The International Brotherhood of Teamsters opens its 26th International Convention today in Las Vegas.

The Teamsters hold a convention every five years, at which the issues of the union are debated and resolutions and constitutional changes are addressed. Candidates for international office are nominated during the convention, with the election held in October.
One of the issues of concern to the union during the convention is the opening of the Mexican border under the North American Free Trade Agreement. A convoy of 11 Teamsters tractor-trailers arrived in Las Vegas Sunday after crossing the country to draw attention to this issue. The convoy made stops at Teamster local unions in St. Louis; Tulsa, Okla.; Oklahoma City, Albuquerque; and Flagstaff, Ariz.
On the first day of the convention, Teamsters President James P. Hoffa is scheduled to speak, along with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) and Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.)
Hoffa is expected to run against West Coast union leader Tom Leedham for the union presidency. Hoffa won in 1998 with 54.5 percent of the vote in a three-way race against Leedham, who got 39.3 percent, and John Metz, who trailed with 6.2 percent. Leedham barely got the 5 percent minimum of delegates to be nominated during the convention; Hoffa controls all but 100 of the 1,900 delegates, according to published reports. However, analysts predict the actual election outcome could be much closer; it all depends on voter turnout.
Hoffa plans this week to propose a package of amendments to the Teamster's constitution designed to expand internal democracy within the union. He reportedly hopes this will not only help him win the backing of Teamster members, but also help him with his goal of ending the government oversight of the union that has existed for the last 12 years.