Teamster Elections

2006 IBT Election Updates...

Comment on this report

From the RD News Desk, we'll be providing readers insight to the upcoming 2006 IBT election. Check back for updates and if you wish submit your feedback on these reports at the RD Blog.

Detroit News Reports Hoffa Faces Tough Re-election Drive

On Christmas day, the website of the DetNews.Com provided a lengthy report as to an uphill battle Hoffa faces in his re-election bid. The following is an exert of the report by Richard A. Ryan at the Detroit News...

Tyson Johnson, a Texas Teamster who has been an international vice president since 2000 and national freight director since 2003, announced last week in private meetings with union officials and in a curt letter to Hoffa that he is running for president.

"I am declaring my candidacy for the General Presidency of this great union and many members of the General Executive Board and other Teamster leaders throughout the United States are joining me to form a slate in the 2006 election to return this union to the Teamster members," Johnson told Hoffa in his brief letter.

The challenge to Hoffa's leadership from a member of his own executive board appears to shatter his oft-repeated insistence that the union is united.

Richard Leebove, a Hoffa spokesman, said the Teamsters president would not personally respond to the latest challenge to his leadership.

"Jim Hoffa is confident that the membership is supportive of his policies and the direction in which he has taken the union," Leebove said.

"Teamsters have seen financial stability. They have seen organizing growth. They feel that in these tough times, union members will go with the proven leadership of Jim Hoffa.

Earlier, Leedham announced he would again challenge Hoffa. He ran against Hoffa in the 1998 re-run election, necessitated by the ouster of former Teamsters President Ron Carey, and again in 2001, losing both times. Leedham is supported by Teamsters for a Democratic Union, a dissident group based in Michigan, which has long opposed Hoffa.

"Hoffa has not kept a single promise he made to working Teamsters," Leedham said.

"They are fed up. They want an honest union that is not about flashy public relations and rhetoric."

Hoffa cooly dismissed Leedham's candidacy in the interview.

"He's a two-time loser and he's going to be a three-time loser when I'm done with him," he said.

"I don't think it's a serious challenge. I think we stand on our record. We've done a tremendous job here.

"We are very proud of what we have done. And our record speaks for itself and I think we will be very successful in the election."

Hoffa points to successful organizing campaigns this year at America West and the Nashville Police Department.

The union has organizing efforts under way at DHL, a delivery service; Quebecor Inc., a large Canadian-based printing company; Air Tran Airways; and Auto Truck Transport Corp.

And the union is working with the Service Employees International Union in organizing the nation's 200,000 school bus drivers.

Future targets include Overnite trucking, recently acquired by UPS, and FedEx.

At the same time, the Teamsters are working with other unions to organize Wal-Mart, the giant discount store chain that Hoffa called "the poster boy for all of organized labor."

The withdrawal of the Teamsters and six other unions from the AFL-CIO last summer was the harshest blow to organized labor since the CIO separated from the AFL in 1938. The two alliances did not reunite until 1955.

Report Source: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051225/BIZ/512250304/1001

Tyson Johnson's Candidacy Rumor Mill

12.22.2005 - At hand for 2006 is the election for the Teamsters General Presidency. In the running is Hoffa, Leedham and perhaps Tyson Johnson. Here at RoadDrivers.Org, we have not found a web site nor an announcement from Tyson Johnson of his candidacy. The only report that can be found is the release that has been posted from the Leedham2006.Org website.

An eMail of inquiry in regard to Tyson Johnson's candidacy was sent to "Steven R. Newmark, Esq" (snewmark@ibtvote.org) who is with the Office of the Election Supervisor for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The following paragraph is his response...

In response to your inquiry on Tyson Johnson’s campaign I would direct you to Mr. Johnson directly. As an International vice-president, his contact can be found at teamster.org. The only accredited candidates for International Office at this time are James P. Hoffa and C. Thomas Keegel.

The following paragraph was copied from the Leedham site...

Tyson Johnson, a Hoffa Vice President and the director of the Teamster Freight Division has announced his candidacy for Teamster President. Johnson is reportedly joined by other Teamster Vice Presidents who are leaving the Hoffa slate. “It’s increasingly clear to Teamster members and officers alike that our union needs a different direction to stop the decline of Teamster power under Hoffa,” reports Leedham.

The Leedham Campaign website also reports that James Hoffa’s reelection bid got a double blow when they delivered more than 55,000 signatures to officially accredit Leedham's Slate on the same day that Hoffa’s ‘Unity’ slate broke apart into competing factions.

The Election Supervisor is responsible for verifying the 55,000 Teamster signed petitions to officially accredit the Tom Leedham Slate. If accredited, Teamster members will be able to read in the February issue of the Teamster Magazine about his platform.

As of December 22nd, 2005, Hoffa and Keegel are the only accredited candidates. The office of the election supervisor for the IBT announced the "Hoffa 2006 Slate" was accredited on September 13th, 2005.

Comment on this report

Report Sources:

http://www.ibtvote.org/

http://www.leedham2006.org/