Like many Big Labor leaders, Teamsters President Sean “Militant” O’Brien has been putting on a brave face regarding dwindling union membership numbers since he took office two years ago.
That, in and of itself, is not too surprising. What is more interesting is how O’Brien’s posturing has included numerous false claims, such as asserting faux union election victories and calling the latest UPS contract a “win” despite tossing several negotiating points by the wayside. That contract’s sizable wage boosts are being followed by the closure and/or automation of around 600 facilities as the company balances the books to offset higher labor costs. And in response to members asking the union to do something about the job losses, the Teamsters have simply shrugged shoulders while still claiming a “historic” contract victory.
UPS workers are not finished with questioning O’Brien’s “sellout” ways, but let’s note some other particularly wild recent cases in which the union has shown its true colors towards workers:
- The Teamsters turned their backs on their own members – delivery drivers – after 18 months of striking by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette workers, including reporters and shutterbugs. In this case, the Teamsters decided to accept severance offers for drivers and cease representing them. Another union involved in the same strike, NewsGuild CWA, is not pleased about the development.
What happened? The Teamsters local’s membership dropped from 150 to 30 and possibly even lower, and the union likely decided that diminishing returns weren’t worth the fight.
- The Teamsters also swiftly resigned from representing Dependable Highway Express drivers in Southern California after some members filed a decertification petition with assistance from the National Right To Work Foundation.
- In even more telling news, Teamsters organizers voted against being represented by a staff union while continuing to represent and organize workers at an array of publications near the NewsGuild local in question. As a result, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce accused the Teamsters of knowing better than to “buy what they sell.”
Are there any recent corruption updates on this union, too? You know it.
Historically, the Teamsters’ pension fund has been plagued with fraudulent behavior, and perhaps times have not changed. This month, the fund found itself pressured into returning an overpaid $127 million to the U.S. Treasury, which had shelled out checks to around 3,500 dead Teamsters.
We have even more updates on this union’s maneuverings:
- The Teamsters added fuel to the ongoing Molson Coors strike in Texas by asking NCAA Final Four viewers to boycott those brews. Elsewhere, members authorized a City Brewing strike for up to 1,800 workers in Wisconsin. However, a progressive publication has called this an empty threat while criticizing the “toothless” Texas boycott.
- The Teamsters continue to protest self-driving vehicles, including Waymo’s Los Angeles expansion of robotaxi services, with a reported 50,000 passengers on the waiting list. The union also lobbied for the Kentucky governor’s veto of a bill that would have allowed self-driving vehicles in a variety of settings.
On another open-ended note, the Teamsters are minding their interests in the aviation industry during United Airlines’ Boeing-associated woes. These troubles recently prompted the FAA to announce increased oversight of United over the high-profile 737 MAX mess. Indeed, the union will attempt to position itself without blame as this issue further develops.
