2021 International Brotherhood of Teamsters election explained
| Election Name: | 2021 International Brotherhood of Teamsters presidential election |
| Type: | presidential |
| Party Colour: | no |
| Party Name: | no |
| Alliance Name: | no |
| Election Date: | October–November 2021 |
| Image1: | Sean O'Brien Philadelphia (cropped).jpg |
| Image1 Size: | 110px |
| Colour1: | F7D612 |
| Candidate1: | Sean O'Brien |
| Popular Vote1: | 115,573 |
| Percentage1: | 66.6% |
| Colour2: | C40C1F |
| Seats2: | 3 |
| Popular Vote2: | 57,983 |
| Percentage2: | 33.4% |
| 1Blank: | Slate |
| 1Data1: | Teamsters United |
| President |
| Before Election: | James P. Hoffa |
| After Election: | Sean O'Brien |
The 2021 leadership election for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters occurred after the General President James P. Hoffa announced his retirement. Ballots were mailed to eligible members of the North American union on October 4, 2021, and counting of the ballots began on November 15, 2021.[1] [2] On November 19, 2021, Sean O'Brien of the Teamsters United slate was declared the winner.[3]
The election was contested by two slates: Teamsters United and Teamster Power. The Teamsters United slate, led by O'Brien of Local 25 in Boston and Fred Zuckerman of Local 89 in Louisville, is aligned with a reform movement within the Teamsters Union. Teamster Power, by Steve Vairma of Local 455 in Denver and Ron Herrera of Local 396 in Los Angeles, was endorsed by and more closely affiliated with Hoffa. Some of the same groups behind Teamsters United ran a slate in 2016 that narrowly lost to Hoffa.[4]
The 2021 Teamsters election was the first in 25 years in which Hoffa did not run. The internal rank-and-file organization Teamsters for a Democratic Union campaigned in favor of Teamsters United, on the basis of dissatisfaction around issues including contract negotiations and pension arrangements.[5] The winning Teamsters United slate has been associated with a younger, more militant generation of labor leadership that has been gaining in organization and popularity in some industries in the United States.[6]
Results
General President
| Candidate | Slate | Total votes | % | By region |
|---|
| Central | % | Eastern | % | Southern | % | Western | % | Canada | % |
|---|
| Sean O'Brien | Teamsters United | 115,573 | 66.6 | 35,825 | 71.0 | 39,361 | 74.7 | 13,047 | 71.1 | 25,592 | 56.8 | 1,748 | 25.1 |
| Steve Vairma | Teamster Power | 57,983 | 33.4 | 14,654 | 29.0 | 13,355 | 25.3 | 5,309 | 28.9 | 19,455 | 43.2 | 5,210 | 74.9 |
| Total | 173,556 | 100.0 | 50,479 | 100.0 | 52,716 | 100.0 | 18,356 | 100.0 | 45,047 | 100.0 | 6,958 | 100.0 |
| Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters[7] | |
General Secretary-Treasurer
| Candidate | Slate | Total votes | % | By region |
|---|
| Central | % | Eastern | % | Southern | % | Western | % | Canada | % |
|---|
| Fred Zuckerman | Teamsters United | 113,143 | 65.4 | 35,437 | 70.3 | 38,353 | 73.0 | 12,716 | 69.4 | 25,091 | 55.8 | 1,546 | 22.9 |
| Ron Herrera | Teamster Power | 59,896 | 34.6 | 15,001 | 29.7 | 14,199 | 27.0 | 5,616 | 30.6 | 19,876 | 44.2 | 5,204 | 77.1 |
| Total | 173,039 | 100.0 | 50,438 | 100.0 | 52,552 | 100.0 | 18,332 | 100.0 | 44,967 | 100.0 | 6,750 | 100.0 |
| Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters | |
Vice Presidents at Large
| Candidate | Slate | Total votes | % | By region |
|---|
| Central | % | Eastern | % | Southern | % | Western | % | Canada | % |
|---|
| Juan Campos | Teamsters United | 112,632 | 9.5 | 35,155 | 10.1 | 38,288 | 10.6 | 12,576 | 10.1 | 25,121 | 8.2 | 1,492 | 3.2 |
| Joan Corey | Teamsters United | 112,440 | 9.5 | 35,175 | 10.1 | 38,073 | 10.5 | 12,627 | 10.1 | 24,991 | 8.1 | 1,574 | 3.4 |
| Chris Griswold | Teamsters United | 112,173 | 9.4 | 35,099 | 10.1 | 38,206 | 10.6 | 12,480 | 10.0 | 24,900 | 8.1 | 1,488 | 3.2 |
| Tony Jones | Teamsters United | 112,119 | 9.4 | 35,094 | 10.1 | 38,018 | 10.5 | 12,663 | 10.1 | 24,839 | 8.1 | 1,505 | 3.2 |
| Greg Floyd | Teamsters United | 112,074 | 9.4 | 34,971 | 10.1 | 38,157 | 10.6 | 12,634 | 10.1 | 24,809 | 8.1 | 1,503 | 3.2 |
| James Wright | Teamsters United | 112,064 | 9.4 | 35,102 | 10.1 | 37,988 | 10.5 | 12,562 | 10.0 | 24,896 | 8.1 | 1,516 | 3.3 |
| John Palmer | Teamsters United | 111,766 | 9.4 | 35,111 | 10.1 | 37,916 | 10.5 | 12,385 | 9.9 | 24,841 | 8.1 | 1,513 | 3.3 |
| Debra Simmons-Peterson | Teamster Power | 58,283 | 4.9 | 14,791 | 4.3 | 13,505 | 3.7 | 5,418 | 4.3 | 19,388 | 6.3 | 5,181 | 11.2 |
| Bernadette McCulloch Kelly | Teamster Power | 57,980 | 4.9 | 14,527 | 4.2 | 13,847 | 3.8 | 5,245 | 4.2 | 19,202 | 6.2 | 5,159 | 11.1 |
| Nina Bugbee | Teamster Power | 57,644 | 4.9 | 14,586 | 4.2 | 13,359 | 3.7 | 5,261 | 4.2 | 19,290 | 6.3 | 5,148 | 11.1 |
| Marcus King | Teamster Power | 57,429 | 4.8 | 14,405 | 4.1 | 13,520 | 3.7 | 5,261 | 4.2 | 19,137 | 6.2 | 5,106 | 11.0 |
| Dennis Pierce | Teamster Power | 57,423 | 4.8 | 14,450 | 4.2 | 13,528 | 3.7 | 5,400 | 4.3 | 18,969 | 6.2 | 5,076 | 11.0 |
| Greg Nowak | Teamster Power | 57,192 | 4.8 | 14,467 | 4.2 | 13,527 | 3.7 | 5,195 | 4.2 | 18,947 | 6.1 | 5,056 | 10.9 |
| James Curbeam | Teamster Power | 56,371 | 4.7 | 14,216 | 4.1 | 12,950 | 3.6 | 5,352 | 4.3 | 18,827 | 6.1 | 5,026 | 10.8 |
| Total | 1,187,590 | 100.0 | 347,149 | 100.0 | 360,882 | 100.0 | 125,059 | 100.0 | 308,157 | 100.0 | 46,343 | 100.0 |
| Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters | |
Vice Presidents for the Central Region
| Candidate | Slate | Votes | % |
|---|
| Tom Erickson | Teamsters United | 35,542 | 23.8 |
| Danny Avelyn | Teamsters United | 35,124 | 23.5 |
| Avral Thompson | Teamsters United | 35,046 | 23.5 |
| Terry Hancock | Teamster Power | 14,639 | 9.8 |
| Jesse Case | Teamster Power | 14,627 | 9.8 |
| Brian Aldes | Teamster Power | 14,415 | 9.6 |
| Total | 149,393 | 100.0 |
| Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters | |
Vice Presidents for the Eastern Region
| Candidate | Slate | Votes | % |
|---|
| Bill Hamilton | Teamsters United | 38,786 | 25.0 |
| Rocco Calo | Teamsters United | 37,998 | 24.5 |
| Matt Taibi | Teamsters United | 37,813 | 24.3 |
| Maria Perez | Teamster Power | 13,701 | 8.8 |
| Paul Markwitz | Teamster Power | 13,580 | 8.7 |
| Thomas Gesualdi | Teamster Power | 13,493 | 8.7 |
| Total | 155,371 | 100.0 |
| Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters | |
Vice Presidents for the Southern Region
| Candidate | Slate | Votes | % |
|---|
| Brent Taylor | Teamsters United | 12,915 | 35.5 |
| Thor Johnson | Teamsters United | 12,616 | 34.7 |
| Josh Zivalich | Teamster Power | 5,520 | 15.2 |
| Robert Mele | Teamster Power | 5,293 | 14.6 |
| Total | 36,344 | 100.0 |
| Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters | |
Vice Presidents for the Western Region
| Candidate | Slate | Votes | % |
|---|
| Lindsay Dougherty | Teamsters United | 25,317 | 14.3 |
| Rick Hicks | Teamsters United | 24,941 | 14.1 |
| Mark Davison | Teamsters United | 24,914 | 14.1 |
| Peter Finn | Teamsters United | 24,860 | 14.1 |
| Karla Schumann | Teamster Power | 19,517 | 11.0 |
| Eric Tate | Teamster Power | 19,251 | 10.9 |
| Jason Rabinowitz | Teamster Power | 19,018 | 10.8 |
| John Scearcy | Teamster Power | 18,908 | 10.7 |
| Total | 176,726 | 100.0 |
| Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters | |
Vice Presidents for Teamsters Canada
| Candidate | Slate | Votes | % |
|---|
| James Hennessy | Team Canada | Elected by acclamation |
| François Laporte | Team Canada | Elected by acclamation |
| Craig McInnes | Team Canada | Elected by acclamation |
| Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters | |
Trustees
| Candidate | Slate | Votes | % | By region |
|---|
| Central | % | Eastern | % | Southern | % | Western | % | Canada | % |
|---|
| Willie Ford | Teamsters United | 113,230 | 22.1 | 35,384 | 23.7 | 38,273 | 24.6 | 12,818 | 23.8 | 25,198 | 19.0 | 1,557 | 7.8 |
| Dan Kane Jr. | Teamsters United | 112,653 | 22.0 | 35,203 | 23.6 | 38,377 | 24.7 | 12,656 | 23.5 | 24,897 | 18.8 | 1,520 | 7.6 |
| Vinnie Perrone | Teamsters United | 112,313 | 22.0 | 35,142 | 23.5 | 38,089 | 24.5 | 12,639 | 23.4 | 24,926 | 18.8 | 1,517 | 7.6 |
| Peter Nunez | Teamster Power | 58,380 | 11.4 | 14,619 | 9.8 | 13,794 | 8.9 | 5,329 | 9.9 | 19,519 | 14.7 | 5,119 | 25.7 |
| Chris Tongay | Teamster Power | 57,374 | 11.2 | 14,475 | 9.7 | 13,500 | 8.7 | 5,251 | 9.7 | 19,048 | 14.4 | 5,100 | 25.6 |
| Michael Cales | Teamster Power | 57,345 | 11.2 | 14,560 | 9.7 | 13,291 | 8.6 | 5,251 | 9.7 | 19,108 | 14.4 | 5,135 | 25.7 |
| Total | 511,295 | 100.0 | 149,383 | 100.0 | 155,324 | 100.0 | 53,944 | 100.0 | 132,696 | 100.0 | 19,948 | 100.0 |
| Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters | |
Notes and References
- Web site: Haney . Ryan . October 14, 2021 . Teamster Insurgents Plan for a Win – and What Comes After . Labor Notes . November 16, 2021.
- Web site: Notice of Election . International Brotherhood of Teamsters . November 16, 2021.
- Web site: Ryan . Tim . November 19, 2021 . Hoffa Critic to Lead Teamsters After Landslide Election Win . subscription . Employment Authority . Law360 . November 19, 2021.
- Web site: Sernatinger . Andy . September 28, 2021 . Hoffa’s House Divided: The 2021 Teamster Election, Explained . In These Times . November 16, 2021.
- Web site: Isidore . Chris . November 17, 2021 . Teamsters Set to Elect Successor to Hoffa's Son. Here's Why It Matters to You . CNN.
- Web site: Leonard . Devin . Black . Thomas . November 12, 2021 . First Task for the Teamsters' Next Boss: Take On UPS . Bloomberg Businessweek.
- Web site: November 18, 2021 . Election Results . live . Office of the Election Supervisor for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters . https://web.archive.org/web/20240412160847/https://www.ibtvote.org/Election-Results . April 12, 2024.
