O’Brien’s RNC appearance triggers internal Teamsters backlash

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Jul 15, 2024 View in browser   By Lawrence Ukenye With help from Nick Niedzwiadek Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien will speak at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Monday. | Stefan Jeremiah/AP QUICK FIX A DELICATE BALANCING ACT: Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien is set to speak at the Republican National Convention on Monday as President Joe Biden’s standing among unions begins to show cracks. The union leader requested speaking slots at both parties’ conventions, but his eagerness to speak at the GOP's gathering rankled members who don’t want the Teamsters flirting with the idea of endorsing former President Donald Trump, along with an anti-union group looking to take jabs at organized labor. “The issue is that the Republicans aren't doing anything to help us. And I don't believe anybody could trust Donald Trump,” John Palmer, vice president at-large at Teamsters, told Shift. “I mean, why would you trust that man?” Palmer wrote an opinion piece attacking Teamsters leadership, urging them to call on O’Brien to cancel his visit to the RNC. O’Brien and the Teamsters have previously asserted that the union benefits from having its message heard from parties on both sides of the aisle. “All of Palmer's efforts are meant to bully a fellow Teamster from speaking,” a Teamsters spokesperson said in a statement to Shift. “He’s afraid of any voice that isn’t his own or one bouncing around in an echo chamber. It’s the type of person who wants to ban books they’ve never read." Aside from the blowback O’Brien has received within the union, the Center for Union Facts, an anti-union interest group, is running billboard campaign in Milwaukee during the RNC calling the union leader “two-faced,” potentially undermining the inroads he hoped to make by speaking in front of a Republican audience. After United Auto Workers and other major unions decided they would endorse Biden, all eyes were on the Teamsters to see if they would back Biden amid his push to cast himself as the most “pro-union president in American history.” The American Rescue Plan, which Biden signed into law in 2021, included billions to bail out the union’s struggling pension fund. The union has historically tilted toward backing Democrats. Many rank-and-file members were angered by Teamsters’ $45,000 donation to the GOP’s convention fund in January. When Teamsters leadership met with Biden in March, O’Brien said the union typically avoids endorsing presidential candidates until after both parties’ nominating conventions. However, Palmer, who was present at the meeting, told Shift members believed that comparing Biden’s labor record to Trump’s was like “putting a brick on one side of a scale and a feather on the other.” He’s now more adamant that Trump’s return would be harmful for workers. “Obviously, the Chevron decision opens a whole new can of worms for organized labor,” he said. GOOD MORNING. It’s Monday, July 15. Welcome back to Morning Shift, your go-to tipsheet on labor and employment-related immigration. Send feedback, tips and exclusives to nniedzwiadek@politico.com and lukenye@politico.com. Follow us on X at @NickNiedz and @Lawrence_Ukenye.   Understand 2024’s big impacts with Pro’s extensive Campaign Races Dashboard, exclusive insights, and key coverage of federal- and state-level debates. Focus on policy. Learn more.     Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You’ll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day’s biggest stories. Unions United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain aired concerns about President Joe Biden's reelection bid. | Saul Loeb/Getty Images SECOND THOUGHTS: At a closed-door meeting between AFL-CIO leaders and campaign officials last week, union chiefs, including United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain and the Association of Flight Attendants’ Sara Nelson, aired concerns over the president’s path to a second term, our Nick Niedzwiadek and Eleanor Mueller reported. Leaders acknowledge that while they still plan to champion Biden, they stopped short of guaranteeing he will be able to shore up across-the-board from unions that played a key role in allowing Democrats to retake the blue wall states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin in 2020. What they’re saying: "In this election, we can't put our heads in the sand and hide from reality,” Fain said at a labor activist conference in Baltimore on Friday. “We tried that in 2016 and it didn't work. Real democracy and real leadership is about not being afraid of the truth — even the hard truths.” Ed groups grow wary: The National Education Association is also mulling over whether they can continue supporting Biden’s faltering reelection bid. Thousands of NEA representatives were set to debate whether the union should reconsider their endorsement for the president before a strike that locked out members derailed plans to discuss Biden’s prospects, our Juan Perez Jr. writes. Although union members acknowledge reconsidering Biden’s endorsement would have failed, the concern among representatives within NEA highlights emerging fractures within a deep-blue ally for the president’s reelection efforts. More union news: "The UAW’s federal monitor twice pressured the union to back off its call for Gaza ceasefire, then launched an investigation," from Drop Site News. AROUND THE AGENCIES ALL ABOUT APPRENTICES: The Biden administration has been on a blitz promoting registered apprenticeships, the union-friendly job training model. On Thursday, it doled out more than $244 million though a pair of grant programs. White House domestic policy adviser Neera Tanden also traveled with acting Labor Secretary Julie Su to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, to tout the announcement. It was part of a two-day swing through the Keystone State for Su, who was also joined in Philadelphia by Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo. Treasury recently finalized regulations tying registered apprenticeships and prevailing wage requirements to lucrative clean energy tax credits.  Adeyemo said his priorities are making sure employers are aware of these incentives — and that Treasury is serious about enforcing the labor requirements. “If you're going to claim the tax credit, you have to do the right thing and make sure you're paying employees the prevailing wage and making sure you're using legitimate apprenticeship programs,” he said in an interview. DOL is also working on an overhaul of the rules for apprenticeships, with the agency targeting August to finalize them — a potentially risky move that would leave them exposed to a possible GOP rollback depending on the elections.  HOLDING FIRM: The federal judge in Texas who partially blocked the Federal Trade Commission’s ban on noncompete agreements rejected business groups’ request to expand her injunction. Judge Ada Brown’s July 3 ruling was limited to the direct parties who brought the suit, as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Business Roundtable, but not their many constituent members. The groups quickly filed a motion for reconsideration but Brown rejected the request a day later in a terse one-paragraph filing. Brown is seeking to resolve the case before Aug. 30, days before the FTC’s rule was scheduled to take effect. More agency news: "Business groups call on Biden to halt rulemaking in light of Chevron deference decision," from our Lawrence Ukenye. Even more: "EPA considers scrapping buildings amid low worker turnout," from POLITICO's E&E News. On the Hill JOINING THE TRUMP TRAIN: Nevada Democratic Sens. Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto voiced their support for a Trump proposal that would prevent federal income taxes from being collected on tips. Union backing: Legislation was introduced by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) last month and has gained support from the Culinary Workers Union after Trump unveiled the plan at a Las Vegas campaign rally in June. “Workers, unlike big corporations and the super-rich, are willing to pay their fair share and Culinary Union will always fight to protect workers and against unfair taxes,” union Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge wrote in a statement.   SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, our newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW.     In the Workplace PAYING UP: Dollar General reached a settlement with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to settle claims that the bargain retailer exposes workers to dangerous conditions in its stores. The company agreed to pay $12 million and institute a host of changes — including reducing inventory to prevent obstructed exits, hiring additional safety staff, and providing training to workers. “These changes help give peace of mind to thousands of workers, knowing that they are not risking their safety in their workplaces and that they will come home healthy at the end of each day,” OSHA head Doug Parker said in a statement. The agreement also calls for Dollar General to address hazards moving forward within 48 hours or face a daily penalty of $100,000 per day, capped at $500,000. “We are pleased to have reached an agreement with OSHA to resolve these matters,” a company spokesperson said in an email. “We remain committed to ensuring a safe working environment for our employees and a pleasant shopping experience for our customers.” OSHA reached a similar settlement with Dollar Tree and Family Dollar last August. A BLOW FOR DEI: SHRM, the country’s top human resources advocacy group, announced last week that it plans to shift away from equity language as part of its DEI efforts, The Wall Street Journal reports. The pivot comes as business leaders continue to grapple with how to recruit diverse talent without incurring lawsuits from legal and political groups. SHRM’s move was met with critical feedback from industry professionals, many of whom slammed the organization for backing away due to political pressure. IMMIGRATION WITHOUT BENEFITS: Undocumented immigrants are preparing to retire without benefits under Social Security and Medicare, forcing many to work until they are physically unable or to rely on younger family members for support, The Wall Street Journal reports. Although migrants pay billions into Social Security, many are barred from receiving any of its benefits and often rely on state-funded programs for assistance. More immigration news: “Germany is forcing some asylum seekers to work, when they just want real jobs,” from The Washington Post. WHAT WE'RE READING — "Black man only got job interview after using White-sounding name, lawsuit says," from The Washington Post. — “Elon Musk Scores Win Against Former Twitter Employees in $500 Million Severance Suit," from The Wall Street Journal. — "Can Canada Trim Its Reliance on Foreign Labor?" from The New York Times. THAT’S YOUR SHIFT!   Follow us on Twitter Nick Niedzwiadek @nickniedz Lawrence Ukenye @Lawrence_Ukenye   Follow us

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