Teamsters union general president Sean O’Brien will be a guest at the Republican National Convention next month, with a speaking role that stands in stark contrast to President Joe Biden’s embrace of other labor leaders.
Former president donald trump announced the appearance of O’Brien, whose union has not yet endorsed, on its social media platform.
“Our GREAT convention will unify Americans and demonstrate to the country’s working families that they come first,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “When I return to the White House, truck drivers and all American workers will once again have a country where they can live and be respected around the world.”
A Teamsters spokesman confirmed that O’Brien will attend the Republican Party convention and made an identical request to appear at the Democratic convention in Chicago the following month, in August.
“This is truly unprecedented as it will be the first time a Teamsters General Chairman has addressed the RNC,” Kara Deniz said in a statement. “Our 1.3 million members represent all political backgrounds and their message needs to be heard by as wide an audience as possible, and that includes all political candidates running for elected office.
“We appreciate former President Trump’s openness in inviting a labor leader to speak on behalf of working families.”
Long a Democratic mainstay, the Teamsters have been looking to make inroads with the Republican Party this election cycle. The union has held listening sessions with several Republican presidential candidates – including Trump, after a personal appeal of O’Brien — and the union’s political arm gave thousands to the RNC and DNC.
At the same time, O’Brien had heated arguments with anti-union Republican lawmakers, most notably on several occasions during congressional hearings with the senator. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) who was in danger of getting physical.
The Teamsters are perhaps the most politically influential of the a handful of national unions who have not yet endorsed a presidential candidate, and O’Brien said they intend to announce their choice sometime after this summer’s conventions.
Trump has been keen to reduce Biden’s — and other Democrats’ — advantage with the union vote and drive a wedge between labor leadership and rank-and-file members.
Sometimes Trump has barbs traded with high-profile union leaders like Shawn Fain of the United Auto Workers – who supported Biden and was a guest at this year’s event State of the Union Address – while publicizing economic policies the former president believes it would appeal to auto workers and other working-class voters.
Ironically, the Teamsters have been one of the main beneficiaries of the Biden administration’s shameless union boosting. O American Rescue Planwhich was one of the administration’s first legislative priorities, included a rescue program for struggling pension funds that extended nearly $36 billion in assistance for a multiemployer pension plan comprised primarily of Teamsters members and their families.
On Friday, the administration announced that the pensions of a million workers and retirees — about half a million of whom are truck drivers — in more than 80 plans were protected from cuts due to the ARP.
“Whether it’s Social Security, Medicare or pensions, workers who earn a decent retirement through decades of hard work and sacrifice should never see their benefits cut because of broken promises or policies that favor the wealthy over working families,” Biden said in an announcement. declaration.
