Teamsters Mourn Loss Of Coleman Davis

Coleman Davis, longtime Teamster, passed away late last month. He is being remembered by rank-and-file members and union officers as a proud Teamster who never tired of working on behalf of his members.

“Coleman was a great Teamster and will be greatly missed,” said General President Jim Hoffa. “He was known throughout the union as a Teamster’s Teamster.”

General Secretary-Treasurer Tom Keegel echoed the General President’s remarks and stated that “Coleman Davis did a tremendous job for our members in the Southern Region and particularly those within the Freight industry.”

As principal officer of Local 523, Davis instituted a rule where the local would be closed on James R. Hoffa’s birthday—Feb. 14.

“Coleman was always a great advocate for working people,” said Gary Ketchum, President of Local 523 in Tulsa, Okla.

Davis began his Teamster career in his teens as a dock worker at Hodges Warehouse, then he became a driver for the Chief Freight Lines where he was elected shop steward for many years.

He was elected Vice President of Local 523 and, with great energy and passion, he represented his fellow Teamster brothers and sisters. Davis rose to become the President of the local and served there for 24 years where he improved the lives of countless Teamsters and their families by organizing new members, and negotiating and enforcing good contracts. Twice, Davis played an instrumental role in negotiating the National Master Freight Agreement.

Ketchum said he and Davis worked together on countless union issues in Oklahoma, but the first thing they ever worked on together was Jim Hoffa’s 1996 campaign for General President.

“He was this local’s principal officer for about 22 years, and that’s a long time to be voted back in by the membership,” Ketchum said. “Coleman was a great person, a great Teamster.”

Johnny Gabriel, a business agent with Atlanta’s Local 528, said the first time he met Davis was in the 1990s at a freight grievance hearing, and Gabriel was immediately impressed.

“Coleman was hearing the case, chairing the committee, and you could tell right off the bat who was in charge,” Gabriel said. “He always did an outstanding job.”

“Coleman was a legend. He was a really tough negotiator,” said International Representative Chuck Stiles, who also worked with Davis.

Davis was also active in his community, in local and national politics and his church. He was elected three times to represent Oklahoma at the Democratic National Conventions and has always been instrumental in recruiting and encouraging people to fulfill their civic duty of voting and running for office.