ialist organizations (Garnel, 1972).
In 1957, shortly after the AFL-CIO merger in December, 1955, the IBT was expelled because many of its members felt that representation was insufficient and that their interests were not being fairly attended to by union officials. As the IBT grew in membership, corrupt activities at the local level also increased. In fact, the Teamsters were the focus of numerous Congressional hearings during the 1950s (Holley & Jennings, 1980, p. 66).
There was pervasive corruption and abuses of power among the national leaders of the Teamsters; this was particularly the case for Dave Beck and James Hoffa. Some of the local union leaders in metropolitan cities were also reputed for corrupt, and often criminal, activities. Such activities were particularly visible in the Cities of Detroit, New York, St. Louis, and Chicago. Local Teamster officials were better known for practices of collusion, extortion, and other forms of racketeering than they were for legitimate trade union activities. For example, a bribe provided by an unscrupulous employer could buy a "sweetheart" (substandard) contract, have a strike halted, or have a strike called against his competitor. Further, it is alleged that many Teamster officials, who ranged from local business agents to International vice presidents, drew higher salaries from employers than from their employment with the union (Garnel, 1972, p. 38).
Notoriety had been gained by IBT because certain officials used its pension funds to finance organized crime investments. As well, several opposition candidates had been beaten - and even murdered - because they had spoken out about these, and other, financial irregularities (Friedman, 1982, p. 3). These, and other corrupt union activities, led to the convening of the Special Senate Committee on Union Corruption headed by Senator John McClellan. Resultant to the efforts of this committee, Congress passed the Labor-Ma...