A group called Teamsters for a Democratic Union formed three decades ago to take on organized crime in their ranks. The group’s activists converged on Chicago this afternoon for their annual convention.

Supporters of international Teamsters President James P. Hoffa are on the ropes in three Chicago-area locals. A federal watchdog reported last month that the leaders of one local aren’t running the union for the benefit of its members. In another, balloting has put Hoffa critics in power, and a federal indictment has accused the outgoing leader of election fraud. In the third, dissidents say they have a shot at winning an election whose ballots will be counted tomorrow.

But Brian Rainville says Hoffa has nothing to worry about in Chicago. Rainville directs the umbrella for the area’s 22 Teamster locals.

RAINVILLE: Claiming some sort of seismic shift in 13-14 months is essentially just PR.  

He says all but one of the 22 locals supported Hoffa’s reelection last year.

The Teamsters for a Democratic Union convention runs through Sunday. I’m Chip Mitchell, Chicago Public Radio.