Reform candidates for office in Teamsters Local 743, including immigrant workers from the closed Silver Capital Company, will hold a vigil on Saturday, October 16 outside the union offices, 4620 S. Tripp Street in Chicago.

They are demanding a fair election.

Hundreds of ballots disappeared from a secure mail box at the post office, related Richard Berg, presidential candidate for the 743 New Leadership Slate.

Diane Strickland, secretary treasurer of the Local, rented two keys from the post office for that box. She did this even though the current officers had agreed that only the election monitor, J. Edward Kasen, would have access to the mailbox.

The ballots for the officers election will be counted Saturday, starting with a 9:30 visit to the Collins post office on Harrison. The ballots will be taken to the union hall on Tripp St. for the count.

Marcela Garcia, vice presidential candidate with the 743 New Leadership Slate, said, "We know if there is a fair election, the workers will vote this gang out of office. The Silver Capital workers will be observing every step of the process to make sure our votes are counted."

Garcia is an immigrant and was laid off from her job at the Silver Capital company when it closed in September. The workers there charged the union representative with selling them out in negotiations and then threatening to call the INS on undocumented workers who complained.

The workers in the 743 New Leadership Slate fear there will be other efforts by the incumbents to steal the election. Union members, their families and supporters from the community will be joining the 743 New Leadership Slate and the Silver Capital workers outside the union hall throughout the ballot count to draw attention to the criminal actions that have already occurred and to prevent further theft.