Happy Holidays from your brothers and sisters in Teamsters for a Democratic Union.

It was an exciting year for the rank-and-file movement to take back our union. Now it’s time to rest up, enjoy the holidays, and gear up for the fight in 2017.

A new corruption officer has been named to hear the charges against Ken Hall, Rome Aloise, Willie Smith, Nicole Brener-Schmitz and other Hoffa administration officials.

For the first time in nearly two decades, reformers have won seats on the Teamsters’ international executive board—and come within a hair’s breadth of unseating the incumbent administration led by President James P. Hoffa.

Fast action by pension committees and our allies has beat-back a pension cut bill in Congress.

On December 5, the Independent Investigations Officer (IIO) brought a charge of embezzlement against Bill Elder, the former secretary treasurer of Ventura California Local 186.  After Elder was defeated for reelection a year ago, he paid out $97,780 “severance” to himself, former president Douglas Saint, former office manager Dennis Shaw and former BA Carlos Torres. Saint was also charged by the IIO.

Teamsters United has filed a post-election protest, detailing widespread violations by the Hoffa-Hall Campaign. Teamsters United calls for the election, which has not been certified, to be rerun. 

John Kline, the Minnesota congressman that snuck through the Multiemployer Pension Reform Act (MEPRA) as part of the omnibus spending bill in 2014, is at it again. MEPRA allowed Central States and other Funds in “critical status” to propose drastic cuts to earned benefits. 

International Vice President Rome Aloise has again obtained a postponement of his trial on devastating corruption charges. The postponement is due to the fact that the Independent Review Officer (IRO), who serves as the judge, retired and now the vacancy must be filled.

The Journal of Commerce reports that “employer that have dealt with Hoffa” are “relieved” by Hoffa’s election win because of his record for negotiating “deals involving wage and benefit concessions.”

The headline says it all, “Hoffa Retains Teamsters Union Presidency — Fewer Concessions Ahead?” The National Law Review reports the near-win for Fred Zuckerman in the Teamster election may put Hoffa-Hall under pressure to cough up fewer contract givebacks in the future.