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Teamsters Remember James R. Hoffa

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On February 14, Teamsters remember the life of the union’s General President Emeritus, James R. Hoffa. 

Hoffa, born February 14, 1913, served as General President of the Teamsters Union from 1957 to 1971. Hoffa inspired people to stand up for their rights on the job—and their rights as Americans. 

In the years he served as General President, he raised the membership to its highest number of members and made it the single largest labor union in the world. 

“Improving the outlook for U.S workers isn’t about creating millions of minimum-wage jobs. It is about creating sustainable, skilled employment that allows Americans to earn a fair wage with benefits that allows them to pay for housing and food on the table and sustain a middle-class lifestyle,” Hoffa said while the union’s General President. 

In 1999, the Teamsters Union started the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund as a way to help children, grandchildren and dependents of Teamsters further their education. In that time, in James R. Hoffa’s name, the union continues to honor Hoffa, a leader who changed the course of history for working men and women. The scholarship fund has assisted more than 4,000 students with scholarships, awarding more than $10 million in funds. 

“There have been many great union leaders over the last century, but none have earned more respect, inspired and uplifted more members or created a more lasting legacy than my father, James R. Hoffa,” said Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President.