Posts tagged RNC Convention
Commentary: Josh Hawley’s Pro-Union Bill Would Let Washington Write Your Contract
May 16, 2026 // A Hawley-backed bill, known as the Faster Labor Contracts Act (FLCA), seems to be picking up steam and may soon pass the House of Representatives. Unfortunately, the FLCA is a trifecta of bad public policy: It suffers from constitutional infirmities, revives a corrupt government agency, and takes away the voice of both businesses and workers. Earlier this Congress, Hawley introduced the FLCA in the Senate, alongside one other Republican senator and three Democratic senators; he has since picked up another Republican and 10 more Democrats. Companion legislation in the House has 99 cosponsors, 17 of which are Republican.
Op-ed: The right’s growing crackup over organized labor
May 14, 2026 // In the face of its growing crackup over organized labor, the Right is badly in need of developing a labor policy that is pro-worker without being pro-union. The best bet would be to coalesce around a flexible work agenda that empowers workers to achieve autonomy and agency in their employment arrangements. This policy agenda could take many different forms, but it might include championing the independent contracting status of gig workers while simultaneously expanding so-called portable benefit models that provide these workers with funds to access workplace benefits. This provides a more nimble, nuanced alternative to reclassifying them as employees or unionizing them. Or right-leaning politicians could seek to address issues like just-in-time scheduling, a common sore spot for workers in many industries, by striking a grand bargain with the business community regarding overtime averaging. By focusing on flexibility rather than cribbing the union political playbook, the Right can take a pro-worker stance without needing to fully repudiate its pro-business instincts.
Teamsters boss Sean O’Brien’s mission to chart a new political path
March 11, 2025 // The Teamsters president may not claim any vindication, but his approach is encouraging some copycats among his counterparts in other major unions. United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention and aggressively campaigned for Democrats up and down the ticket while labeling Trump an anti-union “scab,” has suddenly found a soft spot for the GOP and taken steps to engage with Republican senators.
Top 3 Ways Teamsters Boss Sean O’Brien Stabbed President Trump In The Back
November 21, 2024 // More than $2.6 million in Teamsters political donations went toward registered Democrats and Democratic campaign arms. The Teamsters also funded anti-Trump activist groups like the ACLU that plan to bury a second Trump term in litigation. This should come as no surprise. When Trump was in office, the Teamsters worked to sabotage passage of the Trump Tax cuts and prevent confirmation of Trump’s Supreme Court picks. 94% of Teamsters political spending has gone to Democrats since 1990. The Teamsters rank-and-file voted for Trump because he supports worker freedom.
Teamsters president said address to GOP convention was to highlight workers, not to endorse Republicans
September 3, 2024 // When asked on CBS News’s “Face the Nation” if he spoke at the convention because he feels former President Trump has been more pro-labor than any other GOP candidates, O’Brien said, “No, not at all.” “I spoke there because it was the ability to highlight how important we are. It was the ability to call out the people, the corporate elitist who forget who built this country, the American workers,” O’Brien continued. “You know, people like to, you know, have their own opinions on why we were there, but I was there to talk about the American workers.”
Union members aren’t just voting on labor this year
August 27, 2024 // She believes Harris can deliver for her and fellow union members, calling the Democratic nominee a “breath of fresh air” for whom she’s canvassing alongside UNITE HERE colleagues. Gangwer, meanwhile, said he has struggled to grapple with recent inflation. He pushed off “must-do’s” on his home, like a partial roof replacement, because it’s too expensive. His co-workers have become more willing to vote for Republicans in recent years, he said, citing the party’s commitments to cut taxes and an emphasis on law and order.
Presidents from 6 labor unions throw support behind Kamala Harris at DNC: Watch speech
August 23, 2024 // "We are going to build a younger, darker, hipper, fresher, sneaker wearing labor movement," Verrett said. "A movement that is going to be more inclusive and built for the middle class. And we are going to end poverty-wage work once and for all”
Open Rebellion Against Teamsters GP Sean O’Brien
August 21, 2024 // During the TNBC conference, Chris Silvera of Local 808 delivered a gruesome critique of O’Brien over his embracement of the pro Right-to-Work Trump. But more importantly, he also called on the members to make “the general president a one-term general president.” International vice president-at-large – John Palmer who was also present at the event received a great reception after being the first officer to openly lead the rebellion against O’Brien. Already following O’Brien’s fascistic speech at the RNC, Palmer announced he was seeking to build an opposition slate to unseat O’Brien and “send him back to the truck.” To the surprise of everyone, Joint Council (JC) 28 in the state of Washington headed by Western Region vice president – Rick Hicks, in a press release attacked Trump’s and Elon Musk’s union busting conversation, before endorsing Harris for president. The executive board of Local 186 led by Abel Garcia in Ventura CA became the first local of the largest joint council in the nation, JC 42, to also endorse Harris.
OPINION STAR PARKER: Unions and Republicans
August 16, 2024 // According to a recent survey from Pew Research, 39 percent of union members are Republicans. Furthermore, when we examine the polling data, we see a disconnect between what voters think about unions and what workers are actually doing. Regarding the latter, the data is clear that fewer and fewer workers are joining unions.
Texas sees surge in union membership, defying state’s anti-union history
August 14, 2024 // In total, there are about 586,000 union workers in Texas, a fraction of the millions who work here. And yet, the increase is somewhat remarkable given the state's long history of hostility toward unions. And nationwide, union membership dipped during the same time. Texas is one of 26 so-called right-to-work states. Texas lawmakers first passed that law in 1993. The law allows for workers the option to not pay unions due and the right to work in a unionized workplace without being a part of the union itself. And more recently, the Republican-controlled Legislature passed a law aimed at stopping local governments from enacting progressive-leaning worker protections and other policies.