Disaffected Teamsters Challenge Leadership Over Lost Convention Center Business

The Inquirer reports that the leadership of the Teamsters local is facing formal complaints — before the National Labor Relations Board — from members angry the union lost out on business at the Convention Center.  Michael Conway and Edwin Taylor have both filed complaints; Conway’s is all the more remarkable because he was until recently an ally of union head William Hamilton. 

As Hamilton’s ally, Conway helped him win his most recent Local 107 election. These days, Conway said, “I’m not happy with him or his slate.”

Conway is not alone. A longtime opponent of Hamilton’s has also filed an NLRB charge against him and Local 107.

The union’s “fundamental failure to adequately and fairly represent their members has consequently led to a significant loss of jobs,” Edwin J. Taylor wrote in the complaint filed May 27.

Hamilton says, “Our position all along is that we did sign the agreement in a timely matter.” He added that convention center business represented a small part of the Teamsters’ portfolio in Philadelphia.