Hoffa Announces His Retirement

James P. Hoffa announced today that he will not be seeking re-election in the 2021, in a memo to Teamster officers, locals and staff, and will retire at the end of his current term.

Hoffa reportedly has recruited Steve Vairma to head up a Hoffa-backed slate; there may be an announcement of candidacy soon. Vairma is the Secretary Treasurer of Denver Local 455, the President of Joint Council 3, an IBT Vice President and the director of the IBT Warehouse Division. He is working to pull together Hoffa-supporters on his slate.

It could be shaping up as a race between the Hoffa-backed Vairma slate and the O’Brien Zuckerman Teamsters United Slate.

The O’Brien Zuckerman team has announced sixteen candidates, with more to follow. The slate includes a number of leaders who have fought Hoffa’s concessionary contracts, and also several leaders who broke with Hoffa to join a united slate. Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU) endorsed the slate last November at the TDU Convention.

In Hoffa’s retirement announcement, he claimed he is most proud of “enshrining the direct membership vote in Teamster elections in the Teamster Constitution.”  This came just days after he told the press that he is sure there will be a proposal to make it harder for candidates to run for IBT office.

Click here to get involved.

Get Advice Join TDU Donate

Recent News

Republic Services Teamsters Extend Strike Solidarity Nationwide

Teamsters are taking coordinated strike action at Republic Services to fight for fair pay and strong contracts at one of the largest private sanitation companies in North America.

UPS’s Buyout Scheme

UPS is blindsiding members and our union with a buyout scheme that violates the contract and the law. Here's why it’s happening and what you need to know.

View More News Posts