Teamsters President: 'We are not beholden to anyone or any party'

Sean O’Brien, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, on Monday evening said it was an “honor” to be the first-ever president in the union’s history to address a Republican National Convention .

“Today, the Teamsters are here to say we are not beholden to anyone or any party,” O’Brien said. “I don’t care about getting criticized, it’s an honor to be the first Teamster in our 121-year history to address the Republican National Convention.”

Teamsters, America’s largest, most diverse union, represents workers in both the public and private sector, including public defenders, vegetable workers, construction workers and health care workers.

O’Brien said he reached out to both the Republican National Convention and Democratic National Convention to speak. He thanked former President Donald Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential nominee, for inviting him to speak at the convention.

Traditionally, the Republican Party has pushed for anti-union legislation. According to Pew Research , only 35% of Republicans say unions are having a positive impact, while 61% view unions negatively.

The Teamsters union has yet to throw their support for any presidential candidate in 2024. In the last election, they backed President Biden, and in 2016, they supported Hillary Clinton.

What did O’Brien say

O’Brien, during his remarks, which Trump was present for, advocated for bipartisanship in labor unions. He noted that when he became president of the union, he began reaching out to Republican candidates, not just Democrats.

While he did not offer an endorsement, O’Brien underscored that the union has supported GOP presidential candidates in the past, including Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush.

The Teamsters president also offered a warning to some Republicans who “stand in active opposition to labor unions”: Change.

“I want to be clear at the end of the day: The Teamsters are not interested in whether you have a D, R, or an I next to your name. We want to know one thing: What are you doing to help American workers?”

O’Brien praised Trump, who was shot in the right ear after an assassination attempt on Saturday, for inviting him to speak at the convention.

“One thing is clear: President Trump is a candidate who is not afraid of hearing from new, loud and often critical voices,” he said.

“And I think we all can agree whether people like him or they don’t like him, in light of what happened to him on Saturday, he has proven to be one tough S.O.B,” O’Brien said to cheers.

How was a union leader received?

Despite some criticisms from members of the Republican Party, O’Brien received a positive reception.

He was cheered after mentioning Trump, as well as shouting out several other GOP members, such as Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Sen. JD Vance, Trump’s newly picked running mate.

But there were times when the crowd seemed unsure of how to respond. O’Brien didn’t shy away from criticizing Republicans’ anti-union stance and big corporations for their treatment of workers.

“What could be more important to the security of our nation than a long-term investment in the American worker,” O’Brien said at one point to scattered applause.

Where other union leaders have fallen during the election

In this election cycle, many unions have thrown their support to Biden.

The United Steelworkers Union, the AFL-CIO, and the United Auto Workers are among the unions who have endorsed Biden. Biden, who has called himself the ‘ most pro-union president, ’ got the UAW endorsements months after he joined auto workers on a picket line in Michigan last year in their strike against the nation’s three largest automakers.

Earlier this year, Biden met with members of Teamsters in hopes of securing the union’s endorsement for the 2024 presidential election.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Teamsters President: 'We are not beholden to anyone or any party'