Graphic Communicator photo by Herald Grandstaff

After Teamsters Pres. James P. Hoffa addresses the GCIU General Board, GCIU Pres. George Tedeschi, left, and GCIU Secy.-Treas. Gerald H. Deneau wish Hoffa a safe flight back to Washington, D.C.

Teamsters Pres. James P. Hoffa offered a warm invitation to General Board members for the GCIU to merge with the widely diverse 1.4 million-member international union.

Addressing board members at their October session, Hoffa said having the GCIU merge into the Teamsters and become one of its conferences would be "a perfect fit."

Hoffa was invited by GCIU Pres. George Tedeschi to address General Board members. Hoffa is the second in a series of international union presidents invited to address the General Board. Tedeschi has pledged to invite additional international union presidents to speak at future board meetings.

Hoffa said the Teamsters have members in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. As one of the world's largest unions, he said, the Teamsters represent "everyone" from airline pilots to zookeepers – "not just truck drivers." He said, for example, Teamsters include jet mechanics for United Parcel Service and Southwest Airlines, as well as mechanics at America West, flight attendants at Northwest Airlines, police, schoolteachers, nurses, and hospital workers.

He said one out every 10 U.S. union workers is a Teamster, with a "very heavy membership" in Canada. There are 521 Teamsters locals in North America.

Hoffa said Teamsters locals "retain their own expert lawyers, full-time business agents, organizers, clerical staff, certified public accountants, and most of their dues money."

He said Teamsters locals devise their own structures and develop their own by-laws – consistent with the international's constitution and by-laws.

Hoffa said the GCIU would enter the Teamsters as a conference. This would let the GCIU remain intact within the Teamsters' structure: "You would elect your own officers and maintain control of your own finances. The by-laws of the conference would reflect the GCIU's current constitutional structure, thereby preserving local autonomy and your historic traditions."

The Teamsters, he said, would help educate, organize, support, and train local officers, business agents, and stewards, as well as help solve problems and coordinate the training of GCIU members in the ever-changing processes and technology in the industry.

The conference/union president and secretary-treasurer would serve as executive officers of the Teamsters.

The Teamsters' General Executive Board, Hoffa said, consists of 22 vice presidents representing members by regions. Three trustees serve as "watchdogs" of the international's finances. Convention delegates, who are elected locally, meet every five years to amend the constitution at the convention. The next Teamsters convention is scheduled for 2006.

Hoffa said the GCIU and Teamsters have a number of common employers and pursue many of the same issues.

"We offer the GCIU a huge membership, financial stability, a recently enhanced new structure," and an international union that "has the overwhelming support of its members," Hoffa said. He added that the Teamsters union also offers "more benefits with less dues, coordinated picketline enforcement, . . . and educational resources. Your concerns are our concerns."

Hoffa brought to the General Board session several representatives to answer questions.

When Tedeschi introduced Hoffa, he noted Hoffa's background as a Teamsters laborer, law degree he earned from the University of Michigan, and more than 30 years of experience of serving as a lawyer at increasingly responsible levels for the Teamsters.

Tedeschi said he met Hoffa during the Detroit newspapers strike. Tedeschi, Hoffa, and Communications Workers Pres. Morton H. Bahr established the new newspaper coordinating committee to deal with newspaper challenges.

"The Teamsters have always lent a helping hand whenever the GCIU needed it," Tedeschi said. He added that he and Hoffa have developed a friendship, as well as a good working rapport.

During a question and answer period, District Council 2 Secy. Fred W. Correll asked about maintaining the GCIU's "integrity and local autonomy" with a merger. He asked whether newspapers, as well as paper and related companies, would be in the same "conference." Hoffa said they would.

Toronto 500M Pres. Mike R. Zajac asked whether Canadians would be in a separate conference or included in the general conference. Hoffa said there could be a separate conference or the current status and autonomy "would be preserved."