Associated Press
Timing of Teamsters Vote Discussed
By Kevin Galvin
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) --
Ballots in the much-delayed Teamsters election would be counted in the
first week of December under a revised plan offered today by a court-appointed overseer.
The plan filed with U.S. District Judge David Edelstein in New
York by election monitor Michael Cherkasky came after the union's executive board reversed
itself last month and offered to contribute $2 million toward the cost of
the vote.
Haggling between congressional Republicans and
the union over the estimated $8 million tab had forced Cherkasky to
abandon plans to mail ballots to the union's 1.4 million members on Sept. 14. Currently,
there is just over $6 million pledged toward supervision of the contest.
``The election officer believes that the rerun
election could be supervised for the amount presently available,'' Cherkasky wrote to
Edelstein, adding that he would have to trim field staff assigned to
investigating election protests.
``In order to make up for this reduction, the
election officer plans to hire two additional staff attorneys and to streamline the
protest resolution process,'' Cherkaksy continued.
The proposal is subject to
Edelstein's approval.
The rerun election was ordered after incumbent Teamsters President
Ron Carey's 1996 re-election over James P. Hoffa was overturned. Three of Carey's campaign
aides pleaded guilty in federal court to an illegal fund-raising scheme
and the union's former political director was indicted. Carey was barred from the rerun
and expelled from the union.
Under the terms of a federal consent decree, the 1996 contest was
paid for with $17.5 million in taxpayer money. Congressional Republicans blocked new funds
for the rerun, despite a 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals
ruling that the government was obligated to pay.
In July, GOP leaders in Congress said they would
allow the Justice Department to spend about $4 million to pick up the cost of a federal
board tasked with weeding out corrupt union officials if the Teamsters would use the money
that freed up to pay for the election and put up another $4 million.
Emboldened by the appeals court ruling, the union resisted until late last
month, when it offered $2 million.
Cherkasky said that if Edelstein acted quickly to
approve his proposal, ballots would be mailed on Nov. 2 and the vote
count could begin Dec. 3.
Five slates and six independent candidates are vying for various Teamsters offices, from trustee to general president.
The principal candidates for the union's top post are Hoffa, son of labor legend Jimmy
Hoffa, and Tom Leedham, who has the backing of the union's reform wing.
© Copyright 1998 The Associated Press