Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 17 › Conversation 017-093

Nixon phone call with Hodgson on Labor Relations and Dock Strike

Saturday, December 25, 1971 · 11:49 AM–11:51 AM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Hodgson, James D.Conversation017-093 on Tape 17 (tape position 03:19:09–03:21:33)StartSaturday, December 25, 1971 at 11:49 AMEndSaturday, December 25, 1971 at 11:51 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 017-093 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Secretary of Labor James D. Hodgson exchanged Christmas greetings while discussing recent labor developments during the holiday season. The conversation focused on the resolution of a dock strike, ensuring it would not disrupt the President's upcoming meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Eisaku Sato, and the positive reception of the recent release of Jimmy Hoffa from prison. Nixon noted the strategic importance of Leonard Woodcock’s public support for the Hoffa decision, affirming that the administration would monitor Hoffa’s compliance to avoid future incarceration.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah.
Hello.
Jim just called to wish you a Merry Christmas.
I'm from the White House.
Oh, you're from the White House.
Oh, yeah.
I have to work, you know.
No, we have a family here.
And we have Mrs. Eisenhower here and her family.
With Julie.
Yeah.
I didn't see it, but Paula thought she was very good.
You liked it good.
Yeah.
Well, the kids are always the best.
Incidentally, I was wondering, that dock thing seemed to be pretty good news over the weekend.
Well, a good part of it was that we got it set down so that when you're being the prime minister's auto, you won't have to worry about the dock shutdown.
Yeah.
Well...
Yeah, I guess, well, we appreciate what you've done, you and Kurt and all the others on that thing.
Yeah, well, you know, with him, he, like most of us, doesn't have much of his world's good, but he'll do well when he finishes.
He'll be a valuable man to somebody.
That's what I've been telling him.
I said, now look here,
You can make money later.
That's good counsel.
Yeah, right.
Well, anyway, we hope it's a good year, and we do appreciate all your hard work.
Well, thank you, Mr. President, and the nation appreciates you.
Incidentally, I think we were, we're getting a little flack on it, but I think what we did on Hoffa was right.
The guy...
The guy really looked so terrible when he came out of prison and everything that I think people would be sympathetic with him, don't you?
That is if he does what he says he's going to do, and that's what we've got to make sure.
Well, we've got that as we throw him back in jail.
And it was interesting, did you know that, I suppose you did, of course, that Woodcock wired me saying it was a good idea?
In advance?
No, right afterwards.
He wired and said...
He wired and said that it was the right thing to do and that it was justice.
So I thought that was good.
Okay.
Well, bye.

NARA Description

On December 25, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and James D. Hodgson talked on the telephone from 11:49 am to 11:51 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 017-093 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 17-93

Date: December 25, 1971
Time: 11:49 am - 11:51 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with James D. Hodgson.

     Christmas greetings

     The President's location
           -Camp David
           -Mamie G.D. Eisenhower
     Julie Nixon Eisenhower's television show
           “Christmas at the White House”
           -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
                -Praise

     Dock strike issue
         -Eisaku Sato meeting
         -J[ames] Curtis Counts

     James R. (“Jimmy”) Hoffa
          -Public sympathy
          -Leonard Woodcock wire
                -Stand on Hoffa issue

Also recorded on December 25, 1971

  • 017-088 11:34 AM · 43 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Michael J. ("Mike") Mansfield talked on the telephone from 11:34 am to 11:36 am.
  • 017-089 11:38 AM · 21 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 11:38 am.
  • 017-090 11:38 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:38 am and 11:45 am.
  • 017-091 11:45 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Melvin R. Laird talked on the telephone from 11:45 am to 11:46 am.
  • 017-092 11:47 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Edward R. G. Heath talked on the telephone from 11:47 am to 11:48 am.
  • 017-094 11:51 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone from 11:51 am to 11:55 am.
  • 017-095 11:55 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:55 am and 12:44 pm.
  • 017-096 11:55 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:55 am and 12:44 pm.

All 57 conversations from December 25, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 017-093, December 25, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/017-093 (accessed October 10, 2026).