The longshoremen of Local 1588 in Bayonne, NJ knew their place—they worked and kept their mouths shut. When your past union president, an exboxer named John DiGilio, is found floating in the Hackensack River with two bullet holes in his head, you don’t ask too many questions. When the man who usurped the local from him threatens to settle disputes with a blowtorch to the crotch, you don’t go to the union office to voice concerns about benefits or safety issues.
Teamsters, Amazon delivery drivers, and labor allies picketed today on the steps of New York City Hall to support the Delivery Protection Act. City Councilmember Tiffany Cabán announced the bill now has supermajority support in the City Council.
The IBT has launched the Teamster History Project, which includes 27 unedited interviews with Teamsters who made it happen. It covers the years 1975-1999. Those interviewed include several TDU leaders, participants in the Carey administration, James Hoffa, along with two Hoffa lieutenants who were expelled from the union for corruption and self-dealing.
