November 1, 2005:When employer and union trustees colluded to cut their pensions, Teamster members in New York Local 805 fought back. First, they elected new local officers who sued the employer trustees. Now, they’ve scored a major victory for pension justice. Local 805 President Sandy Pope has finalized a settlement that reduces the pension cuts, raises members' pension accrual retroactively, and institutes sweeping reforms in how the pension plan is run. In December, the Employer...

October 30, 2005: Is the biggest dues increase in Teamster history being used by the Hoffa administration to fund Teamster Power or political patronage? That’s the question raised by a comprehensive study of Teamster officials’ salaries in all local unions and the International. A review of hundreds of Teamster financial documents uncovered a web of political patronage in which the Hoffa administration used money from the 2002 dues increase to balloon the salaries of key...

October 30, 2005: Study shows multiple salaries at heart of Hoffa patronage scheme. Each year, the Teamster Rank & File Education and Legal Defense Foundation (TRF) conducts a comprehensive analysis of Teamster financial documents and officer compensation. Convoy Dispatch publishes the results in our annual $100,000 Club issue. This year, the study focuses on the record number of super-compensated Teamster officials—making $150,000, $200,000 or more—who are on the International Union payroll. Our $100,000 Club analyzes...

October 30, 2005: James Hoffa recently pulled the Teamsters out of the AFL-CIO, saying unions had to boost their bargaining power by organizing the nonunion competition in our core industries. But a special investigation of the most recently available organizing statistics reveals that Teamster organizing in 2004 continued to lag far behind the levels achieved a decade ago. Researchers found that not only is Teamster organizing down in the Hoffa years, but that the IBT...

October 30, 2005: Teamster organizing figures have decreased for the second straight year, according to the latest figures available from the National Labor Relations Board. A new report on Teamster organizing reveals the Hoffa administration is lagging far behind the organizing levels achieved in the 1990s. Hoffa recently pulled the Teamsters out of the AFL-CIO, supposedly to free up resources for organizing. But only one percent of Teamster dues were going to the AFL-CIO. Half...

October 30, 2005: At $345,408 total compensation, John Coli is the top Teamster fat cat in this year’s $100,000 Club. He is also the newest member of the Hoffa Slate. Coli has announced that news to various Teamster officials. Coli is best known for his prominent role in the scandal that led Hoffa’s anti-corruption czar Ed Stier to resign last year, along with the entire staff of Project RISE, Hoffa’s anti-corruption program. Coli was accused...

October 30, 3005: Our study looked at the salaries paid by almost all Teamster locals. The data revealed a wide range of officer compensation: • The median salary for a local union principal officer is $86,000. Half of all local principal officers make less than that. • About one-third of local union principal officers make more than $100,000 in total salaries. • Just 51 local union principal officers, or about 11 percent of those covered...

October 18, 2005: Pension reform legislation was approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee in early September and appeared to be on a fast track. But then business interests intervened and the bill was postponed, apparently until the end of the year. The HELP bill would provide a range of financial relief to defined benefit pension funds, like the funds that cover many Teamsters. A negative provision called the Red Zone...

October 12 , 2005: When Teamster reformers gather at the TDU Convention on Nov. 4-6, one item we will take up is launching a campaign to change the direction and leadership of the Teamsters Union in 2006. Candidates and campaign activists will present plans and discuss issues. First up on the campaign will be the petition drive to officially accredit a reform slate in November and December. This will take the support of Teamster members...

October 30, 2005: When Hoffa launched his candidacy for General President, he pledged to implement a series of financial reforms at the IBT. Instead, bloated IBT salaries and perks are at an all-time high. Our $100,000 Club study reveals that Hoffa’s broken “Cut and Cap” pledge has cost our union more than $15 million since he took office in 1999. That’s $15 million that could have been spent to organize new members and increase our...