Posted by Joshiua Francis Christi My old man turned 103 in October of this year (2003). A lot of people say that is pretty damn old. However, let me tell you, his mind is sharp as a razor. My old man was also a teamster and to this day he enjoys telling me storys about his experiences in life. I truly enjoy listening to him as he tells me storys with the utmost exuberance. I also enjoy watching the history channel with him on cable television. One night we watched this Documentary on the Kennedys. The Documentary showed a film clip of John Kennedy who was a U.S. Senator in the 1950s and his brother Bobby Kennedy asking Jimmy Hoffa, Sr, the former president of the teamsters union questions at a Senate Hearing, questions like, "did you say I am going to break his back?" and Hoffa kept saying "who's back?" like a little kid being scolded by his parent. In the same film clip Hoffa said to the Kennedy's "I don't know what youre talking about?" The Kennedy's were trying to trip Hoffa up with trick questions. My old man started laughing, he said to me they asked Hoffa every question but "when did you stop beating your wife?" I have nothing against the teamsters "you can't punish the child for the sins of the father." At that time the teamsters were feared. The teamsters will never experience that kind of power again. Today the teamsters are a mere shadow compared to Hoffa Seniors, time. The teamsters today are a pretty weak union they are a joke. Just look at the most resent allegation in Maryland about teamster local 103 and local 355 (teamster local 103 is in Glen Burnie, MD and teamster local 355 is in Baltimore, MD) producing and making adult films. It is alleged that the money from those productions is desperately needed to make up for there loses in membership. I suppose there is money to be made in the union business after all. My old man can remember this women who used to stop by the teamsters union hall every morning on her way to work. Every morning the women would drop off donuts at the teamsters union hall and make the teamsters a pot of fresh coffee before going to the factory were she was employed. One day the owner of the factory told the women she no longer had a job. She was being replaced by a younger girl. In the 1940's this factory owner treated the girls pretty bad and he forced himself on them. When the women resisted the factory owners advances the factory owner fired her. The women was fired a few weeks before Christmas in December 1947. When my old man found out what happened to her, he and a bunch of teamsters from other locals waited in the back of a truck. They waited for the factory owner to go to lunch. When the owner was out in front of his factory, my old man and his merry band of teamsters pulled up in the truck next to him and covered him from head to toe with rotten eggs. The owner stood in front of his factory covered with rotten eggs and all the girls laughed and clapped there hands in total amusement. When the police arrived after the owner called them to the seen. The owner described the assault in detail. The police asked the owner, "Can you describe the eggs that hit you? Were they white eggs? Were some of the eggs brown? Did you notice if any of the eggs had unusual markings? Were the eggs fresh or were they rotten eggs?" After about two weeks of humiliating experiences the factory owner put two and two together. The fired women received a knock on her door on Christmas morning from the factory owner, letting her know she is desperately needed at the factory and that she could report to work the next day. The factory owner treated her with the utmost respect after having two weeks of mischief levied upon him. Whenever the other women had problems in the factory they went to her and the problems were immediately addressed and solved. My old man said "I guess in some way she was an honorary teamster shop steward in an unofficial capacity." My father also said, "Getting that woman her job back is truly what the union business is all about." When my father tells me story's, his eyes light up and sparkle with every word. You can truly see the joy in my fathers eyes and in his smile as he recollects on his teamster years and I know my father misses those days. My father said "there was a time when the word teamster meant something there was power behind that word. Today everyone concentrates on the bad side of the teamsters organization. Today the word teamster is a joke and the teamsters are no longer powerful." There is a lot of truth to my fathers words. Especially with the most resent allegations of the teamsters branching out in the adult video market in Maryland. However, the history behind the teamsters movement can teach us a valuable lesson. The lesson to be learned, we are powerful when we stand together. We have the power to change and to make right the wrongs in the world. We can make our life and our neighbors life worth living by helping each other and unifying or efforts towards change for the better, isn't that what America is all about? Isnt that what our solders fought and died for in our country and abroad?.......just my opinion. By the way that fired women who got her job back is my mother. My Mother turned 93 in October of this year (2003). She is ten years younger then my father. If you ever run into her at the Bingo hall please don't tell her I told you how old she is because she tells people she is 49. Joshiua Francis Christi, Son of a Retired Teamster Humour_lol@hotmail.com
on 8/24/2004, 12:44 am
205.188.116.20
A Teamsters Christmas
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