On May 24, about 250 Teamsters from California and Nevada came together for the first Hoffa-Aloise fundraising event.  Held at Harrahs in State Line, NV, the informal reception was an opportunity for union members to meet and greet both General President Jim Hoffa and Western Region Vice President Rome Aloise. This was the first opportunity for members to buy Hoffa-Aloise t-shirts and get the candidates to sign them.

“This was our first fundraising event,” said Aloise, “but it surely won’t be our last. This is a critical election for the future of the Teamsters union. The most important thing we can all do is get members involved and make sure they vote. Democracy doesn’t mean anything if nobody participates.”

“Teamsters are the labor movement,” Hoffa added. “We have a big job ahead of us to keep moving our union and the entire movement ahead. Rome Aloise is a committed Teamster, a strong leader, and he adds exceptional skills, knowledge, and organizing savvy to our team.”

Jim Hoffa was first elected Teamsters General President in 1998. Aloise was named to the VP position in 2009 when Western Region VP Chuck Mack retired. The election for Teamster officers is slated for the fall of 2011.