Corruption and Reform in the Teamsters Union
About the Book
Almost since its creation at the close of the nineteenth century, the Teamsters Union has had recurring problems with corruption. This book is the first in-depth historical study of the forces that have contributed to the Teamsters' troubled past, as well as the various mechanisms the union has employed--from top-down directives to grassroots measures--to combat the spread of corruption.Arguing that the Teamsters Union was by its very nature especially vulnerable to certain forms of corruption, David Witwer charts the process by which organized crime came to play a significant role in sectors of the union, from low-level involvements of the 1930s to suspicions of mob ties among the union's upper echelons beginning in the 1950s. Witwer includes a detailed account of the links forged between the mafia and union head Jimmy Hoffa as well as the highly revealing McLellan Committee investigation that first brought these links to light.
David Witwer is a former employee of the New York County District Attorney's Office and the U.S. Attorney's Office. Drawing on hundreds of hours of tapes of activities and conversations in the offices of corrupt union officials, he brings his experience and insight to bear on the union's history, considering the subject from a range of perspectives that include the rank and file, the Teamster leadership, and the criminal element. He also examines the persistent efforts of labor opponents to capitalize on the union's unsavory reputation, fanning the flames of "crises of corruption" in order to influence popular and legislative opinion.
About the Author
David Witwer is a professor of American studies at Penn State Harrisburg and author of Shadow of the Racketeer: Scandal in Organized Labor.Also by this author
Reviews
"The public's all-too-common equation of unionization and Teamster-style corruption lies at the heart of David Witwer's balanced and insightful book."--Journal of American History"A firmer grasp of Teamster union history than can be obtained from any other source in print, but also with a clearer understanding of the last century of U.S. labor history. David Witwer's volume on Teamster corruption and reform is not only a smart and informative book, it is an uncommonly wise one."--Industrial and Labor Relations Review
"An illuminating and significant contribution to labor history. . . . Highly recommended."--Choice
Blurbs
“A superior piece of work that adds substantially to our knowledge of one of the most important labor unions in the United States. In a balanced, responsible fashion, Witwer deftly handles discussion of a complex subject, and the resulting book is fresh, provocative, and convincing.”--Robert Zieger, author of The CIO, 1935-1955 and coauthor of American Workers, American Unions, 1920-1985
“Witwer’s well-argued, exhaustively researched study does an excellent job of historicizing Teamster corruption and of anchoring it in the necessary nitty-gritty social history that renders it understandable.”--Eric Arnesen, author of Brotherhoods of Color: Black Railroad Workers and the Struggle for Equality
Awards
• Winner, Choice: Outstanding Academic Titles, 2004Related Titles
