Dec. 9 – James P. Hoffa, newly elected Teamsters president, promises to return the union to its glory days and urges more militancy in re-negotiating contracts. And the day after he declared victory, the union issued a strike warning to shippers using Overnite Transportation

The Journal of Commerce yesterday reported that on Monday, the Teamsters began sending letters to customers of Overnite, the fifth largest less-than-truckload carrier in the country. The letters warned that the “company’s course of conduct could result in an unfair labor practice strike at any time.”
Overnite leaders seemed unfazed, reported the Journal of Commerce. “Fear seems to be the only card they have left to play,” said John Fain, Overnite senior vice president for sales and marketing.
Hoffa told NBC’s “Meet The Press,” “This union’s been through a civil war. We’ve got to pull it together. We’ve got to restore the financial integrity of this union.”