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Blog

Teamsters turnkeys leave door open for criticism in prison row
The Buffalo News reported today on….wow….how prison guards in Teamster-officiated areas just walked away from their posts, leaving prisoners unattended. Take a look: State inspectors in a recent report describe the Erie County penitentiary as a management-challenged prison where deputies abandon their posts, legitimate inmate grievances go nowhere, and would-be reforms move slowly. Commission of Correction [more...]

Posted Fri, 20 Nov 2009 .

New York Times to Unite Here: You are nasty, brutish, and short
In an article entitled “Some Organizers Protest Their Union’s Tactics,”Steven Greenhouse looks at a disgusting organizing practice known as “pink sheeting.” The title would be perfect but for the “Some” caveat that the paper feels is necessary to include. Don’t worry, New York Times, we get the fact its not EVERY labor organizer. Just more of [more...]

Posted Thu, 19 Nov 2009 .

 Read more at LaborPains.org

Union Profile

2005  |  2006
Basic Facts
[click on the text below for more detailed information]
Total Assets: $ 177,767,292 
Members: 1,398,573 
Employees: 682 
Employees earning over $75,000: 175 
ULPs Filed Since 2000: 6,413 
Decertification Petitions Filed: 1243 
Teamsters (IBT)
National Headquarters
25 LOUISIANA AVENUE NW
WASHINGTON, DC 20001


The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) represents more than 1.3 million members. It is perhaps best known for its historical relationship with the mafia and for the mysterious 1975 disappearance of its notorious president, Jimmy Hoffa, whose son is the current union's president. In 1989 the Justice Department brought a racketeering case against the union, saying that it was a "wholly owned subsidiary of organized crime." Since 1992, the Teamsters have been overseen by an Independent Review Board (IRB) that is charged with making sure the union stays clean. It is not entirely clear that this IRB has succeeded.

Political Money
527 Money
In most cases, unions use 527 organizations to make unlimited "soft money" donations to campaigns or candidates they support. Unlike PACs, 527 organizations do not coordinate with specific candidates, and as a result, are not regulated by the Federal Election Commission.

Total Affiliated 527 Receipts:  $ 535,308
Total Affiliated 527 Disbursements:  $ 532,078
[show all funds]
Source: Internal Revenue Service 527 electronic form 8872 filings

Unfair Labor Practices

The National Labor Relations Board investigates instances of union violations of the National Labor Relations Act and other labor laws. Unfair Labor Practices include instances of bad faith bargaining, excessive dues, violence, threats and many other violations.


Unionization Elections
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) oversees union representation elections, or "R Cases." To call an election, 30 percent of affected employees are required to sign a petition for an election. Elections can be used to both certify and decertify union representation. Increasingly, unions are avoiding the NLRB election process, instead opting for "card check" unionization.

Decertification Elections
Union members unhappy with their current union can opt to decertify it as their exclusive bargaining representative. These are known as "RD" cases.

Decertification Petitions Filed: 1243
[see decertifications]

Source: National Labor Relations Board's Case Activity Tracking (CATS) database

Elections Records
Despite the commonly held belief that most workers would like to join a union, union representation elections—also known as "RC Cases"—often fail.

Certification Elections since 2000