno officers by a 60-40 margin. The results mark a clear mandate from members for a militant and active union.

Nurses on Verge of Massive Organizing Win in Iowa

December 11, 2025

Some 2,000 nurses at Unity Point Health are on the verge of winning their union election to join Teamsters Local 90. Nurses voted 57% to 43% in favor of the union at Wednesday’s vote count. Some challenged ballots need to be resolved before the final results are official. But they will not be enough to reverse the outcome. Nurses are confident and ready to head to negotiate their first Teamster contract.

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