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Jimmy Hoffa Telegram

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

1958 telegram from Jimmy Hoffa discovered James R. "Jimmy" Hoffa, who would turn 100 on Feb. 14, was a hardworking, hands-on leader who would pick up the phone and intervene personally on behalf of someone who had a problem.


A just-discovered telegram from 1958 shows just how far Hoffa would go to help someone. Hoffa sent a Western Union telegram in effort to find a 7-year-old New Jersey boy who ran away from home. 


Here's what it said: 

TO ALL LOCAL UNIONS: PLEASE NOTIFY ALL DRIVERS, PARTICULARLY ON ROAD; TO BE ON LOOKOUT FOR SEVEN-YEAR-OLD BOY ATTEMPTING TO RIDE BICYCLE FROM NEW JERSEY TO TACOMA, WASH. LAST SEEN WEEK AGO ON ROUTE 46 NEAR CALDWELL TOWNSHIP,N.J.RIDING BLUE BICYCLE AND WEARING LIGHT BLUE AND GRAY FLANNEL SHIRT, BLACK JEANS, BLACK SHOES. NAME PAUL GROCHWICZ. MAY NOW BE HITCHHIKING. IF SEEN NOTIFY POMPTON LAKES POLICE, POMPTON LAKES, N.J. JAMES R. HOFFA  GENERAL PRESIDENT INTERNATIONALBROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS

The telegram was purchased by a member of the Teamsters Union who collects Teamsters memorabilia. It was part of a book of papers relating to the Teamsters sold as part of an estate. 
It isn't know whether the boy ever returned home.

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Testimonial

- Dave S

For 35 years I have been a Teamster and a Dairyworker, I was a young kid needing a job in tough economic times. I found a place to work and make a living, I learned to work together with others having varying and different backgrounds than my own.

Much has changed for me personally and professionally, I got married to my beautiful wife of almost 25 years and we have raised two amazing children, both of whom are presently studying abroad. Both of my children were recipients of Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Funding.

So much of my success I can credit to having a well paying union job. The Teamsters have been a great union for me, negotiating strong collective agreements that held good wage and benefit packages as well as the cornerstone beliefs of seniority and workers’ rights. The Teamsters gave me a good wage and a voice.

I have always been an active Teamster, and now I sit on Local 464's Executive Board.

There can be a great degree of personal feelings when the word union is mentioned, but so often I look at professional associations and realize the name may be different, but the thought is the same...strength in numbers.

As I get toward the end of my career, I look forward to the thought of receiving the Teamsters Canada Pension Plan, and I am so grateful for the belief others had before me that Teamsters deserved a good and decent retirement...thank you.

Drew


- Drew Speirs

"I was employed for many years at a Teamster company that was shut down due to the economy. Because of my age, I was worried about starting over. Bobby, Bob and Paul not only negotiated a much better severance package than was in the contract, but they also went the extra mile and got me on at one of their other companies with an even better contract.They continued to help me even though it wasn't their job to."

- Armando Borean