THE DC VELOCITY Q&A
thoughtleaders
in the running of their union. Now, he’s working to eject he old guard and bring in ew leadership. INTERVIEW WITH KEN PAFF The gadfly
Working from the inside,
Ken Paff has brought about
reforms that have given
Teamster members more say
ANYONE AFFILIATED WITH THE INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS
knows not to expect a neutral reaction when Ken Paff’s name is mentioned.
To his supporters, Paff embodies an independent voice that holds the entrenched Teamster
leadership accountable for actions that affect the 1. 3 million-member union. To his critics, Paff is
a nuisance whose importance is greatly exaggerated relative to the size of his group, the 10,000-
member Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU).
Paff and the Detroit-based TDU are joined at the hip; he became the group’s national organizer in 1978, a post he holds to this day. His tenure has been marked by such accomplishments as
overturning the “two-thirds” rule, which had allowed contracts to be ratified with the approval of
as little as one-third of the union’s membership. Paff was also instrumental in helping Teamster
members win the right to vote for its top leadership.
Throughout this year, Paff’s voice will be heard. In the upcoming Teamster general election
race, TDU has endorsed Sandy Pope, head of New York-based Local 805, who will challenge
incumbent James P. Hoffa for the presidency. If Pope prevails, she will become the first woman to
run the Teamsters. Lest anyone miss the significance of Paff’s endorsement, consider that 20 years
ago he backed another head of a New York local also considered a dark horse candidate. His name
