Teamsters and DOJ Move to End Historic 37-Year Federal Monitorship

The agreement, originally established to purge organized crime and ensure democratic member-driven elections, has governed the union since 1989. Since General President Sean M. O'Brien took office in 2021, the union has implemented a rigorous internal system of checks and balances. According to O'Brien, the current culture of vigilance is more stringent than that of any other labor organization in the country, effectively proving the union’s capacity to police its own ranks.

This transition follows an assessment by the Honorable Barbara Jones, the Independent Review Officer. Jones concluded that the union has successfully developed the institutional tools and disciplinary procedures necessary to detect and resolve major corruption internally. The motion now awaits approval from the Federal District Court and the Honorable Loretta Preska, who has supervised the monitorship since 2002. If approved, the filing will close the final chapter on one of the most significant federal interventions in a private organization’s history.