Michael H. Belzer, a Wayne State industrial relations professor, commented about the Teamsters' 27th convention in Las Vegas and the long-running struggle between reform-minded Teamsters and the union's current leadership. At about 1.4 million members, the Teamsters are one of the largest unions in North America, and its leadership has always tried to play down cleavages during conventions, Belzer said. "When it comes to conventions, most of the issues have already been decided, and there\'s a desire to present a united front to the outside world - regardless of the circumstances. It is still relatively unusual to see any sort of a showdown at union conventions."