Coli Elected to Second Term As International Vice President

Hoffa-Hall Slate Wins Majority Across United States, Canada

Teamsters Joint Council 25 President John T. Coli was resoundingly elected to a second full-term as International Vice President of the Central Region on November 18, 2011. Coli and the Teamster slate led by General President James P. Hoffa and General Secretary-Treasurer-elect Ken Hall swept into office after receiving 60 percent of the vote in a three-way race.

“The members have spoken,” said Coli, who was first elected to the Teamsters’ General Executive Board in 2006. “General President Hoffa and incoming General Secretary-Treasurer Hall have the vision and experience to strengthen our union, and it is my privilege to continue to bring unparalleled representation to our members throughout the Central Region.”

Former Teamsters Local 705 Secretary-Treasurer and Joint Council 25 Trustee Stephen E. Pocztowski, who tragically passed away on July 2, 2011, also won as part of the Hoffa-Hall Slate. Pocztowski remained on the ballot after being officially nominated beside Coli during the Teamsters’ National Convention this summer. He died suddenly following the event in Las Vegas.

“The regard for Steve Pocztowski shown by members nationwide in this election is a testament to the kind of leader and friend we knew him to be,” said Coli. “Steve is a part of the fabric of the Hoffa-Hall Slate, and we will fight for our members as passionately as he did each and every day.”

The Hoffa-Hall Slate included four candidates for Central Region Vice President, elected by a wide margin after cumulatively receiving nearly 160,000 votes. The Central Region is home to 191 local unions, but the 20 local affiliates of Joint Council 25 alone accounted for more than 30 percent of votes cast for the Hoffa-Hall Slate. On average, each Joint Council 25 affiliate generated nearly 75 percent more votes than all other Central Region local unions.

Approximately 92 percent of voting members from Teamsters Local 727 supported the Hoffa-Hall Slate, more than from any other local in the Central Region. Coli has been the Secretary-Treasurer and Principal Officer of Local 727 since 1992.

“The numbers from Joint Council 25 are overwhelming,” Coli said. “We are home to 100,000 hardworking men and women, and we have made our presence known.”

The Teamster leader, who was also unanimously re-elected as President of Joint Council 25 on November 8, ultimately called the 2011 Election of International Union Officers one of the most humbling experiences of his labor career.

“Ours is the strongest union in the world, and it belongs to the members,” Coli said. “The members built this union. They rebuild it. They move it forward. I’m truly honored by their confidence in me to help lead the way.”

CLICK HERE for more election results and analysis from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

Teamsters Joint Council 25 represents 20 local affiliates throughout metropolitan Chicago, northern Illinois and northwest Indiana.

Download PDF

LATEST NEWS »