Ron Carey Has Died; Reformer Who Led Teamsters, Fought Corruption

By Patricia Sullivan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, December 13, 2008

Ron Carey, 72, a labor leader elected Teamsters president as a firebrand reformer and in a controversial dispute years later banned for life from the union, died of lung cancer Dec. 11 at New York Hospital Queens.

In an era of declining membership and years of setbacks for unions in workplace disputes, he led a 15-day national strike in 1997 against the delivery company UPS over its use of part-time workers. The victory, which gave the 185,000 workers substantial pay increases, better pension benefits and the promise of 10,000 new full-time positions, was the labor movement's biggest victory in 30 years.

Ken Crowe, a former journalist and author of a book on the Teamsters, called Mr. Carey "the most impressive labor leader I have ever seen." "People accused Carey of being tied into organized crime, but that was a total lie," Crowe said. "Guys I knew hated Carey because he wouldn't go along with dirty deals."

His reputation for years was based on his identification with and support for the rank-and-file worker. As president of the international union, Mr. Carey cut his own salary to $175,000 from $225,000 and sold union-owned limousines, jets and a condominium in Puerto Rico. He also ended the practice of holding labor union conventions in Hawaii.

But when he turned his 1996 reelection campaign over to a team of political consultants, the team diverted $885,000 from the Teamsters treasury to groups that donated some of the money to his campaign. Several campaign aides were convicted in the scheme, and one testified against him in return for leniency.

Mr. Carey repeatedly denied knowledge of the arrangement, which led prosecutors to charge him with perjury. After his acquittal, still banned from engagement in the labor movement, Mr. Carey retired.

Please read the entire article at:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/12/AR2008121203896.html

:cry: