Some of the first big headlines from the Republican National Convention last week came from an unexpected source: a Big Labor boss known for traditionally backing Democrats.
Sean O’Brien made history as the first Teamster to address a Republican convention in his union’s 121 years of existence. While he didn’t go as far as endorsing Donald Trump, the Teamster president’s status as the keynote speaker during the first day of the convention suggested that Republicans and at least one major labor union have formed a novel alliance.
To say that O’Brien’s speech surprised a lot of people would be an understatement. The White House was reportedly “furious,” and other union officials felt “betrayed.”
On the surface, the move seems counterintuitive. It’s estimated that about 37% of rank-and-file Teamsters support Donald Trump for president – a significant portion, and a sign of the increasing political diversification of workers in recent years, but hardly a large enough faction to wield influence over their president.
Between 2019 and 2022, 99% of the Teamsters’ political spending has gone to left-leaning issue advocacy and candidates. So far in this election cycle, Teamsters donations still favor Democrats by 90%. They’ve given $150,000 to the Democratic National Committee – and yet, they also sent $45,000 to the Republican National Committee, their largest such donation to Republicans in years.
Some of the coverage of O’Brien’s speech has tried to paint this as a major realignment, a sign that under Donald Trump, America’s unions are shifting to the right after decades of reliably providing foot soldiers for the left. The reality is – as usual in politics – something much more cynical.
Sean O’Brien’s display last Monday night was Big Labor doing what it does best: trying to stick close to those in power. Unions retain power thanks in part to links with government, which allow union bosses to use taxpayer resources to bring home perks.
Because of their cozy relationship with Democrats, Teamsters’ pension plan secured a $36 billion bailout from the federal government in 2022 after mismanaging the plan for decades. Now, with Trump tying or beating President Biden in most polls, the Teamsters are hedging their bets, ensuring they have allies in the event of shift in power in Washington next year.
Unions want to preserve these powerful connections at all costs. Since 2015, the labor sector has spent over $1 billion on political campaigns, so far overwhelmingly to Democrats. As the share of American union members who identify with the Republican Party creeps toward 40%, some of that spending has begun to diversify.
But when unions’ political spending (on any party) comes at a cost to the basic job they’re supposed to do for their members – representing them in disputes and negotiating for better working conditions – then the relevance of the entire labor movement comes into question.
Last year, for example, the National Education Association reported spending $50.1 million on political activities and lobbying and only $39.2 million – just 7.5% of the union’s total expenditures – on representational activities.
The main reason that Big Labor uses money to influence politicians of both parties is to shore up opposition to “right-to-work” laws, which grant workers the choice of whether to join a union. Union leadership's resistance to these laws highlights a fundamental disconnect from the desires of American workers, who overwhelmingly support such legislation .
Union bosses don’t want any obstacles to forced unionization, which allows them to amass wealth and power on the backs of workers without any consequences for failing to do their jobs. Most union workers have no recourse if they’re dissatisfied with leadership; they have to keep paying dues to fund their leaders’ salaries and political donations.
Right-to-work laws represent a crucial step toward restoring genuine worker empowerment and union accountability. These laws affirm the basic principle that individuals should have the freedom to decide whether union membership aligns with their interests, without coercion or undue influence.
Sean O’Brien declared in his convention speech: “The Teamsters are not interested if 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 is persuading Republican politicians such as Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri to change their stance on right-to-work laws. This approach shields union leaders from accountability by ensuring they can depend on mandatory dues and membership to maintain their power. But that only helps him and his cronies, not American workers.
The status quo only breeds complacency and diminishes the incentive for unions to actively listen to and serve their members' diverse needs and concerns. Big Labor deciding to play nice with Republicans won’t change that.
Instead of trying to correct decades of political bias with more political spending, unions should get out of the business of politics and focus on genuine advocacy for their membership. If they do that job well, people will naturally want to join unions, and they won’t need government to keep workers in their thrall by blocking “right to work” laws.
That would serve the interests of workers and also strengthen our free society, as the basic democratic principles of transparency, fairness, and effective representation are extended to every American workplace.
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