During an interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Sean O’Brien, the President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters—a powerhouse among U.S. labor unions—expressed growing dissatisfaction among his members towards Kamala Harris and the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
This discontent stems from the DNC’s refusal to allow him to speak at their convention.
During the interview, O’Brien highlighted that many of his 1.3 million members—who are evenly split between Republicans and Democrats—are feeling sidelined by the Democrat leadership.
“My rank and file members, who have been lifelong Democrats, are not happy about it,” he stated.
O’Brien pointed out that while other major unions have endorsed Harris and her running mate Tim Walz, the Teamsters are still deliberating their endorsement.
He underscored that this decision would be driven by the needs and sentiments of their members rather than party loyalty.
“We want the opportunity to sit down with Vice President Harris… until we have that meeting, we will wait to make that determination,” he said.
O’Brien revealed that the Republican National Convention welcomed his participation without attempting to censor his message.
“We asked both conventions… and the Republican National Convention immediately responded to us. Didn’t try and edit any of our messages. And I was hopeful that the Democrats would do the same, but they didn’t,” he said.
This openness from Republicans may lead to a reconsideration of traditional voting patterns among union members.
O’Brien’s willingness to address the Republican convention has raised eyebrows within labor circles. While he clarified that his appearance was not an endorsement of Donald Trump or any Republican candidate, it signals a potential shift in allegiance among union members who feel unrepresented by the Democrats.
Below is the partial transcript of the interview:
Nancy Cordes: You know, you shared that message at the Republican Convention, a move that some members of Teamsters leadership did- did not approve of. They were pretty vocal about that. It appears that it also cost you a speaking slot at the Democratic Convention. Did the Democrats ever tell you why they didn’t give you a chance to speak?
Sean O’Brien: No, they didn’t. And look, I’m going to say this, whatever the critics out there, and they’re very few, in the leadership. Whenever I get an opportunity to highlight the American worker, especially the Teamster worker, I’m going to take any and all venue.
We asked both conventions, respectively, at the same time, and the Republican National Convention immediately responded to us. Didn’t try and edit any of our messages, and I was hopeful that the Democrats would do the same, but they didn’t.
I’m not upset about it, but I can tell you this, my rank and file members, who have been lifelong Democrats, are not happy about it.
Nancy Cordes: I know there were some members of the union who spoke, but that’s not the same as having the leader of the organization speak. Very quickly, did you choose to speak at the Republican Convention, which is a pretty unusual move for a union leader, because you feel that Trump has been more pro labor than past Republican nominees?
Sean O’Brien: No, not at all. I spoke there because it was the ability to highlight how important we are. It was the ability to call out the people, the corporate elitist who forget who built this country, the American workers.
You know, people like to, you know, have their own opinions on why we were there, but I was there to talk about the American workers. It wasn’t an endorsement for any and all Republicans. It was strictly a message about how important and how valuable we are, and to let the people know that fight us every day, that we’re not going away.
WATCH:
BREAKING: The President of Teamsters, one of the biggest labor unions in the country, just said many of his members who are lifelong Democrats are not happy that Kamala Harris and the DNC REFUSED to let him speak at their convention
This could lead to them endorsing Trump
He… pic.twitter.com/9WOnnjolLT
— George (@BehizyTweets) September 1, 2024
