James Hoffa, president of the Intl. Bhd. of Teamsters, said on June 2 that negotiations with the U.S. government could result in an end of federal supervision of the union by the end of 2003. He made his comments at a gathering of Pennsylvania Teamster chiefs in Hershey.
Since 1989, The U.S. Dist. Ct. for the Southern Dist. of NY has overseen the IBT’s affairs under a consent decree ending a massive racketeering suit filed by the U.S. Dept. of Justice. The Independent Review Bd. (IRB) appointed by Dist. Judge Loretta Preska (G.H.W. Bush) has authoriity to investigate and punish corrupt Teamster officials.
Hoffa has been lobbying the Bush Administration in hopes of getting the Dept. of Justice to petition Judge Preska to end the court’s supervision. Last September, he claimed that the Teamsters had ended the dominance of organized crime over the union and that it was time to end federal supervision. For a full account of that report, go to http://www.nlpc.org/olap/ucu3/05_21_01.htm.
Referring to the IRB, Hoffa said, “the volume of their work has gone down…There’s nothing to investigate anymore.” For at least two examples of current investigations, go to http://www.nlpc.org/olap/ucu4/06_02_06.htm and http://www.nlpc.org/olap/ucu4/06_06_01.htm. [Pittsburgh Tribune Review, 6/3/03]
IBT Agrees with IRB, Continues Trusteeship of NY Local
In a May 27 letter, Intl. Bhd. of Teamsters (IBT) president James Hoffa agreed with the Independent Review Bd. (IRB) that Local 456 in White Plains, NY, is being run primarily for the benefit of the Doyle family dynasty. With that determination, the IBT will continue its trusteeship of the Local, without its frmr. president, Bernard Doyle, until new elections for officers are held within the next 18 months.
The Doyle family has had a hand in running the Local since before World War II. Edward Doyle, the father of Bernard and Edward Sr., was president of Local 456 from 1952 until his death in 1960. Edward Sr. became president in 1985, followed by his brother in 1999. In addition, Edward Doyle Jr. has served as secy.-treasurer under Bernard Doyle. Bernard’s son, Edward A. Doyle, is the director of the local’s training fund. Gail Doyle, Edward Sr.’s girlfriend, works for the local, and their son, Scott Doyle, is a shop steward.
The IRB, formed in 1989 by the U.S. Dist. Ct. for the Southern Dist. of NY to oversee the cleanup of the Teamsters, has been trying to undo that dynastic reign since 1999. That year, Edward Sr. resigned when the IRB accused him of accepting bribes from a Yonkers car dealer. But his brother, Bernard, slid into the presidency of Local 456. A 13-month investigation culminated early this year in an IRB report accusing Edward Sr. of continuing to exercise influence over the Local in violation of his 1999 suspension agreement. The IRB also accused Bernard of transferring millions of union dollars without the approval of the Bd. of Trustees, doling out construction jobs and union memberships on the basis of favoritism, and using union credit cards to pay for dozens of restaurant dinners near his home on weekends.
Recently diagnosed with prostate cancer, Bernard is likely to retire soon. But the Local 456 lawyer ousted along with the rest of the hierarchy when the IBT took over in January said he expects members of the Doyle family to run for office when new elections are held. “I would assume they’ll run,” said Roy Barnes. “They’re not prohibited from it.” [The White Plains Journal News, 6/6/03]