December 6, 2005: Teamster and employer trustees of the Central States Funds agreed to changes in benefits to keep the overburdened multi-employer pension fund from collapsing, a Teamsters faction reported. The dissident group Teamsters for a Democratic Union, in a Dec. 1 Web posting, blasted the agreement as a disservice to union members and called for firing the Teamster trustees. "In exchange for an IRS extension of the period allowing for amortizing the fund's unfunded...

December 5, 2005: Tom Leedham will soon be the only officially accredited opposition candidate for Teamster General President—thanks to a member-to-member effort by Teamster members who collected more than 55,000 signatures in just four weeks. “The response was incredible,” said John Youngermann, a Local 688 UPS Teamster who collected signatures in the St. Louis area. “Members were lining up to have the chance to vote against Hoffa and for International leaders who will fight for...

December 5, 2005: James Hoffa’s so-called “Unity” Slate split into competing factions as Tyson Johnson announced his candidacy for Teamster General President. Johnson is the Director of the Freight Division and an IBT Vice President from the Southern Region. Other Hoffa-slate Vice Presidents are reportedly joining the breakaway effort. Johnson announced his candidacy in a letter to Hoffa on December 12. He and Central Region Vice President Phil Young have been working to recruit other...

December 5, 2005: Teamsters will be able to judge the candidates for Teamster General President in a debate to be held in late August 2006, thanks to a proposal by Teamsters for a Democratic Union that is going to be made a part of the IBT Election Rules. The debate will be overseen by the independent Election Supervisor, and will be recorded and distributed (presumably on DVDs) to Teamster members. We are hopeful that it...

December 5, 2005: For nearly a year, the Hoffa administration has been lobbying for legislation that would allow Teamster benefit plans to cut members’ previously guaranteed pension benefits—and even to cut the pensions of Teamsters who have already retired. Teamsters for a Democratic Union has fought this legislative attack on our pension security. Now at the 11th hour, James Hoffa has reversed himself and adopted TDU’s position—coming out against the so-called Red Zone Amendment. Since...

December 5, 2005: Employers across North America are attacking the pension and medical benefits of working Americans. Union and non-union workers are being hit with larger co-pays, cuts in benefits, or worse. Our union needs a clear plan of action for protecting and improving benefits for all Teamsters. The employers have a plan. Our union leadership doesn’t. That’s why we are being pushed backward now. Local Unions — and many benefit plans are local, or...

December 5, 2005: Hoffa’s PR Man dismisses the impact of the trustees’ actions: “Leebove said the changes at Central States and other pension funds should not be looked at as benefit cuts, since no accrued benefits were lost. Instead, he said, they represented reductions in future accruals that were designed to ensure the trusts are financially solvent for years to come."–Bureau of National Affairs November 9, 2005 The Union Trustees of the Central States Pension...

December 5, 2005: In November, the Senate passed a version of pension reform that did not include provisions for cutting accrued benefits. That was a positive step forward in a battle that has largely been waged by two groups, the Pension Rights Center and th grassroots Central States Pension Improvement Committee (CSPIC). In December, James Hoffa came out in opposition to the “Red Zone” cut-back amendment, at least in writing, after supporting it for most...

December 5, 2005: TDU members who filed a class action lawsuit against Tyson Foods have won a landmark victory at the Supreme Court that will put millions in the hands of more than 800 meatpacking workers and help tens of thousands of poultry workers win litigation for unpaid wages. In the first decision of the court under the leadership of Chief Justice John Roberts, the Court cleared the way for 815 Tyson employees to receive...

December 1, 2005: On the same day that Tom Leedham delivered more than 55,000 petition signatures to become an officially accredited candidate for General President, James Hoffa's so-called 'Unity' Slate split into competing factions. Hoffa's Freight Director and Southern Region Vice President Tyson Johnson has announced his candidacy for General President. Other IBT Vice Presidents and Hoffa supporters are reportedly abandoning the Hoffa ship. | The breakup of the Hoffa Unity Slate is an embarrassing...