Jimmy Rides Again

Undaunted by explosive revelations of the McClellan committee investigations, unscathed by three recent court trials and small-bore insurgency in his organization, unabashed by proven connections with gangsters both in and out of his heavily muscled union, Teamster Boss James Riddle Hoffa bounced confidently into Washington last week and, with one single stroke of his fist, made the whole U.S. labor movement sit up and take notice.

Hoffa's fisty proposal: a conference, to be held next month, of leaders of some 50 transportation unions, whose membership runs to 3.5 million. His aim: confederation of transport workers who cover not only trucking, but also the waterfront, the air, the railroads and even the underground. Such a powerhouse group, if organized in the Hoffa manner, would be a serious threat to George Meany's A.F.L.-C.I.O., and would create a union monopoly that could conceivably pull the switch on the U.S. economy at the whim of James Riddle Hoffa.

"Any Time, Joe." Jimmy announced the plan after meeting with two strongmen in the transport business: Joe Curran, 52, lantern-jawed, battle-scarred boss of the seamen's National Maritime Union (membership: 40,000), and Captain (tugboat) William Bradley, 55, paunchy president of the evil-smelling International Longshoremen's Association (membership: 52,000), which was thrown out of the A.F.L. five years ago. The three men kicked off the master plan by signing a "conference" pact for the purpose of "discussing and settling jurisdictional disputes, matters of mutual concern and matters affecting progress and stability in the transportation industry." Among those who will be invited to attend the August meeting: Red-Lining Harry Bridges, boss of the West Coast's International Longshoremen's & Warehousemen's Union, Paul Hall, president of Joe Curran's rival outfit, the Seafarers' Union, New York subway union's Mike Quill.

Appearing at a press conference with Hoffa and Bradley, Joe Curran, a strong-willed adversary of A.F.L.-C.I.O. President Meany, and a member of the A.F.L.-C.I.O. Ethical Practices Committee that recommended the ousting of Hoffa and his teamsters last September, allowed blandly that the new pact "has no bearing whatsoever on the feelings of one member of a union for another. Anyway, lately I don't know what the A.F.L.-C.I.O. constitution provides. And I don't care."

"The Teamsters," said Hoffa jubilantly, "attach sufficient importance to this [conference] that the cost will be underwritten by them if necessary." Grinned Jimmy: "Any time you're in trouble, Joe, we've got the money." Replied Curran: "Any time you're in trouble, Jimmy ..."

Stuffed Pockets. The fact is that Jimmy can take care of his own troubles. Acquitted fortnight ago by a Manhattan federal court of charges that he conspired to tap the telephones of his fellow Teamster executives, Tough Guy Hoffa is gaining new strength day by day. Teamster membership is up (to more than 1,500,000), and Hoffa is setting up deals right and left with A.F.L.-C.I.O. unions, such as the brewery workers, butchers and carpenters, the effect of which is to undermine the strength of the A.F.L.-C.I.O. He even has in mind calling a new Teamster convention so that he can divest himself of the three court-appointed monitors who are presiding over the promised Teamster cleanup, which is still in the promise stage.

His pockets thus stuffed with pacts, promises and big dreams, Hoffa, by his actions last week, made all the more prophetic the words of the McClellan committee report of 1958: Extraordinary power, "now lodged in the hands of a man such as Hoffa, [is] tragic for the Teamsters Union and dangerous for the country at large." And for James Riddle Hoffa, this was only the beginning.

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