April 2, 2007
The Members Come Before Politics
I was a delegate to the 2006 Teamster Convention. It was made perfectly clear by Brother Dan Virtue, candidate for Eastern Region VP, of his independence from any candidate during the IBT convention this past June.
After listening to this candidate speak, and learning what he stood for, it was simple for me to understand why his members elected him and why Brother Hoffa made him an IBT representative.
Diversity can best be supported when those with differences of opinion, but with the same goal—the betterment of our membership—work together.
The “do as I say,” or “go along to get along” ideology may have worked in the past. But today that will not work.
The decision to eliminate Brother Virtue from his IBT position is not a case of putting the membership first, but an attempt at political preservation.
Darrin Ziemba
Local 264, C&S Wholesale
Buffalo, N.Y.
$100,000 Club: Give Members More Facts
The next time you run the $100,000 Club in Convoy, you should inform the members of the increase from the last LM-2 reports to new one. That way members can see how much more the officers are making.
Scott MacDonald
Local 179, Retired
Kankakee, Ill.
Stand Up to Corporate Greed
Through deregulation and the courts this administration in Washington has destroyed what union labor has bargained for with employers such as job security, pension, and welfare as well as workers’ rights under legal contracts.
As union workers, we must unite to fight for our preservation, our dignity, and our livelihood. Our goal is simple: a March on Washington on Labor Day this Sept. 3, 2007. Imagine the power of one million union members in a peaceful but determined demonstration demanding what has been stolen by corporate greed.
Let’s send a strong message to Washington and the corporate leaders to end this insanity and return this great country to the citizens who worked and labored to create the slogan “Made in the USA.”
Frank Klem
Local 701, Retired
Toms River, N.J.