The Teamster Union Has Had a Long History of Corruption
INTRODUCTION
The Teamster Union has had a long history of corruption, as well as with organized crime. In some cases, the two terms have been known to be synomious. The Teamster Union began in or around 1887, and was one of the first local organizations that ultimately became part of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Union. In the early years of the Teamsters Union, American Federation of Labor (AFL) assisted in establishing new local unions of teamsters in the United States.
During this time, teamsters drove teams of horses and wagons for commercial purposes. Then in1902, a group of horse and buggy drivers created the Teamsters Union, in that the Teamsters were employed to transport goods. This occupation played an important part in the economic development of the United States. Although they worked under difficult circumstances at the turn of the twentieth century, they began to unionize on an extensive scale. There was no established national organization until 1912, because of this the teamsters felt more secure. In the past, certain crafts and professions were considered as public-interest endeavors, which were licensed and regulated by the town authorities. Included in the teamsters which started with cart-men were; doorkeepers, butchers, and bakers. With the public being so reliant on these crafts, they showed a monopoly and the members would join in strikes, to change supply and demand so they could increase prices for their products. In addition, the strikes served the purpose in securing higher wages and fees for services, and to keep outsiders from operating in the same craft. The strikes came about as early as the seventeenth century, although there were not any conflicts between labor and management. Instead, the strikes represented demonstrations against local laws and directives and were aimed in influencing the actions of town councils. There were numerous grievances due to the charges and rates established by localities
The Teamster Union has had a long history of corruption, as well as with organized crime. In some cases, the two terms have been known to be synomious. The Teamster Union began in or around 1887, and was one of the first local organizations that ultimately became part of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Union. In the early years of the Teamsters Union, American Federation of Labor (AFL) assisted in establishing new local unions of teamsters in the United States.
During this time, teamsters drove teams of horses and wagons for commercial purposes. Then in1902, a group of horse and buggy drivers created the Teamsters Union, in that the Teamsters were employed to transport goods. This occupation played an important part in the economic development of the United States. Although they worked under difficult circumstances at the turn of the twentieth century, they began to unionize on an extensive scale. There was no established national organization until 1912, because of this the teamsters felt more secure. In the past, certain crafts and professions were considered as public-interest endeavors, which were licensed and regulated by the town authorities. Included in the teamsters which started with cart-men were; doorkeepers, butchers, and bakers. With the public being so reliant on these crafts, they showed a monopoly and the members would join in strikes, to change supply and demand so they could increase prices for their products. In addition, the strikes served the purpose in securing higher wages and fees for services, and to keep outsiders from operating in the same craft. The strikes came about as early as the seventeenth century, although there were not any conflicts between labor and management. Instead, the strikes represented demonstrations against local laws and directives and were aimed in influencing the actions of town councils. There were numerous grievances due to the charges and rates established by localities
Bibliography: Brill, S. The Teamsters. Simon and Schuster. 1978. Dobbs, F. Teamster Power. Pathfinder Press. 1973. Friedman, A. and Schwarz, T. Power and Greed: Inside the Teamsters Empire of Corruption. Danbury, CT: Franklin Watts. 1989. Jablonski, D. The ‘Culture of Corruption’ Will Be Just Fine, Thank You. AFL-CIO | American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations 2009. Retrieved from; http://www.aflcio.org/, on July 17, 2009 Teamsters Reaffirm Support of Anti-Corruption Effort. http://www.teamster.org/ Witwer. D. Corruption and Reform in the Teamsters Union. University of Illinois Press. 2008. Zeller, F. C. D. Devil 's Pact: Inside the World of the Teamsters Union. Carol Publishing Group