Removal of Teamsters 743 Leaders Stopped
Hoffa Grants Stay of Effectiveness
to Berg and Alvarez
By staff
Chicago, IL - Two days after
Teamsters Joint Council 25 suspended Richard Berg and Gina Alvarez from
office over trumped up charges, the International president, Jimmy Hoffa,
Jr. has granted them a stay of effectiveness. This will be in
place until the international hears their appeal. Berg and Alvarez
will be restored to their positions in the union immediately.
The two reform leaders of Local
743 were charged with corruption. Ironically, neither of them
was accused of personally benefiting in any of the charges brought against
them. In fact, Secretary Treasurer Alvarez and President Berg
had worked to put the local union back into the hands of the members
after decades of true corruption. The officers of the local for
years before Berg and Alvarez had stolen elections and forced sell-out
contracts onto members. These practices were accepted by the Joint
Council.
In recent months, Berg and
Alvarez helped lead the workers at SK Hand Tools to a victorious strike
to defend health care benefits. That strike gained national attention,
including coverage in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal.
The leader of the executive board in the local that charged them is
Larry Davis, who played no role in the SK strike.
President Berg expressed to
Fight Back! the gratitude he and Secretary Treasurer Alvarez felt
for the outpouring of support they received from friends, allies and
workers in the local since the news of their removal from office broke
on Monday evening.
