DRIVE now helping Republicans keep Congress

[OT+]

Adam Wren on X New Teamsters General President Sean O�Brien is signaling a more permanent realignment by donating to battlegr.jpg
DRIVE now helping Republicans keep Congress

[NYNick]

I will withdraw from DRIVE and donate to individual politions who support labor.

[Doctorpepper782]

I will also stop my DRIVE!

[Ibtlu710]

I stopped my donations when he spoke at the RNC

[AlJackson1962!]

When will any GEB member, besides John Palmer, call out O'Brien for funding these anti-worker politicians?
Do they recognize in any way, that they were elected to fight for the interests of the members and workers in general?

If any Teamster should have an opportunity to question them face to face, I hope they will.

[Yard Dog]

I stopped paying when I retired. Face it Mr. Magoo owns you all now. When they opened the door to TDU that was the beginning of the Teamster Demise. If you can retire get youre money and go.

[Gimme_Danger]

As you all know, Locals or Joint Councils make decisions on endorsements for Congress (including DRIVE donations for those candidates). And the GEB makes decisions on larger donations requested by the dept of legislative affairs. I'd be curious what the percentage split between D's, R's and I's is now. Probably still overwhelmingly D.

[Doctorpepper782]

That would seem accurate since virtually EVERY other person in the room after the Harris meeting endorsed her.

[jerseymike78]

[JWebb]

Your implication that most local DRIVE money goes to D's is true because Locals know that 9 times out of 10 it's the Dems that are on our side. That's the difference between Local officers working on behalf of the membership and a General President on an endless personal promotion campaign.

These particular campaign contributions were directed to Republican candidates in battle ground states which will determine who will control Congress. The Teamsters, under O'Brien, are now weighing in on the side of those who would see labor destroyed. Other than John Palmer where is the GEB?

[Gimme_Danger]

The implication is that Locals and Joint Councils are requesting donations to some more R's. As far as the larger payouts, which still weighs heavy "D", Palmer is on record as supporting the 45k donation for the now infamous RNC attendance last year. Doubtful he has spoken out about other donations.

[Noman2024]

Who got the money? By State and COPE Rating --2023 and Life
Pa: Kelly 11% 21%
Fitzpatrick 10% 61%
Minn: Stauber 10% 34%
Emmer 10% 20%
NY Malliotakis 10% 25%
Garbarino 10% 20%
LaLota 10% 10%
Lawler 10% 10%
Oh Lotta 10% 9%
Joyce 11% 38%
NJ Van Drew 0% 54%
Smith 10% 52%
NC Rouzer 10% 11%
Ill LaHood 0% 17%
Bost 0% 35%
Tx Nehls 0% 0% Why the hell would DRIVE ever give a penny to a Texas Republican?
Fl Buchanan 10% 15%
Neb Sen. Fischer 0% 16%
Alka Sen. Murkowski 29% 39%

No COPE Rating: Bresnahan (Pa); Shreve (Ind);Taylor (Oh); Rulli (Oh); Barrett (Mich); Sen. Husted (Oh); Sen. McCormick (Pa)

[1speed]

With those voting records, it's a list of union haters.

[Bob Randall]

Why isn't there outrage over this? If you are a rank and file Teamster, and you vote Republican every time, that's your personal business. Although, it does tell me that you really don't care about your union nearly as much as you do about other issues. That's the only explanation. HOWEVER, if you are Sean O'Brien the General President of the Teamsters Union...the welfare and well being of your union must be paramount. Second to anything else. You were given that responsibility when you were elected. SOB is a sellout that is mostly concerned with his image and ego. That's the only explanation. He can't be trusted. Same goes for GEB members that have remained quiet due to being afraid of his retaliation. Especially those that know that he is a sellout. You've sold out as well for an extra paycheck and self imagined prestige.

[CalTeamster]

For anyone contributing to DRIVE (Democrat Republican Independent Voter Education) its time to reconsider. Why give money to the party that hates unions and is consistantly making it harder for us to organize and negotiate contracts. Trump just cancelled the contracts of thousands of government workers. Why would any public division Teamster give money to support that?

[OT+]

Teamster Congressional donations shift used to illustrate support for Trump by unions.

[AlJackson1962!]

• #6.1
  Gimme_Danger commented
  Yesterday, 08:40 PM
  The implication is that Locals and Joint Councils are requesting donations to some more R's. As far as the larger payouts, which still weighs heavy "D", Palmer is on record as supporting the 45k donation for the now infamous RNC attendance last year. Doubtful he has spoken out about other donations.

Yo Gimme_Danger: Your reference to Palmer, to me, shows you're most likely a troll for O'Brien supporters. I understand that's your right to exercise your free speech here or anywhere. John Palmer has consistently been on public record as opposing any Teamster leadership support or appeasement for Trump and his anti-labor agenda. Interesting that immediately after Palmer posted his Open Letter to TDU Members, TDU, for the very first time posted an article on the TDU website that was inconsistent with O'Brien's agenda, regarding Trump stripping collective bargaining rights for federal workers. If I'm incorrect about the above claim, please advise readers here.

Some time ago here, you stated that I opposed Ron Carey's endorsement by TDU at the 1989 TDU Convention in Pittsburgh, and that the TDU I joined in 1977 never engaged in electoral politics. I asked you to explain what you consider to be "electoral politics", and I stated that I, as an elected 1991 Local 504 Delegate, voted for his nomination at the 1991 Convention. However, I never saw a response from you.

Your statement about not endorsing Carey at the 1989 TDU Convention is correct. I was not convinced that Teamster International leadership endorsements were the way to go for a rank and file bottom up organization. In the Boston TDU chapter we put a lot of effort into the campaign for Lynn, MA Local 42, Beacon Freight driver Frank Salemme , who was a TDU member. Frank won the Local 42 office of President. Not too long after that, Salemme abandoned TDU and worked with the opposition, led by Secretary-Treasurer, Dick Sewall. Regardless of that reality, I strongly supported Ron Carey's candidacy, and Ken Paff called me after the vote count to congratulate Local 504 members that (notwithstanding the small size of Local 504) had the highest vote percentage, second only to Local 804, for the Ron Carey Slate.

The first issue of Convoy I received in the mail, in 1977, included a picture of Frank Fitzsimmons golfing with Richard Nixon. Did that early TDU article constitute TDU engaging in "electoral politics"?

See you at the TDU Convention!

Dave Robbins, Local 251, retired

[Gimme_Danger]

Regarding Mr Palmer, his letter to the membership of the organization (that he said went from being watchdog to lap dog and he was no longer a member of in June of 2023) known as TDU, was posted on August 12th. The TDU post about federal workers contracts is dated (and was posted) on August 11. But nice try. Regardless, I could care less what Mr Palmer has to say, because as his GP candidate running mate so eloquently states: dues make you a member, actions make you a Teamster.

[AlJackson1962!]

Gimmee_Danger:

I'll be happy to continue this conversation at the TDU Convention. Brother Palmer, to my knowledge, is the only IBT GEB member that publicly criticized Donald Trump and the invitation extended by GP O'Brien that included Trump's holding a news conference in the IBT headquarters lobby, while Trump stood in front of the Teamster logo on the lobby wall. As to your decision not to respond to the other questions I asked above, do you disagree that Trump and his MAGA movement transcends any bar in the TDU Constitution, regarding engaging in electoral politics? Is it your and the TDU Steering Committee's position that Teamsters, including TDU members and activists should stand by and watch as the IBT GP is silent to Trump's efforts to destroy the US labor movement? If so, I will advocate for clarification of such and amending the TDU Constitution. I was trying to find the TDU Constitution on the TDU website. If I missed it and it is posted for all TDU members to reference, where do I find it on the TDU website?

Thank you Brother for your anticipated cooperation.

Dave Robbins, Local 251, retired

[rbj]

Democrats are pro socialist, and there are no unions in Socialism because the government owns it all and distributes where it sees fit. You don't have big unions without big business unless it's all government and when the government owns it all you are at its mercy. It bailed out the pension because for some reason we can't find anyone to make money with our money. I complained for the last 3 years about more and more illegals taking our work and personally brought it up in a meeting with the president of the 317, BA, and my manager. Ignored. Somebody is being paid up top because i am ignored in Washington and LA.. I resigned as steward because they have become lazy a$$ fatcats who don't really care. The officers requested a 5% raise and wanted more time off. Reminds me of my senator, Chucky Schumer. Do you know how we finally got rid of illegals? We elected Trump. The illegals fled and now we have more Teamsters. Go figure. If you kept in Dems you'd have nothing but Venezuela in time. Sweatahops have already been busted here due to the last 4 yrs. Globalism is bad for us. Think on it.

[rbj]

One more thing, who are the biggest anti union companies and where do they align politically? Think Amazon, Walmart, Apple. All Trump hating Democrats (Trump was great as a Democrat btw, and he is doing exactly the things he said he'd do decades ago as one). Good luck organizing those companies, brothers and sisters. If the union is Batman, then Trump is our Joker. Every crusader needs someone to crusade against and keep us working harder, not kicking back and enjoying kickbacks.

[Bob Randall]

This is typical deflection. The issue of O'Brien's support for Trump is not a Democrat versus Republican issue. Nice try though. The issue is being the General President of the Teamsters Union gives you the responsibility of fighting against anti-union actions, legislation, etc. Trump is on record as being viciously anti-union, anti-employee. Hardly anyone has suggested that Democrats have been great for Labor, or consistently effective, in support of. The issue is still that Trump is anti- union. Stick to the issue. Nice try though. O'Brien is a huge sellout. No excuses for anyone in the Labor Movement.

[JWebb]

Who got the money? By State and COPE Rating --2023 and Life
Pa: Kelly 11% 21%
Fitzpatrick 10% 61%
Minn: Stauber 10% 34%
Emmer 10% 20%
NY Malliotakis 10% 25%
Garbarino 10% 20%
LaLota 10% 10%
Lawler 10% 10%
Oh Lotta 10% 9%
Joyce 11% 38%
NJ Van Drew 0% 54%
Smith 10% 52%
NC Rouzer 10% 11%
Ill LaHood 0% 17%
Bost 0% 35%
Tx Nehls 0% 0% Why the hell would DRIVE ever give a penny to a Texas Republican?
Fl Buchanan 10% 15%
Neb Sen. Fischer 0% 16%
Alka Sen. Murkowski 29% 39%

No COPE Rating: Bresnahan (Pa); Shreve (Ind);Taylor (Oh); Rulli (Oh); Barrett (Mich); Sen. Husted (Oh); Sen. McCormick (Pa)

This is nothing more than a list of anti-union politicians with most of them in trouble from pro-union opponents Why would any union contribute to their victory. There's something else going on here, what has O'Brien been promised for this capitulation?

[AlJackson1962!]

Whatever O'Brien may have been promised by Trump, in the course of his private Mara Lago dinner in 2024, through O'Brien's appeasement to Trump/MAGA today, clearly is for O'Brien's personal benefit. If that benefit results in any relief or assistance to Teamster rank & file members, because of O'Brien's sucking up to the Trump/MAGA agenda (that hasn't happened yet); O'Brien's self-serving, opportunistic, mis-leadership, has cost the US labor movement and the rest of humanity big-time. O'Brien preaches solidarity and militancy, while hiring high priced PR firms to sell the UPS contract to the members. He is a fraud. And the rest of the OZ Slate (excepting John Palmer) sit passively on their hands afraid to speak out and confront this sell-out pie card.

A question was posed on this site concerning the Local 705 strike at Mauser; did IBT VP Juan Campos have to get O'Brien's permission to include bargaining demands addressing potential ICE raids in the contract battle at Mauser? Prominent reports on the continuing Local 705 strike at Mauser, seems to have disappeared from the IBT webpage. Why might that be?