Tonight: Candidates for Teamsters Top Offices Face-Off in One Time Only Debate
A week prior to Labor Day, candidates for the top offices of the Teamsters Union will debate at a special National Press Club Newsmaker. Fred Zuckerman, candidate for General President on the Teamsters United slate, will face Ken Hall, candidate for General Secretary-Treasurer on the Hoffa-Hall 2016 slate, in the Club’s Ballroom, at 6:30 p.m. tonight. This will be the only election debate between the candidates.
The 1.4 million-member International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) has been required to have direct election of its top officers since it came under federal supervision in 1989. This fall, IBT members across the nation will vote by mail ballot for election of General President and other top officers to five-year terms. Ballots will be mailed on Oct. 6; results will be reported on Nov. 14.
Like the national campaign for President of the United States, wages, jobs, healthcare and trade are major issues, but the Aug 25 debate is also likely to see questions related to the union’s history of corruption and federal oversight, reported problems at the union’s Central States Pension Fund, and organizing strategies to maintain union’s membership, among other topics.
During the Newsmaker event, the candidates will take questions from a panel of reporters who include: Harold Meyerson, editor-at-large of The American Prospect and from 2003-2015 a weekly columnist for The Washington Post. Michael Rose, a reporter who covers labor unions and workplace issues for Bloomberg BNA’s Daily Labor Report. Kimberly Atkins, a former labor lawyer who is currently the chief Washington reporter and columnist for the Boston Herald. Moderating the Newsmaker/debate will be NPC President Thomas Burr who also serves as the Washington Bureau Chief for The Salt Lake Tribune. The moderator also will take questions from reporters, Press Club members and Teamster members in the room and read questions submitted via email and text messages.
Zuckerman is currently President of Local 89 (approximately 14,500 members) in Louisville, Kentucky. Hall is the incumbent General Secretary-Treasurer of the Teamsters Union and also President of Local 175 (approximately 3,200 members) in Charleston, West Virginia.
The Teamsters Union represents public and private sector workers in the freight and warehouse, healthcare, construction, agriculture, airlines, hospitality, rail, and many other industries.
As with all Newsmaker events, this news conference is open to credentialed media and Press Club members, free of charge. No advance registration is required. Contact Newsmakers Committee Chair Jamie Horwitz at [email protected] or 202/549-4921 for more information.