A look at the Differing Views of Jimmy Hoffa by the Government, the Public, and Teamster union members

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Alexander Penniman000442-094  

A look at the Differing Views of Jimmy Hoffa by the Government, the Public, and Teamster union members

Alexander Penniman

Candidate Number: 000442-094

3,960 words


Abstract

This essay will look at the differing views of Jimmy Hoffa by the government, the public, and Teamster union members and why they viewed them the way they did. Research was gathered from multiple sources written from different perspectives and other sources that gave insight into other viewpoints. The first chapter, “Who was Jimmy Hoffa?” gives background on Jimmy Hoffa and his history with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The second chapter, “Jimmy Hoffa as seen by the government” provides insight into how the government viewed Jimmy Hoffa and what caused them to perceive Jimmy Hoffa in the way that they did. The third chapter, “Jimmy Hoffa as Seen by the Public” examines the public’s view of Jimmy Hoffa. The fourth chapter, “Jimmy Hoffa as seen by the Teamsters” discusses how Jimmy Hoffa was viewed by the union members of the Teamsters and why they viewed him this way. The research shows that the government and public viewed him negatively because of the overwhelming control he had over the economy as well as his well-known criminal associations. Some Teamster union members also viewed him negatively, but the majority saw him in a positive light because of what he had done to improve and help the union.


Table of Contents


Introduction

        In the late 19th century, the labor movement began to gain momentum in the United States. With the continuing growth of “big business” in the country, the government began to become more involved in business and labor regulations.  With the increase in influence of “big business,” came an increase in the influence and power of labor unions. In 1914, the Clayton Act was passed which exempted labor organizations from antitrust laws and placed restrictions on stopping strikes and picketing. While the act would seem to have brought a significant increase in the power of labor unions, it was not until after the Great Depression that unions would reach their peak of power and influence. The effects of the Great Depression along with passage of the National Labor Relations Act of 1933 would strengthen labor unions and help them achieve their goals. One of the labor unions that saw a rise in prominence during this time was the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. (Hunter)

        The Teamsters formed in 1903 and Cornelius Shea was elected president. The Teamsters were originally composed of men who drove horse-drawn carriages, but expanded its membership of the years to include truck drivers and numerous jobs related to transportation and shipping. A new president, Dan Tobin, would be elected in 1907 and remain president for 45 years. Under Tobin, the Teamsters would become one of the largest and most powerful unions in the United States. The importance of the trucking industry to the economy was one of the main reasons for increasing influence of the Teamsters.  Dave Beck would succeed Tobin as president after his retirement in 1952, but would eventually be discredited after investigations into his misuse of union funds. In 1957, Jimmy Hoffa was elected as the next president of the Teamster despite numerous accusations against him. Hoffa already had a long list of accomplishments on the local and regional levels before being elected national president. After his election, he would continue to build up the power of the Teamsters and would negotiate the first national bargaining agreement for the trucking industry. (FundingUniverse)

Today, Jimmy Hoffa is considered to have been one of the most prominent labor union leaders in the United States. This is partly due to the growth and development that the International Brotherhood of Teamsters experienced during his time as an organizer for the union. The IBT would become the largest single union in the United States under his leadership. It is also due to the countless investigations by the government, such as Robert Kennedy and the McClellan Committee, into what they deemed to be corrupt and illegal activities by Jimmy Hoffa. Despite these allegations and attacks on Hoffa, he still was generally respected and well-regarded within the Teamsters.

        This essay examines how and why the government, the public, and Teamster members saw Jimmy Hoffa in different ways and if one viewpoint or the other is a more accurate evaluation of Jimmy Hoffa’s character.         


Who Was Jimmy Hoffa?

James Riddle Hoffa was in born Brazil, Indiana on February 14, 1913 (Russell 7). In 1931, eighteen-year-old Jimmy Hoffa and other warehousemen of a Kroger warehouse in Detroit decided to form a labor union. When two employees were unjustly fired, Hoffa and the newly-formed union declared a work stoppage just as a truck filled with Florida strawberries arrived at the warehouse. Forcing their hand, management agreed to meet with Hoffa and the other union officials the following morning on the condition that they continue to work. Negotiations were completed; the warehousemen’s grievances were addressed and their labor organization was officially recognized. A year later, Hoffa was fired for dropping a crate of vegetables. Because of his already good reputation as a union organizer, he received a job as a full-time organizer for Joint Council 47 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.  During this time, the Teamsters were rapidly increasing membership and expanding their control of the shipping industry under Dan Tobin. In 1935, Hoffa was appointed as the business agent of the bankrupt Local 299 and would begin to turn it around (Sloane 8-15). Hoffa had a hands-on approach when it came to organizing, a quality that he would continue to display throughout his career. The following quote by Jimmy Hoffa from John Bartlow Martin’s Jimmy Hoffa is Hot (cited in Sloane 15) illustrates this quality,

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 “We’d go out, hit the docks, talk to drivers, put up picket lines, conduct strikes, hold meetings day and night, convince people to join the union… Pretty soon Local 299 was collecting dues all the way to Evansville (Indiana).”

By 1938, Locals 299 and 337 of Joint Council 47 had reached a combined membership of over 3,000 as a result of Hoffa and the Teamster’s tactics of intimidation, and opportunistic organizing. For example, in several cases Hoffa and the Teamsters would wait outside of warehouses with baseball bats, clubs, and other weapons to prevent trucks from leaving until the workers ...

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