Tim Nichols has stepped down as the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 878 in Little Rock after leading the organization for 24 years.
Nichols said his last day as president was Feb. 21. Longtime 878 secretary-treasurer Kim Sumers will take over as president. She is believed to be the first woman to be president of a local Teamsters chapter in the South.
Nichols, 57, said he had been a Teamster for 35 years and had one specific retirement goal in mind: “trout fishing.”
“It is probably time for some younger people to take over anyway,” Nichols said.
Nichols said he has lots of fond memories of his time leading the local and the contracts the Teamsters were able to negotiate for its workers with companies such as ArcBest Corp. and Conagra. Local 878 represents approximately 3,000 union members.
“There are a lot of people that I will miss; not sure I’m gonna miss all of the fighting, stress and the politics,” Nichols said. “I’m very proud of the contracts that we have been able to negotiate.”
Nichols is stepping away as union membership continues to flag in the state. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that Arkansas is the third-least unionized state with just 2.8% of its wage and salary workers belonging to a union. It is the lowest percentage in the state’s history as membership dropped from 45,000 workers in 2024 to 36,000 in 2025.
Nichols said it is unfortunate that people have the perception that the Teamsters, and unions in general, are against businesses. Nichols said unions like his just want the employees to share fairly in a company’s success.
“No union is perfect, but there’s also this huge misconception that unions are the enemy of business,” Nichols said. “That’s not the case. There are occasions where it is very, very contentious between a union and a company, but that is not the case most of the time.
“I’m not going to begrudge a CEO or CFO being paid for the hard work and skills they possess. But at the same time, truck drivers and [other] workers, if the company is profitable, then those employees need to be able to have good health care and job security and a living wage.”
Nichols said he is excited to see what Sumers can do as president. He believes she will bring a new perspective to the role.
“I think it’s time; she is extremely capable,” Nichols said. “The workforce is basically 50% female, so I think it is time for their perspective. She has an excellent reputation with the employers and the other local international, so I’m looking forward to her being able to accomplish some things that I’ve not been able to.
“For the last 16 to 17 years, she has been pretty much responsible for the financial well-being of the union.”
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