John Morris, 76; Led Philadelphia Teamsters for 44 Years Till Ouster

John P. Morris, 76, the feisty former Pennsylvania Teamsters leader who was ousted in 1999 for purportedly assaulting members, misusing funds and stockpiling weapons for “war,” died Sunday in Philadelphia of heart disease.

Born in Mahanoy City, Pa., in the anthracite coal region, Morris grew up one of 12 children in an Irish Catholic household that stressed hard work and just compensation for that work.

At 19, Morris moved to Philadelphia and became a shipping clerk and union member, and began organizing his co-workers.

In 1955, he founded Teamsters Local 115 with seven members. By the time he was forced out 44 years later, his organization had 2,700 members, ranging from store clerks to truck drivers.

Adept at leading strikes, he wrote a strike manual for the local that remains the top reference of its kind of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

Eventually elected president of the statewide Teamsters and a vice president of the national union, Morris was removed as secretary-treasurer of Local 115 in 1999. National Teamsters leaders accused him of creating a climate of fear and intimidation among members, including assaults, and of using union dues to pay premiums on his $1-million insurance policy and to buy uniforms and weapons for what he described as “war.” His suit to overturn the ouster was pending at his death.