November 20, 2014: A jury in Boston yesterday convicted a former member of the Hoffa administration of racketeering and extortion. His “enforcer” was convicted also, and both will be sentenced to a federal prison term in February.

John Perry, who was Hoffa’s Trade Show National Director until the IRB removed him from the union, was convicted of multiple counts, along with Joseph “Jo Jo” Burhoe, Perry’s enforcer.

Perry’s power was maintained by intimidation of members and job-rigging for his political pals. Those crimes stole money from hard working Teamsters and weakened our union.

Perry rigged hiring to get his friends and family work and punish any outspoken members

TDU members and other concerned trade show Teamsters took a stand against Perry, who headed Boston Local 82, and fought for democratic reforms and against sweetheart contracts in their union ratified by phony votes. Perry and Burhoe responded with intimidation and violence, sending one member to the hospital. Members appealed to Hoffa for help, but he replied that he would do nothing about his appointee’s corruption and violence. That struggle is reported here.   

In the recent trial, International vice president John Murphy testified that his office was in the same building as Perry’s office, and he kept Hoffa informed on a regular basis of the activity in Perry’s Local 82.

Yet Hoffa kept Perry in power.

In May 2011, TDU members’actions led the Independent Review Board (IRB) to throw Perry and Burhoe out of the Teamsters, after Hoffa tried to cover it up.

Burhoe then went to work for management. And Hoffa merged Local 82 into Local 25. 

Perry and Burhoe were convicted yesterday after a seven-week trial.