Right-wing anti-union groups are protesting former President Donald Trump’s decision to invite the chairman of the Teamsters to speak at the Republican National Convention.
Sean O’Brien, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, has expressed interest in speaking at both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, and Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has extended an invitation to O’Brien.
O’Brien’s interest underscores the opportunity his organization sees as Trump steers the party in a populist direction and has been actively seeking to win his support and, in turn, undermine President Joe Biden’s support among labor unions.
But not all Republican allies are happy with the speech, which marks the first time a Teamsters leader has spoken at a Republican convention. The Democratic Workplace Coalition, an umbrella group for the business community, is opposed to O’Brien’s appearance at next month’s convention in Milwaukee, citing his union’s support for the Democratic Party and its “anti-business, anti-worker agenda.”
“The Teamsters, and especially its chairman, have routinely pursued policies that harm American workers, Main Street businesses and our economy as a whole,” the group’s president, Kristen Swearingen, said in a statement. Washington Examiner“Mr O’Brien’s policy priorities include forcing workers to join unions and destroying companies if they don’t comply with his demands.”
“Allowing Mr. O’Brien to speak at the Republican National Convention would lend credibility to a dangerous policy agenda and provide a platform for someone who disregards the rights and voices of workers,” Swearingen continued. “The Republican National Convention and former President Trump should reconsider the invitation.”
The chairman pointed to a recent report from the Labor Union Fact Center that found that from 2019 to 2022, labor unions “spent more than $9 million on left-leaning advocacy, with only $57,050 going to left-leaning advocacy.”
“We donated $7,877 to bipartisan efforts and $7,877 to Republican-led efforts and campaigns.”
In a statement Washington ExaminerA Teamsters spokesman disputed Swearingen’s comments and the coalition’s opposition to O’Brien. “Some in the Republican leadership are increasingly uncomfortable with the control that the American political system has over the kind of corporate actors who fund the far-right Coalition. The Coalition is frightened by this,” the spokesman said. “If the Coalition truly supported democracy, it wouldn’t be so afraid of other voices.”
In a statement, the Trump campaign touted the former president’s economic policies and efforts to reverse inflation, and reaffirmed its intention to have O’Brien speak in July.
“President Trump looks forward to Teamsters President O’Brien speaking about the issues facing his union’s rank and file and workers across the country,” said Brian Hughes, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign.
“President Trump will introduce tax cuts and economic policies that will reverse inflation that hits working families the hardest, and he will confront globalists who put open borders and corporate profits above our workers,” Hughes added. “President Trump’s America First approach is why so many union members have joined the Make America Great Again movement.”
Both Biden and Trump have sought to win the support of union members ahead of the November general election rematch. O’Brien, who leads the 1.3 million-member union, has met with Trump twice this year, including at Mar-a-Lago in January, which Trump described as a “great dinner.” In March, Biden met with O’Brien at the Teamsters headquarters, where he stressed his support for unions and the labor movement.
To read more from the Washington Examiner, click here
The union drew public attention earlier this year when it donated $45,000 to the Republican National Committee’s convention fund. Biden won the group’s endorsement in 2020, but the Teamsters have not yet endorsed him in this year’s election.
The Democratic Workplace Coalition was founded in 2005 to oppose the Employee Free Choice Act. The bill passed the House and then died in the Senate, in part because of the coalition’s multimedia campaign. The group also targets “regulatory overreach” at the National Labor Relations Board.
