Leedham challenges Hoffa for Teamsters job

9/12/2006

PORTLAND, Ore. From a remote Oregon base, Tom Leedham is trying again to unseat the heir to the best-known name in American labor, James Hoffa, for the leadership of the 1.4-million-member Teamsters Union.

Academics, labor lawyers, and other specialists say that while there are issues to discuss, it might take a major scandal to rile up enough of the membership to trounce Mr. Hoffa, and that hasn t happened. Mr. Leedham got 35 percent of the vote against Mr. Hoffa five years ago.