James Riddle was born on 14th February 1913 in Brazil. He was the second born in a family of four children and was an athlete. He started working full time while still a teenager in a department store as a stock boy after quitting school at the ninth grade. In 1930, he started working in a warehouse as a freight handler. This provided a platform for his career. He led his workmates in a strike because of little pay and bad working conditions. In 1932, he stopped working at the warehouse and became the Teamster organizer in Detroit. In 1936, James married Josephine Poszywak and they had children Barbara Ann and James (Arthur 53-57). Career James Riddle started rising in power in the 1940s. He gradually rose from being the Central States vice …show more content…
The mobster did not show up and James’ car was found later. It was reported that James was picked up by a group of men in a Mercury sedan maroon in color, murdered in Detroit and his body disposed at a sanitation company in Hamtramck that is mob owned. However, nobody was ever arrested for the murder of James Riddle and his body has never been found and the whole disappearance remains a mystery to date. James Riddle was presumed dead officially in 1982 (Hoffa …show more content…
He ruled the International Brotherhood of Teamsters for 14 years with charisma and he was known for use of force in his opposition. James Riddles’ legacy lives on. Currently his son James P. Hoffa is the president of the Teamsters and is almost accomplishing his mission of transforming the union into the strongest in North America and a powerful voice for working families. The union is winning many contracts in leading industries. Some of the traits James Riddle passed to his son include, being outspoken and he is known as a leader who looks into solving issues affecting the working population. He knows the strengths of the Teamsters as he spent his life getting ready to face the challenge of managing the union (Hoffa