President of the Teamsters, Sean O’Brien, candidly expressed to versatile entertainer Theo Von that he perceives the Democratic Party to have let down his labor organization consistently over the past four decades. Speaking candidly, he voiced an adamant outcry questioning their contribution to his union’s cause. Despite openly admitting his affinities for the Democrats, O’Brien’s words were laced with a profound sense of exasperation over the indifference he believes the party has shown towards the union over these years. In a significant move, they are now questioning the Democrats’ past actions, a stance he believes his union uniquely holds currently.
O’Brien’s sentiment was unequivocally articulated during a dialogue on the podcast, This Past Weekend. The president made it clear that his reservations weren’t targeted towards every Democrat but stressed on the palpable sentiments of mistreatment echoing throughout his union. The discord, he disclosed, attracted criticism from his comrades on the left. He then went on to reveal the asymmetrical financial contributions that his union has made to the political machine.
In his tenure of two and a half years, O’Brien divulged that the union had invested as much as $15.7 million into the Democratic machine. On the other hand, the Republicans had received a starkly contrasted amount of about $340,000, he shared. For many, the Democratic Party has been seen as the representative of the working class. However, O’Brien reframed this perception, stating they are more beholden to Big Tech companies, emphasizing what he sees as a shift from their historical base to large tech corporations.
The conversation then shifted towards the Republicans, who O’Brien acknowledged are currently positioning themselves as the party with the working class’s interests at heart. O’Brien indicated that they may well have a wonderful opportunity to truly emerge as such. The pointed remark seemed to suggest a shifting political landscape and underscored a latent call to both Democrats and Republicans to demonstrate their commitment to the working class.
The union president further stated that if a prominent percentage, such as 60%, of their members weren’t rallying behind the Democrats, then it was perhaps indicative of a problem in the system itself. In another poignant statement, O’Brien implored both politicians and their critics alike to stop placing the blame solely on him or the Teamsters Union. Instead, he encouraged introspection, urging these commentators to ‘look in the mirror’ and reassess their blame allocation.
O’Brien disclosed that he recently engaged in a tumultuous debate with Chuck Schumer. Things heated up dramatically, going to the extent of becoming ‘ugly’, as per O’Brien’s recount. Von weighed into the discussion at this point, laying criticism on Schumer, expressing his personal disdain for the senator. This comment, however, remained a somewhat detached observation from the main thread of discourse.
The crux of O’Brien’s contention with Schumer and politicians at large seemed to lie in their apparent lack of acknowledgement for the unsung work of the Union. O’Brien asserted with distaste how politicians often boast about their accomplishments. However, many of them, he felt, overlooked or simply didn’t acknowledge what they failed to accomplish for the union and its members. This underlying discontent seemed to shape most of their discussion, which evidently escalated into a fervently heated exchange.
Evidently exasperated, O’Brien spilled out a particular incident involving Schumer in which the senator had no qualms receiving a substantial sum of $550,000 from the union just weeks before O’Brien attended the Republican National Convention. Post the event, however, the senator exhibited a hardened stance towards O’Brien, attempting to gain some moral high ground on various digital platforms. These instances understandably added to O’Brien’s frustration with politicians.
In a reflective note towards the end of this conversation, O’Brien hinted at the shifts his Union is perceiving in party politics. Gone were the days, he felt, when Democrats were the staunch advocates for the working people. Nowadays, it’s the working people who feel increasingly like they have been deserted by the Democratic Party, leading to a sense of disillusionment within this group.
O’Brien ended the discussion by acknowledging the new position of the Republicans. They now express a desire to embody the working class, to become its true representatives. The president of the Teamsters conceded that the Republicans, indeed, have this opening – an opportunity to fill the perceived void left by the Democrats, taking up the mantle of the party of the working class.
More trouble in paradise? The old Dem guards are finally turning on them:
Teamsters President Sean O’Brien: I am a Democrat, but they have f**** us over for the last 40 years. And for once, we’re standing up as a union. pic.twitter.com/VGW46r4jEn
— Edgar A Barrios (@Edgar_A_Barrios) October 8, 2024