About Jimmy Hoffa
Jimmy Hoffa
Activist, James Riddle “Jimmy” Hoffa was born on February 14, 1913 and is believed to have been murdered in 1975. Hoffa was one of the most famous labor leaders in American history. He was an important figure with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), he played a key role in forging the first national freight-hauling agreement, and he became involved with organized crime. He definitely lived a busy life. Hoffa was born in Brazil, Indiana, on February 14, 1913. His father, John Cleveland Hoffa, was a coal miner who died from lung disease when Jimmy was just seven years old. Hoffa's mother, Voila 'Ola' Riddle, took in laundry as a job to support him and his three siblings. In 1922 Jimmy's mother moved her and her family to Clinton, Indiana for two years, and then to Detroit, where Jimmy was raised and lived the rest of his life. Being given a hard time while living in Detroit, he gained acceptance and respect with his fists. At age 14, Hoffa dropped out of school and began full-time manual labor at Kroger Grocery and Baking Company, just as the Great Depression started bringing massive layoffs and failures to businesses. While working at this full-time job, he began union organizational work. There is where he led his first strike while trying to help his co-workers land a better contract. Careful with his actions, he called for a work stoppage when trucks filled with fresh strawberries from Florida pulled into the warehouse. Because they needed to get the perishable produce in to refrigerators quickly, Kroger management soon gave in, promising a meeting with the new leaders the next morning. After negotiating, Hoffa and the other leaders had a union contract that included a raise of 13 cents an hour, the guarantee of at least a half a day's pay per day, a modest insurance plan and recognition of the union. By 1942, Hoffa left the grocery chain and was invited to become an organizer with the Local 299 of the Teamsters in Detroit. The
Activist, James Riddle “Jimmy” Hoffa was born on February 14, 1913 and is believed to have been murdered in 1975. Hoffa was one of the most famous labor leaders in American history. He was an important figure with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), he played a key role in forging the first national freight-hauling agreement, and he became involved with organized crime. He definitely lived a busy life. Hoffa was born in Brazil, Indiana, on February 14, 1913. His father, John Cleveland Hoffa, was a coal miner who died from lung disease when Jimmy was just seven years old. Hoffa's mother, Voila 'Ola' Riddle, took in laundry as a job to support him and his three siblings. In 1922 Jimmy's mother moved her and her family to Clinton, Indiana for two years, and then to Detroit, where Jimmy was raised and lived the rest of his life. Being given a hard time while living in Detroit, he gained acceptance and respect with his fists. At age 14, Hoffa dropped out of school and began full-time manual labor at Kroger Grocery and Baking Company, just as the Great Depression started bringing massive layoffs and failures to businesses. While working at this full-time job, he began union organizational work. There is where he led his first strike while trying to help his co-workers land a better contract. Careful with his actions, he called for a work stoppage when trucks filled with fresh strawberries from Florida pulled into the warehouse. Because they needed to get the perishable produce in to refrigerators quickly, Kroger management soon gave in, promising a meeting with the new leaders the next morning. After negotiating, Hoffa and the other leaders had a union contract that included a raise of 13 cents an hour, the guarantee of at least a half a day's pay per day, a modest insurance plan and recognition of the union. By 1942, Hoffa left the grocery chain and was invited to become an organizer with the Local 299 of the Teamsters in Detroit. The