The International Brotherhood of Teamsters should be ashamed of itself for the kind of activities that take place in San Francisco's  Teamster local 85, the oldest Teamster local West of the Mississippi.

Contracts are negotiated by it's principal officer, Van Bean and teamsters who must work under those contracts are denied any say in them, or the opportunity to ratify them by a vote. It's "take it or leave it" in Van Bean's local 85. Often contracts are negotiated by just the employer and Van Bean.

Local hiring hall participants recently requested to local union officials that they be allowed to participate in the San Francisco Food Bank, their average incomes are well below the poverty level.

Most hiring hall participants are unable to achieve the minimum 60 hour per month eligibility to have their Health and Welfare benefits, and they and their families are forced to go without health coverage.Some, including most recently 24 year teamster henry hall have even died from this abuse neglect!

The local union hall doesn't even have a water fountain for it's member participants. The water dispensor is in a locked room, and only union officials are allowed to drink from it. the members of local 85 are forced to drink by bending over to use the water from a bathroom sink. Although these hiring hall participants pay 90 dollars a month in dues, they are routinely harassed and treated with contempt by officials. Secretaries in the local are rude to member's spouses over the telephone, they flip local members off when they arrive at work sometimes, and they commit federal offenses during the local union elections to make sure their boss wins.
Disagree with local officials-- they will send letters to employers accussing you of wrongdoing-- without even having been afforded the opportunity to defend yourself of these charges. Or expel you from membership meetings, humiliate and embarass you and falesly tell all those assembled "the department of labor is requiring that we do this".

Cronyism and nepotism run through the hiring hall rampantly. Often 20 and 30 year teamsters, more qualified, will watch someone's neice, nephew, son, or daughter waltz into the hiring hall and go to the top of the list, obtaining work before anyone else, and more frequently than anyone else!