Teamsters President To Address Republican Convention At Trump's Invitation

[Jose Garcia]

Source: Huffington Post

International Brotherhood of Teamsters President Sean O’Brien plans to address the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee next month, in what would be a rare appearance by a high-profile labor leader at the GOP’s quadrennial meeting.

Former President Donald Trump announced the news on his social media platform Truth Social on Friday, saying O’Brien had “accepted my invitation.”

“Sean, I look forward to seeing you represent the Teamsters in Milwaukee,” Trump said. “Together we can Make America Great Again.”

A Teamsters spokesperson confirmed the planned appearance in an email and said O’Brien had asked to speak at both the Democratic and GOP conventions.

Read more: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/teamsters-president-address-republican-convention-192206487.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAACgrdn9CSBUFnJ7s47S2zlP7Qw2H97jJfd0ubrooNnRVa6eJfAlRtkL72li0FRVYOaHQj7r-_UQdJWReiE-UB5I7oCe95FtCzFwvOzHn0m_Rb0i2itHv1qlN3gglxG7c09x3Q2qxX7Qj2xMaEz7yXAaNjlgLH8QfNP93hbxYHO7Y

[ALBliberal]

1. Oh my God.

[roscoeroscoe]

2. This could be very interesting

What an opportunity to speak truth to power. Once you get the microphone... tear 'em up bro!

[Deuxcents]

3. That could be a good thing..

[JohnnyRingo]

4. This is no election to ride a fence.

Get on one side or the other.
Sorry, we didn't divide the country, but that's just how it is now.

[bluestarone]

5. Strange.

[lanlady]

6. oh please

please don't tell me he's going to endorse Trump.

[Traurigkeit]

16. There is nothing to endorse. TSF was the only game the Republicans had, or else.

[iluvtennis]

7. I had thought Teamsters had endorsed Biden earlier this year, but per this article Teamsters will decide who to endorse

in August timeframe.

3/12/2024: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/teamsters-union-meets-with-biden-plan-endorsement-decision-this-summer-2024-03-12/

O'Brien said the union would conduct a lot of polling in the next several weeks and make a decision "most likely after the (Republican and Democratic parties') conventions" in July and August. "This decision will be made with a lot of due diligence, a lot of input from our members with the polling," he said.

[Cha]

8. What is Sean O'Brien Thinking? He must know that

that TSF will kill anything Democratic if he gets in!

What's he going to say.. Unios are good for the Workers?!

Is he going to speak at the Dem Convention?

[rurallib]

10. My first thought- What's in it for him?

Follow the money- the most important lesson I ever learned

[Cha]

11. SO'B should be

Smart enough to know that whatever is promised will be rescinded if TSF gets in.

I’d be interested to know what other Union leaders & members are thinking about this?

[Angrybob2001]

12. I can tell you what this member is thinking

Conservatives view blue collar workers as useful idiots to be manipulated.

[Cha]

13. Exactly.. TY!

[BoRaGard]

26. "suckers and losers"

Is how the repubes see their base

[walkingman]

9. What's next? Chickens for Colonel Sanders?

[multigraincracker]

31. My best guess would he will be joined by

POA, Police Officers Association.

[PortTack]

14. Because tsf has been so strong on unions...who is this idiot?

[oasis]

15. I don't like the smell of this.

[ramapo]

17. What's the payoff?

Is it possible that O'Brian gives a pro-labor, anti-Republican policy speech. It's possible the guy has a spine full of courage.

I doubt it. It is more likely that Trump made promises...labor-firiendly policies, personal enrichment, who knows? Why would anybody trust Trump on anything? It is beyond me but Trump has a not insignificant following amongst Teamsters. His permission to hate seems to overcome his anti-labor policies. Hate is a powerful motivator as is O'Brian's desire to keep his position so he'll play both sides.

It makes me sick but that's the reality of life in the United States in 2024.

[AZ8theist]

20. There's a TON of anti-union UNION workers at Intel in Arizona

Most, I would imagine, are racists and zenophobes. The type that thinks "Build a wall, crime will fall" morons.

I've seen first hand the stickers on their hard hats.

[LudwigPastorius]

18. What the shit?

[Shipwack]

19. I'm mildly surprised, but withholding judgement.

O'Brien is not a chump. He engaged in grass roots organizing to overthrow the corruption that had been holding the Teamsters back. Unions are on the rise due in no small part to him.

He will not be there to wave the white flag. He wl be there to throw down the gauntlet.

[Pototan]

21. I know Sean

Now, to be perfectly accurate, I've been in about a dozen meetings with him and other union leaders. I was an agent in Boston for a different union when Sean was the President of Teamsters' Local 25. Also included in many of these meetings was Marty Walsh (head of the Boston Building Trades and later, Mayor of Boston and Labor Secretary), Ed Kelly (Boston Firefighters Union President and now International President) and Mike Monahan (Business Manager of IBEW 103 and now International VP). These guys are responsible for making Boston one of the most union friendly cities in America.

This group of men are from the same area, background and about the same age. All advanced during the same time and were close to each other. I can't imagine Sean will advance Trump's cause, but I haven't seen him in more than 10 years. People can change. I hope Sean is still the same guy I knew.

[DJ Porkchop]

24. He'll mop the floor with them.

Sean will be trolling for the diamond level win.

[demosincebirth]

22. As retired teamster, I say why?

[Bucky]

37. It's a big mystery. People in this thread are predicting wildly

Definitely a story to follow.

[ificandream]

23. He's asked to address both conventions. Maybe it's not what we might think.

The Teamsters have always been a strong union. It could be they're going to let Repubs know that. I can't imagine the Teamsters would support Trump. What they might do, though, is give a unity speech and say we'll work with whoever gets elected.

[Indykatie]

25. I Thought the Teamsters Had Already Endorsed Trump

I remember being pissed off about it. I'll have to go verify if this is correct.

[Bucky]

38. From The Guardian...

Trump announces Teamsters union chief to speak at Republican convention

The Teamsters endorsed Biden over Trump in the 2020 presidential election. But O'Brien, who took over in March 2022, has yet to publicly back a candidate in this election cycle. O'Brien has invited Biden, Trump and the independent presidential candidates Robert F Kennedy Jr and Cornel West to speak to his group.

[Think. Again.]

27. O'Brien requested to speak at both conventions...

... but he isn't going to those conventions to ask either party to be nice to the Teamsters, he's going there to TELL both parties what they will need to do FOR the teamsters if they win.

The teamsters are the ones in the driver's seat here (pun intended), and not only as a voting bloc.

[Beachnutt]

28. The Teamster membership

is about 60% brainwashed racist magaloon (at least in the carhaul division) in my opinion as I am a retired Teamster myself and that was part of my decision to take early retirement, I couldn't argue with the idiots anymore.
O'Brien is elected as President of Teamsters so he is playing to the magaloonian side of his membership.
I wish the Teamsters would educate it's members on politics better and warn its members against being brainwashed by social media and fox propaganda.
These pictures of stickers on Teamster driven carhaul trucks,



Most of the white guys are brainwashed loons, I call chickens that vote for colonel sanders.
Hell some of the stewards are Trump loving rethugs, many personal vehicles in the parking lot have fuck Joe Biden stickers or fjb stickers. I couldn't take it anymore so I took retirement.
It pisses me off to no end.
Anyway O'Brien is playing to his magaloons in my opinion.

[rainy]

29. Oops I was thinking of Shawn Fain

Sorry!

[MOMFUDSKI]

30. If he speaks positively of unions I don't see

a problem. We watch

[CapnSteve]

32. 17 unions (by my count) have endorsed Biden-Harris so far...

AFL-CIO
Actors Equity Association
Association of Flight Attendants
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees
American Federation of Teachers
National Education Association
Communication Workers of America
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
International Union of Operating Engineers
International Association of Bridge, ... Iron Workers
Laborers International Union of North America
National Nurses United
United Auto Workers
National Association of Building Trades Unions
United Mine Workers
National Association of Letter Carriers
American Federation of Government Employees

Could not get a bead on SAG-AFTRA. Pretty sure they will endorse Biden. Sean O’Brien, Teamsters President, is playing politics as usual. He will hold off endorsing until a clear winner is emerging and join that side. It has nothing to do with what the rank and file members want, it is about what Sean wants. Biden-Harris are the most pro-union ticket in a generation, perhaps ever. The choice could not be more clear.

Together, my union brothers and sisters, we can turn this election into a landslide. It is up to us!

[electric_blue68]

42. Decades back one of my GOTV activities was phone banking set up by a Union ...

possibly CWA.

[CapnSteve]

43. ...and SEIU. That's 18 unions!

Service Employees International Union.

[Martin68]

33. Be nice if O'Brien explained what's wrong with MAGA and Trump's candidacy.

Wondering what he's up to.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

34. The headline is a deliberate lie that makes all the difference.

"A Teamsters spokesperson confirmed the planned appearance in an email and said O’Brien had asked to speak at both the Democratic and GOP conventions."

Sean O'Brien ASKED TO SPEAK at both conventions. It's RIGHT THERE.

Why? Why make it seem like the head of the Teamsters accepted an "invitation" from that fucking normalized POS? I hope Mr. O'Brien rips those lying scumbags apart for everyone to see.

My head is ready to explode from the talking heads saying Prez Biden better do this, or that, do what we want, say what we want, or else. And the convicted felon "wants" this, and "demands" that, and he'll deport and incarcerate and blah blah blah.

It's constant and it makes me sick.

This "debate" is a fucking shit show ratings/money grab, and should NOT be happening. His fat ugly ass should be rotting in prison right now. I guess they just can't stop milking their corrupted criminal cash cow.

[Deep State Witch]

35. I'm Sure That There Are a Lot of Teamsters who are Trumpers

I'm sure that there are a lot of Teamsters, especially in Red States, who are Trumpers. They probably see "Messcan" truckers taking their jobs or whatever. O'Brien is probably doing this because his rank-and-file members want it.

[Maxheader]

36. Lets see if he has the guts..

to tell it like it really is. how the yellow haired idiot is not a good representative for a truck driving man....

[calcin]

41. Doubtful

I seriously doubt it. The fact that he is speaking at the RNC convention tells everything I need to know. He is trying to endorse Trump without endorsing him. Hope I am wrong.

[calcin]

40. Don't Like This One Bit

I hope I am wrong but I don't trust Sean O'Brien. If I remember correctly, he met with Trump last year, much to the anger and dismay of some union members and leaders. No way would Trump or the RNC which is basically Trump, let Sean O'Brien speak at the Republican convention unless they approve what he is going to say. Not good. I hope I am wrong but I doubt it. This smells.

[Emile]

44. Not the first time teamsters supported cons.