Sean O’Brien, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, stated on Sunday that he has not yet endorsed a candidate in the 2024 presidential race because he has not had a meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris after speaking at the Republican National Convention in July and praising former President Donald Trump. O’Brien emphasized in an interview with CBS, “you don’t hire someone unless you give them an interview.” The Teamsters, one of the largest unions in the U.S. with 1.3 million members, is the only major union among the top 10 that has not yet endorsed Harris, the Democratic nominee.
The Teamsters, known for their historical support of Democratic presidential candidates, typically make their endorsement after both the Democratic and Republican conventions. However, O’Brien indicated that this election cycle is different. Notably, O’Brien made headlines by speaking at the Republican National Convention in July, becoming the first leader in the organization’s 121-year history to address the RNC.
“This time, under our leadership, we brought every single candidate to the table in front of our rank and file members and our general executive board, and we’re waiting on Vice President Harris to commit to come meet with us,” O’Brien said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” O’Brien noted that the Teamsters, unlike other major unions, have a divided political affiliation, underscoring the importance of engaging in discussions with all presidential candidates. The Teamsters have already met with both Harris’s GOP opponent, former President Donald Trump, and President Biden earlier this year, the outlet reported.
“Half of our members are Republicans, half of our members are Democrats. So we have to serve all of our membership equally,” O’Brien said. “And you know, this is our opportunity to ask her (Harris) about Teamster specific issues and also labor issues. So until we have that meeting, you know, obviously we will wait to make that determination.” The Harris-Walz campaign said before the DNC that Harris has agreed to a roundtable with the Teamsters, but that meet-and-greet has yet to happen. Also, the DNC never responded to the Teamsters’ request to address the Democratic National Convention.
“Whenever I get an opportunity to highlight the American worker, especially the Teamster worker, I’m going to take any and all venue,” O’Brien said Sunday. “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.”
When asked if his appearance at the RNC was due to a belief that Trump is more pro-labor than previous Republican nominees, O’Brien clarified, “no, not at all.” Although Trump gave him a standing ovation and O’Brien described him as a “tough SOB” during his speech, O’Brien emphasized on Sunday that his aim was to spotlight American workers, not to indicate an endorsement for any particular candidate. “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,” O’Brien added.
O’Brien’s speech revealed a noticeable shift within the GOP since Trump’s election in 2016, transitioning from a corporate, Wall Street-focused message to a more worker-friendly tone. Democrats, meanwhile, have shifted towards the billionaire class both in New York and the West Coast. “Today, the Teamsters are here to say we are not beholden to anyone or any party,” O’Brien said during the July speech. “We will create an agenda and work with a bipartisan coalition, ready to accomplish something real for the American worker. And I don’t care about getting criticized.”
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.