The Hoffa wars: Teamsters, rebels, politicians, and the mob

About this book

From Wikipedia: James Riddle "Jimmy" Hoffa (born February 14 1913 - disappeared July 30 1975 declared legally dead July 30 198212) was an American labor union leader. Hoffa was involved with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union as an organizer from 1932 to 1975. He served as the unions General President from 1958 to 1971. He secured the first national agreement for teamsters rates in 1964 and played a major role in the growth and development of the union which eventually became the largest single union in the United States with over 1.5 million members during his terms as its leader. Hoffa who had been convicted of jury tampering attempted bribery and fraud in 1964 was imprisoned in 1967 sentenced to 13 years after exhausting the appeal process. It was not until mid-1971 that he officially resigned the Teamsters presidency an action that was part of a pardon agreement with U.S. president Richard Nixon in order to facilitate his release later that year. Nixon blocked Hoffa from union activities until 1980 (which would have been the end of his prison term had he served the full sentence); Hoffa was attempting to overturn this order and to regain support. Hoffa was last seen in late July 1975 outside the Machus Red Fox a suburban Detroit restaurant.3 Hoffa worked to defend the Teamsters unions from raids by other unions including the CIO and extended the Teamsters influence in the Midwestern states from the late 1930s to the late 1940s. Although he never actually worked as a truck driver he became president of Local 299 in December 1946.8 He then rose to lead the combined group of Detroit-area locals shortly afterwards and advanced to become head of the Michigan Teamsters groups sometime later. During this time Hoffa obtained a deferment from military service in World War II by successfully making a case for his union leadership skills being of more value to the nation by keeping freight running...