Ken Paff: TDU and New Labor Insurgency

[OT+]

[Watcher745]

[WTF891]

I started reading this and thought the author needed to put the crack pipe down. Scrolling back to the top I realized it was Ken Paff reading and writing his own press clippings. Fire the pipe up again Ken, no one else is that high on your self promoting bullshit.

[Gimliboston9]

Anything owed to him was negated when he endorsed the opposite of everything we possibly owed him for .

[David Brad Bishop]

"Under new Teamster leadership, strategies for building worker power through rank-and-file power are spreading through the union, including vigorous contract campaigns; practice picketing; coordinated bargaining; the lining up of multiple contracts to maximize worker leverage; picket line extensions to build strike solidarity across Teamster locals; and organizing in core industries with member organizers; to name a few."

None of these strategies and tactics and are new. Don't get me wrong, they're great. I wish them all the best. But it's the same playbook that's been tried and attempted for decades. It's all just a lot easier said than done, especially when you're dealing with 400+ autonomous local unions who all have different agendas and/or hate one another. Given how things have gone since the OZ/TDU takeover, I'm guessing they're learning this lesson the hard way.

[Gimme_Danger]

These might be tried and true methods, but hardly ones that have been utilized for decades. The previous 22 years were known more for complacency or worse.

[Faust]

Ken Paff is a $5 whore!

[OT+]

C.M. Lewis (@thehousered) X (1).jpg
The quiet part said aloud

[DanaCos]

Everyone here owes Ken Paff.

I owe him what? I worked almost daily on a movement to expose corruption in the union. He used our work to propel his organization and stabbed us in the back. How is he living now in California? When do we get to see his salary at TDU?

[Gimme_Danger]

You focus solely on 2013, whereas people like Ken were dealing with some big issues from the mid 1970s onwards.

[DanaCos]

So, where were you in the 70's, 80's, 90's and on? You think showing up at the eleven hour is fine? You were a supporter of his since being a Teamster?

Let me TRY to keep this brief. In 2013 (NOT 2018) is when we all got tired of Hoffa's crap and the people who supported his criminal activity of selling us out on contracts that were substandard. I never came out and bragged about what I did and didn't do. I can say without a doubt that I single handedly turned a pure Hoffa Local in to a Hoffa hating local in less than year. I printed and distributed close to 100 fliers telling members of the atrocities that our union was bestowing on us all the while a certain number of Hoffa Suckers tried their best to destroy us. Fast forward to the next contract, these same Hoffa Suckers all the sudden have these epiphany moments where they come out on social media and Youtube to tell the members how bad Hoffa was. Well, now we have 3 men who retired after fighting the same people we did and longer than I have that want the truth be told about how phony TDU has become and set the record straight about the past so we don't repeat it with the very person who robbed us of our worth in these contracts. That's why when we see a guy they call ****** Nutter or something from Boston tell us how Sean O'Brien is the solution to our problems, we cringe because O'Brien was the real reason why our union suffered so much loss. AND, for TDU and Fred Zuckerman to hand a guy like this the stage that we built is and always will be infuriating. That's why I said before, I will NEVER stop talking about 2013 and the nut jobs like yourself. You wouldn't know or understand what I have been through and that probably goes for the founders of TeamsterLink too, they've been through lot.

[PreloaderZzz]

[Tony R Cochran]

This statement was unanimously approved by all ITOC members who read Ken Paff's article. We had a vote on our Discord server.

The narrative paints a vivid picture of the Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU) as a driving force behind positive changes within our union. However, upon closer examination, significant shortcomings and criticisms emerge that challenge this portrayal.

One glaring omission is the failure to address the profound impact of AI, automation, and mass layoffs on industries represented by the Teamsters Union. Traditional labor roles are increasingly at risk, leading to widespread job losses. Despite this reality, TDU has remained largely silent on these critical issues. Moreover, TDU's support for President Sean O'Brien, who falsely claimed to have solved the AI and automation problem at UPS, is troubling. In reality, UPS is implementing mass automation and layoffs, rendering O'Brien's claims entirely false. By aligning themselves with leaders who misrepresent the challenges faced by unionized workers, TDU is not only failing to uphold its purported commitment to worker empowerment but actively undermining its credibility.

Furthermore, the narrative sidesteps a damning revelation: leaders supported by TDU have hired a union-busting law firm to target retired Teamsters who set up an online platform for member expression. This egregious action directly contradicts TDU's purported commitment to worker empowerment and raises serious questions about leadership integrity.

Additionally, the story falls short in addressing broader societal issues impacting workers beyond traditional labor union activities, such as income inequality and racial justice. By narrowing its focus exclusively on factional union matters, TDU misses opportunities to address the root causes of systemic injustices facing the working class and marginalized communities.

Moreover, TDU's failure to address allegations of racial discrimination in the firing of organizers further tarnishes its credibility. The argument, supported by evidence, suggests that the organizers were targeted largely due to their race, yet TDU has not taken a clear stance on this issue, raising concerns about its commitment to equity and justice within our union.

Furthermore, the portrayal of TDU as the sole catalyst for recent successes within our union overlooks the contributions of other actors and contextual factors. Recognizing these contributions is essential for providing a balanced assessment of TDU's role.
?

Independent Teamsters Organizing Committee

[Tony R Cochran]

I started reading this and thought the author needed to put the crack pipe down. Scrolling back to the top I realized it was Ken Paff reading and writing his own press clippings. Fire the pipe up again Ken, no one else is that high on your self promoting bullshit.

What I personally find most troubling is that Paff does not use the words "AI" "automation" or "layoffs" anywhere in this article. Often what is omitted is the most revealing. IBT/TDU (and DSA) leadership does not want to discuss the fact that huge sections of organized labor are in big trouble. The attacks on UPS workers are a part of a larger offensive against workers, especially unionized workers. UPS Teamsters are the largest private sector bargaining unit that operate under the same NMA in North America. Eroding that, shrinking that down from 330,000 to 200,000 then 100,000 or less in the next 10 years will have a devastating impact on the health and welfare fund, the pension funds, and more importantly on workers collectively organizing.

[TheMilitantTeamster]

[6][8]

[TheMilitantTeamster]

In other shorter words Paff has always thought of workers as idiots needing TDU to baby talk to them

[TheMilitantTeamster]

Have you ever met him?

Fortunately no

[The Direct Line]

So did Ken Paff pave the way for TDU members to have a group chat called "Future IBT Leaders".
Or did he pave the way to ban actual Teamsters from attending the TDU convention.
Or did he pave the way to whisper into the ear of DSAer and TDU co-chair Sean Orr's to table an "open bargaining" resolution at last year's TDFU convention,

He sure did run his mouth about Teamsters Mobilize when he commented on a Facebook post that a Teamster made. "Yes, we did not eliminate 50 years of corporation driving down the labor movement,..And, as you predicted, the UPS Teamsters all agreed with you and voted to reject the agreement...But now, with Teamsters Mobilize, you will be able to do all those things."

I understand that he did very important work in the past but when he allowed TDU to be the junior partner in the OZ administration he lost all credibility.