Teamsters local in Ill. backs Kerry

[Nicholas_J]

ASHINGTON -- Less than a week after the powerful Teamsters union endorsed Richard A. Gephardt for president, one of the union's local affiliates is bucking the party line.


Chicago Teamsters Local 705 announced yesterday that it is supporting Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts for president. The announcement was made on the eve of the AFL-CIO meeting in Chicago in which the Democratic candidates will gather for a forum.

With nearly 21,000 members, Local 705 is the largest Teamsters local union in Illinois and the second largest in the country. But its numbers pale in comparison to the Teamsters' overall membership of 1.4 million.

http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/217/nation/Teamsters_local_in_Ill_backs_Kerry+.shtml

[burr]

1. Probably not big fans of Hoffa.

Let's face it, wouldn't you be a little unhappy with your national union leaders if they said the choice they had settled on was Gephardt or Shrub. But they would decide for the members and the local unions. You would think that the members would have more input in this endorsement process.

Hopefully this process is more open in the AFL-CIO.