1944 - 1969

In 1944 we had our first citywide contract in Akron, Ohio. This contract ran from 1944 though 1946. The top rate then was 63 cents an hour for dock men, 68 cents an hour for checkers, and 73 cents an hour for city drivers. I believe at the time our road men made 3 and 4 cents a mile. At that time we receive our first vacation which was 1/52 of the yearly pay.

The contract expired in 1946. From 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949 we had another contract. But we had kind of a brief strike because the trucking companies wanted to take our vacation away.

As I stated before, we had 597 members, but as we signed up the trucking companies and the local cartage companies and some of the warehouses, we grew. We organized Ostrov Shoe and other ones and in 1948 we had Coca-Cola which we received from Joint Council 41 they were former members of Local 348.

In 1950 James R. Hoffa was International Vice President and in the 50's we started to have a nationwide contract for the Freight industry. In 1953 this become a reality and Jimmy Hoffa formed the Central States Conference of Teamsters and the Central States Drivers Council which covered a 13 state area which included Ohio, and went as far west as Colorado.

Ohio, at first, didn't want to join the Central States Conference of Teamsters. I guess our superiors in the Ohio Conference and Joint Council 41 saw the light, and we joined the group of the 13 state area. This was the beginning of a nationwide contract from 1955 through 1961 which was a six year contract with supplements in different areas and Ohio had one which we called the "Ohio Rider" to the National Master Contract.

In 1950 James R. Hoffa was International Vice President and in the 50's we started to have a nationwide contract for the Freight industry. In 1953 this become a reality and Jimmy Hoffa formed the Central States Conference of Teamsters and the Central States Drivers Council which covered a 13 state area which included Ohio, and went as far west as Colorado.

Ohio, at first, didn't want to join the Central States Conference of Teamsters. I guess our superiors in the Ohio Conference and Joint Council 41 saw the light, and we joined the group of the 13 state area. This was the beginning of a nationwide contract from 1955 through 1961 which was a six year contract with supplements in different areas and Ohio had one which we called the "Ohio Rider" to the National Master Contract.

Members of Teamsters Local 24 ought to be very grateful to James R. Hoffa because he started our pension program. And in 1955, and I think February 1955, he started the Central States Southeast & Southwest Pension program. The rate at that time was $2.00 per week paid for by the employer who was signed under the contract.  The first pension with 20 years service and 5 years of contributions, maybe just 80 weeks of contributions at that time, was $90.00 per month. After five years it dropped down to $22.50. You could retire at that timeat age 60 and receive this pension.

Then we become part of the Ohio Highways Drivers Insurance Fund. Before that we were under the Union Labor Life Insurance for our coverage which wasn't much at that time. I think at that time it paid $9.00 per day in the hospital. As things progressed, Akron became probably the freight capitol of the United States. We kept signing different companies up, including cartage companies and as companies redomiciled into Akron, Ohio they became part of the National Master contract.

1958 to 1961 Motor Cargo then became C.F. and it was the largest trucking company up on the strip which we called Richfield, Ohio.
In the 50's, late 50's or early 60's, Snyder Brothers Motor Freight was the first two man operation in the United States. By that I mean, two men were in the truck, he was on duty 4 hours and off 4 hours. I slept in a bunk and the first one that started that was Snyder Brothers Motor Freight out of Akron, Ohio. And later on (of those I can remember) All States went to two man, C.F. was two man, Leeway Motor Freight was two man, Trans-Continental was two man.

In 1961 James R. Hoffa ran for the President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters when Dave Beck retired. In the 60's we did a lot of organizing in this Local Union. We organized Ben Franklin in 1960 with about 100 members, and this Local Union then was organizing all of the people who were unorganized. We organized a lot of them at that time McKesson Robbins and various ones in Portage and Summit counties. Our Charter consisted of Summit, Portage and parts of Medina county. We organized Goodrich Warehouse in Medina, Ohio.

The 60's went around real quick. We had a lot of redomiciles to Akron, Ohio and our Local grew and grew. The larger companies at the time redomiciled people in here Eastern Motor Freight and C.F.  Also in 1960 we received our first printed ByLaws. It was approved by the International Union and at that time, officially the President and Business Agent of this Local Union become the Principal officers, which they were from 1952 on.

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