Roy Lee Williams papers

This collection is comprised of files from former IBT General President Roy L. Williams' Kansas City office, produced during his tenure from May, 1981 to April, 1983.

The largest section of this collection is a variety of correspondence. The majority is correspondence with IBT employees, IBT joint councils and union locals, and transportation companies. The collection also includes correspondence files relating to specific subjects, such as the Central States Pension Fund and National Master Freight Agreement negotiations, and clerical correspondence relating to the operation of the Kansas City office.

In addition, the collection contains various materials detailing the state and operation of the union during Williams' tenure. These include reports, financial information, General Executive Board meeting material, and subject files on such topics as trucking deregulation, out-of-work benefits and pensions. Of particular note here are the materials detailing the National Master Freight Agreement negotiations, the IBT Democratic, Republican, Independent Voter Education (DRIVE) program, and UPS Master Agreement Contract negotiations.

Of particular interest in this collection are materials detailing the major controversies which marred Williams' presidency, namely the United States vs. Dorfman, et al bribery case, for which Williams would eventually spend three years in prison, the United States vs. IBT Local 560, et al labor racketeering case, which sparked a Federal effort to mediate the influence of organized crime on labor unions. Included here are case files, hearing transcripts and correspondence.

Completing the collection are a variety of miscellaneous materials, including news articles and paper clippings, materials from the inauguration of President Reagan in 1981, holiday cards, blank forms, and drafts of the International Teamsters magazine.