At the time Ron Carey looked like a good guy. I was working at JFK airport and belonged to one of the most corrupt of the Teamsters Union. I know what you mean about the lefties, these little short, sickly looking guys would show up at the meetings. One tried to introduce abortion rights as part of the TDU platform. The guy who got us involved was named Andy, he was a professor at NYU. If I recall correctly, the truck driver who started TDU was not happy with it being taken over by the left.
But Sam a would never embrace or join TDU
The Federal oversite (IRB ~ the-not-so Independent Review Board) and the special prosecutors and assorted hacks have taken more money from the union coffers than any gangster ever dreamed.
the succession of overpaid empty suits (William Webster, Fred Lacey, Crandel from the UMW ... and lets not forget the Tom Puccio franchise in LU 295 or Ed Steir in 560) and their hangers-on and staffs chose to keep FBI informants like Carey and Johnny Morris in power because they dribbled information to them to avoid any heavy lifting
they're all a waste of skin and just on the gravy train for about 20 years now
all of that dues money and PAC funds become a volatile mix when you add politicians
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