Part 50 (1/2)
”No later”
Hoffa turned to Gibbons ”Turn the papers over to hi at Daniel ”I don't like losing originals”
Gibbons left the room Hoffa leaned across his desk ”Can we talk privately for a esture, the other man left the room He waited until the door closed behind them 'What's on your mind?”
'Dave Beck,” Hoffa said ''It don't look good”
''True,” Daniel said
”How long do you think it will take 'em to put him away?”
”With all the appeals open to him, another year, fifteen months maybe”
Hofifa picked up a pencil and worried it for a hter sentence”
”I don't think he will,” Daniel said ”All they have hi there to keep him forever He's too smart to blow the whistle, because he knows that will blow his pension and agreements under his Teamster employment contract”
”Then I should be ready to make my move for the fall'57 convention?”
”Yes”
”Think I can make it?”
”You can ht as well know this, if you don't already You're the next target They're going to cobusters”
”fuck 'e on ht They found a way”
”I'reat deal of heat on the Teamsters A political attack on the union can exploit the public's fear of the power the union has over our econo to jump on it There've been too many statements made by Teamster officials that they can close the whole country doith one strike”
”We can,” Hoffa said
'You do and that's the end of the union/' Daniel said The government steps in and takes over''
'I know that,” Hoffa said He put down the pencil ''Where do you think Meany stands on all this?”
'The Teamsters are out as far as the AFL-CIO is concerned They're juon that came up in the course of Dave Beck's exaovernment hasn't proved a case”
”For Meany they don't have to All he needs is an excuse and you're out”
”He's afraid that we'll move in and take over,” Hoffa said
”Maybe”
”I'm not interested Maybe you can tell him that”
”I will But there's no reason for him to believe me He doesn't likedifference between us is -he can't do anything to me, C ALL is not a union; we're a union service and consultation group, available to any union that wants to employ our services And even then, we do not make policy, we only recommend The individual unions have to decide for themselves what course they want to follow And they're free to discharge us at any time for any rea-son, ”I've heard that he's told a nuard that as a violation of AFL-CIO confidences and information”
”I've heard that too,” Daniel said ”But I have no proof Besides, that's not uess not” Hoffa s up quite a few unions around the country”
Daniel nodded ”Maybe they're beginning to find out that we're doing the job we promised”
'If you should decide to foranization, you could count on the Teamsters”
'Thank yoii,” Daniel said ”But there isn't rooanizations The AFL and CIO recognized that and hed ''Big Dan, you're either the smartest man in the labor h ”Ever think I ht be both?”
Later, in the car on the way to the airport, Moses leaned toward Daniel, speaking in a low voice ”You know, Hoffa lied to us”
”About what?”
”He said they had about ten ot to mention soured that,” Daniel said
Moses' voice was hushed, almost in awe ”In three years, they'll have over a billion dollars to play with”
”So?”
”That rocery store Lewis can't hold a candle to that”
”The money they have is none of our concern,” Daniel said
”It has to be,” Moses said ”They're asking us to tell them what to do with it”
”No, they're not,” Daniel said ”They're asking us to recommend procedures on the investment and protection of that money for the benefit of theirfor is for you to give theet that froet exactly what they asked for''
”You won't be able to stay out of it,” Moses said ”If they get into trouble, they'll come to you to defend their actions”