Teamsters' Monitorship Ends, Ushering in a New Era for the Union

The Facts -

Significant Shift for Teamsters as Federal Oversight Concludes

(WASHINGTON) – A joint motion was filed today by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, aiming to amend the Final Order and the Consent Decree, thus ending federal oversight of the union.

The Southern District and the Teamsters established a consent decree in 1989 to combat organized crime influence within the union and to ensure transparent and democratic union elections. Since then, the Teamsters have held nine elections and have effectively eradicated corruption from within its ranks.

Under the leadership of Sean M. O’Brien, elected General President of the Teamsters in 2021, the union has implemented a robust system of checks and balances, ensuring each complaint from members is investigated and, if necessary, referred to legal authorities.

“Today marks a new era in the Teamsters. After 37 years, this filing marks an end to the longest monitorship of any union, corporation, nonprofit, or public entity in the history of the United States. Over the past four years, we have developed a system of internal controls and created a culture of vigilance in our union. Our efforts have proven that we can police our own, and the controls we have put in place are more stringent than any labor organization in the country,” stated Sean M. O’Brien, Teamsters General President.

The Federal District Court and the Honorable Loretta Preska, who has supervised the consent decree since 2002, must approve the motion.

Earlier this year, retired Honorable Barbara Jones, the Independent Review Officer, assessed the union's internal disciplinary and audit systems. She concluded that the Teamsters have “developed the institutional tools, processes, and procedures necessary to adequately detect, investigate, and resolve instances of major corruption” and are capable of managing their internal processes independently.

Established in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million workers across the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. For more information, visit Teamster.org. Follow the Teamsters on X at @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.

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