Teamsters for a Democratic Union

Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU) is a grassroots rank and file organization whose goal is to reform the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), or Teamsters Union. The organization has chapters nationwide in the United States and Canada.

Teamsters for a Democratic Union

Founded	June 5, 1976
Headquarters	Detroit, Michigan
Location	United States/Canada
Key people	Ken Paff
Affiliations	Teamster Reformers
Website	www.tdu.org

History

TDU was started in Cleveland, Ohio, in the 1970s, as an alliance of socialists who had taken Teamster jobs and a layer of militant truck drivers who had been organizing against contract concessions,^[1] after the federal government exposed extensive corruption in the union, which included leadership raiding union-held pension funds, collusion with organized crime, and collusive collective bargaining between union officials and employers at the expense of union members.^[2]

TDU influential activists

• Dan La Botz
• Pete Camarata^[3]
• Thomas Geoghegan
• Paul Alan Levy, general counsel 1984–1999^[4]
• Ken Paff

Endorsements

In November 2019, TDU members voted to endorse the Teamsters United O'Brien/Zuckerman slate for International President and Secretary/Treasurer.^[5]