Whats really going on with the Teamsters and TDU?, Leedham and LaBotz

[OT+]

[Thisischange?]

This is well written and crystal clear. We are headed in the wrong direction following the lead of the business unionist O'Brien and the bought and paid for TDU. I sincerely hope TDU comes to it's senses and realizes what a fatal mistake they are making.

[JayCee]

[Faust]

Any word from the two $5 whores Ken Paff and David Levin?

[Thisischange?]

This is well written and crystal clear. We are headed in the wrong direction following the lead of the business unionist O'Brien and the bought and paid for TDU. I sincerely hope TDU comes to it's senses and realizes what a fatal mistake they are making.

Will they trot out the old " These elections cost the members lot's of money" line? As we speak they are merging locals into OZ VP held locals to dilute the number of delegates available to the opposition, and not a word spoken by the TURD.

[DanaCos]

How the hell can you go from exposing the worst of the worse to embracing them as reforming leaders? I have never seen anything as bad as this in Teamster history. It all goes to prove that TDU is a racket. They are more concerned about their bottom line which is money rather than the interests of the members. You had to know that when you brought a scumbag like O'Brien on board, that you were going to get the rest of Hoffa Suckers on the E-board. The funny part is that these people have a past history of saying TDU sucked and now they are welcomed to the conventions and speak highly of them. I thought I was alone in my thoughts until I was invited here at TeamsterLink.

[DanaCos]

Will they trot out the old " These elections cost the members lot's of money" line? As we speak they are merging locals into OZ VP held locals to dilute the number of delegates available to the opposition, and not a word spoken by the TURD.

Not a peep from TDU about the woman from Florida that was thrown off the Eboard in place of O'Brien's Hoffa friend and ally. I would love an answer from all those people who rallied against the corruption in our union at the Vote No page on Facebook who are now praising them as "leaders". A lot of these people are my friends, but I still believe they got suckered. All that work for nothing.

[Gimme_Danger]

I don't think she is a member anymore. The local she had won leadership of was raided and then dissolved in 2016/17, she was transferred into a hostile local afterwards without a regular Teamster job. Similar to the former central region vp who was hired into the DRIVE department in 2022, a job was offered. But not similarly, likely declined.

[DanaCos]

She was a sitting VP. She put her time in to get to that position.

[btraven]

Her job was in the Florida prison unit. If I remember right she was not a guard but was in a staff position. Organizing them was Ken Wood's idea. The way public employees are structured in Florida it is impossible to get a contract because it must be approved by the state legislature.
They decertified the Teamsters like they decertified every union who tried to get them a contract. That left her out in the cold when it came to her running for office again.

[Faust]

I wonder how O'Brien is feeling just about now knowing that everything he's said about this "historic" contract was bullshit?

[Wiggy]

A fair critique of the smoke and mirrors administration. Like most of what was mentioned in the article, it will be ignored by TDU.

[AlJackson1962!]

Great article. More proof that any leader espousing social and economic justice, better have a hard look at themselves in the mirror everyday, and ask themselves: Am I being faithful to these commitments, or just fighting for myself?

[Barry455]

Its true, people more often than not put the paycheck ahead of the priciple. We don't have to support them.

[25Medford]

Most members here were TDU at one time. TDU has turned into a great organization. They finally have all
the members interested at heart. It is Teamsters helping Teamsters. Not like the know it alls here.

[teamsterdriver25]

They're Scum Bags

[AlJackson1962!]

I recently joined this Forum. I joined TDU in 1977, having been a Teamster since 1973. I was very active in the Boston TDU chapter from 1978-1982, the NYC chapter in 1982-1984, and again the Boston chapter from 1984-1995. I rejoined TDU in 2011 during Sandy Pope's run for IBT GP. I remain a TDU member today, although I am now retired after 50 years in seven different Teamster locals. I can tell you firsthand that there was more honesty in Local 25 under Billy McCarthy's leadership as Local 25 President, and during his brief time as IBT GP then there has been under O'Brien's time in both of those positions. At least under McCarthy the lines were clear as to where both TDU stood and where McCarthy and his team stood. O'Brien has coopted what was a true rank and file led movement, with the blind support of David Levin, Matt Taibi in 251. It is a disgrace. TDU is a top down movement today, whereas it was a movement lead by TDU local and regional chapters throughout the US and parts of Canada, many of them with autonomous published chapter newspapers. .

[DanaCos]

Most members here were TDU at one time. TDU has turned into a great organization. They finally have all
the members interested at heart. It is Teamsters helping Teamsters. Not like the know it alls here.

You act like I am cheering on a football team or I am to cheer on my country when we go to war for asinine reasons. No, the people here won't be a bitch and bow down to a "leader" who was at one point critical of TDU as well. It's called a livelihood and we have a douche bag that makes foolish decisions that have dire consequences.

[Nickjamesups]

[Gimliboston9]

[AlJackson1962!]

Yes, O'Brien in 2013 told those Local 251 members present at a Joe Bairos (then S/T Principal Officer) slate support meeting, that "TDU sucks" and "...those that would run against Joe Bairos should be punished." But, in the formulation of the TDU/O'Brien "Coalition" they added Matt Taibi as Eastern Region VP. Taibi's slate beat the Joe Bairos slate in 2013. And now Local 251 is run like a police state. I know. I took Union leave as a New Penn driver on 1/1/2014 andI worked as the full-time Contract Coordinator for nine years under Taibi. It is shameful, and sickening to see the hard work of so many Local 251 members and Teamsters everywhere, to see this sellout leadership take our Union to where it is as I write this. I've never witnessed a betrayal of union democracy to this degree in my 50 years as a Teamster. I knew so many Teamsters that sacrificed incredibly for building a militant, democratic, transparent, and honest IBT. May they not be forgotten, many are no longer on this Earth.

[DanaCos]

Nick, It's going to be the same no matter what. You are going to continue to do battle we these forum trolls because they are suffering from Stockholm syndrome. By doing battle, I mean you are simply pointing out the truth. In my local, some people who wanted to do me harm are now placing blame with Hoffa and Hall but not with the Local officials that propped up the lie that our benefits will be the same. You should have seen the backlash I got when I told everyone TDU was no good to reforming the teamsters. I pointed out that they had no desire to keep our benefits but to turning them over to the same corrupt union officials was just. I kept pointing out that you lose the Maintenace of Benefits clause if you switch to a union plan, meaning that you are stuck with maintaining the health plan and ultimately having to pay higher deductibles and copays. Instead of being a bitch, I told people who were long time friends that they were wrong and needed to be removed from office for being a detriment to our way of life.

TDU Sucks.jpg

[25Medford]

You act like I am cheering on a football team or I am to cheer on my country when we go to war for asinine reasons. No, the people here won't be a bitch and bow down to a "leader" who was at one point critical of TDU as well. It's called a livelihood and we have a douche bag that makes foolish decisions that have dire consequences.

[AlJackson1962!]

AlJackson1962!
#13.2
AlJackson1962! commented
Today, 12:01 PM
Yes, O'Brien in 2013 told those Local 251 members present at a Joe Bairos (then S/T Principal Officer) slate support meeting, that "TDU sucks" and "...those that would run against Joe Bairos should be punished." But, in the formulation of the TDU/O'Brien "Coalition" they added Matt Taibi as Eastern Region VP. Taibi's slate beat the Joe Bairos slate in 2013. And now Local 251 is run like a police state. I know. I took Union leave as a New Penn driver on 1/1/2014 andI worked as the full-time Contract Coordinator for nine years under Taibi. It is shameful, and sickening to see the hard work of so many Local 251 members and Teamsters everywhere, to see this sellout leadership take our Union to where it is as I write this. I've never witnessed a betrayal of union democracy to this degree in my 50 years as a Teamster. I knew so many Teamsters that sacrificed incredibly for building a militant, democratic, transparent, and honest IBT. May they not be forgotten, many are no longer on this Earth. It is primarily for them that I post and comment on this Forum.