yosemite said:
No, not really... what you are arguing is 50 year old story. The IBT of today is an organization way seperated from it's past.
Actually, the Teamster's criminal history goes back more than 50 years, but the "Chicago Tribune" article about present Teamster's General President James Hoffa is current.
Ron Carey, who preceded Hoffa as president was indicted 7 Feb 2001.
Here's a brief history of the last 20 years:
1985 13 October - Teamster's President Roy Williams agrees to cooperate with the federal investigation of the relationship between organized crime and the union in exchange for a 45-day delay of his date for reporting to prison. Two weeks later Williams gives spectacular testimony confirming that the mafia controlled the Teamster leadership.
1986 Mid-May - Teamster's President Jackie Presser indicted on charges ranging from racketeering to embezzling $700,000 in a ghost employee scam. Released on $50,000 bond and continues as general president.
1986 November - Anthony 'Fat Tony' Salerno, convicted boss of the Genovese crime family, and his associates Milton Rockman, John 'Peanuts' Tronolone and Vincent Cararo (don't you just love the names?) were charged with arranging the election of Jackie Presser to the office of general president of the Teamsters Union, and with influencing Presser's decisions about union business and about management of pension and welfare funds.
1986 November - The Department of Justice indicated that it would file a civil suit against the Teamsters under the Racheteer-Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act to remove the General Executive Board of the IBT.
1988 May 4 - Jackie Presser takes leave of absence and Weldon Mathis, in accordance with the union's constitution, becomes acting general president. Because of poor health, Presser never comes to trial on the charges of labor racketeering, and he dies in July 1988 of a heart attack during surgery.
1989 March 13 - U.S. Department of Justice and the Teamsters Union reach agreement to settle RICO suit. The Wall Street Journal on March 14, 1989 reported the agreement, "influenced by the concerns and platform...of the Teamsters for a Democratic Union" provided for the direct election of all convention delegates and the union's international officers in 1991.
1991 - Ron Carey elected by Teamsters rank and file as general president.
1996 - Ron Carey re-elected general president.
1997 November - Election overturned. Ron Carey barred from running for re-election for allegations of campaign funding improprieties.
1999 - James Hoffa becomes general president.
yosemite said:
Hmm... so you are saying that because he or you are ex-military, that somehow you have a better personal integrity than a civilian only pilot?
Can't comment on this, the only commercial civilian flying I've done was at COS when I was a college student. But ask NetJetsWife's husband about this one and he will tell you that he was rated on his integrity on his ER and that the Air Force doesn't tolerate integrity flaws in leaders who might be called on to order men and women to their death. In 1999 General Hugh Shelton, then Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, relieved General Wesley Clark as SHAPE Commander over issues of "integrity and character", so nobody gets a bye.
yosemite said:
That one is really funny. I was there; I participated in the discussions. I have the documents and e-mails saved as a historical reference. It ONLY takes 35% of a union membership to de-certify union representation...There were no "contracts" in any form which kept us financially or otherwise obligated to the Teamsters...
My source says that it would have been financially prohibitive to sever your ties with the Teamsters in 2004.
In any event, my original post concerned not why you are in bed with the Teamsters, but why FLOPS would choose them when they have the opportunity to start their own organization or align themselves with a group that doesn't have such a colorful history.
Uh-oh, gotta go. There's a big guy with a badly broken nose and a baseball bat at my quarters door yelling that he wants to talk to me about my big, fat mouth!
SS