Teamsters Leadership Candidates Trade Barbs in Only Debate Before Election
WASHINGTON — Teamsters union leadership candidates who squared off in the only debate before the fall union election blended their focus on key issues such as retiree pensions with exchanges about their past deeds and frequent name-calling.
Local 89 President Fred Zuckerman, who heads the Teamsters United ticket, debated Secretary-Treasurer Ken Hall, who was standing in for General President Jim Hoffa, who has led the union since 1999.
The debate precedes the Oct. 6 mailing of ballots in an election that’s proceeding as multiple union pension funds are facing cash shortfalls, including the largest pension fund — Central States — that could run out of money within a decade. The retiree pension issue has caught the attention of some in Congress, such as Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), in the form of bills already introduced and additional expected legislation.
The ballot count begins Nov. 14.
Hall insisted that Congress needs to “ensure that our members get the same kind of relief as those greedy bastards on Wall Street who destroyed the economy and with it our pensions.”
Hall said the union leadership continues to work on a plan, without disclosing details because that could hurt its chances of success.
Zuckerman said the key to saving Central States and other troubled funds was increasing the number of active workers because four retirees are now getting benefits from that fund for each active worker.
“We need to put people in there who will get the job done” for the pension funds, Zuckerman said, because Hoffa failed to keep Central States solvent.
Zuckerman said Central States was doomed by the union’s decision to approve a $6 billion payment from UPS Inc. to exit the Central States Fund. Hall responded that the 2008-2009 financial crisis triggered the Central States situation and that Zuckerman voted to accept the payment at the time it was made.
Though Teamsters union trucking membership has shrunk overall since deregulation, its largest contract covers hundreds of thousands of workers at UPS Inc., which ranks No. 1 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers.
Zuckerman called Hoffa a “coward” for not attending the debate and accused leaders of corruption and dishonesty, which Hall disputed as “lies” from an “angry man.”
“I know you don’t want to debate me,” said Hall, who called his opponent “flip-flop Freddie” because he supported Hoffa until five years ago. “It’s a fair fight. We are both No. 2. You are the second choice after Tim Sylvester lost his election.”
Sylvester initially was the challengers’ top candidate but was shifted to run for Hall’s post after losing a bid for the presidency at Local 804.
The debaters clashed over past UPS contracts, with Zuckerman saying too many were part-timers, including some that were paid $10 an hour. Hall insisted that UPS package car drivers’ compensation was as much as $150,000 annually, including benefits.
The contract for 6,000 car haulers, who have worked without a contract for one year, provoked another clash.
Hall said the current tentative deal out for ratification is better than a contract negotiated by Zuckerman, who headed the car haul division until Hoffa fired him in 2011. Zuckerman’s retort was the current deal was negotiated when vehicle sales were near record levels, while his contract was finalized during when two automakers were bankrupt.
