Transport Workers Union International president John Samuelsen wants a Democratic-led House. But that hasn’t stopped his union from endorsing swing-seat Republicans who he believes have been on the right side of issues impacting the union, which represents transit, airline and rail workers. Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro is locked in a tight general election challenge in the Hudson Valley — a race that could determine control of the House. Samuelsen’s union endorsed Molinaro last week. Even for a labor leader in the hard-charging world of union politics, Samuelsen doesn’t mince words. He’s willing to embrace Republicans who have been good to labor. “We need bipartisan support, and Molinaro and (Rep. Mike) Lawler and other Republicans have gotten behind our issues and they’ve supported our transport workers,” Samuelsen told Playbook. “They’ve been particularly effective — both supporting our issues and blocking right-wing Republican initiatives to harm workers.” It’s an approach many labor leaders and their unions do not take. In New York, one of the most unionized states in the country, labor leaders have been closely aligned with Democrats. And powerful unions like 1199SEIU, the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council and the United Federation of Teachers have been pillars of support for the party. Samuelsen acknowledges his union has business before a closely divided Congress. “I want Hakeem Jeffries to take back the House. I’m a strong supporter of Hakeem Jeffries,” he said. “But I’m not going to throw transport workers under the bus.” Nationally, labor leaders have been courted by former President Donald Trump, who has banked on expanding his support among working-class people — presenting a challenge for Vice President Kamala Harris. It can also create problems within labor. Teamsters president Sean O’Brien in July addressed the Republican National Convention with a speech that created some backlash for him among the rank and file. An acerbic critic of Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, Samuelsen believes both parties, at their core, are not set up to help working people. “The institutions of the Democratic Party and Republican Party are not allies of working people,” he said. “They both take their donations from corporate America. There’s very little difference, institutionally, between them.” Perhaps sensing that there are indeed differences between both parties, especially on broad-based labor policy, Samuelsen later in the conversation recalibrated. But he nevertheless also acknowledged he’s more than willing to back Republicans when they’re helpful. “The Democrats are certainly more philosophically in line with working people than the Republican Party,” he said. “But there are individual Republicans who are strong supporters of working people and the trade union movement.” And Samuelsen expects his union in particular will have a key role to play as the presidential campaign enters its final months: TWU America includes members in states like Pennsylvania, a swing state considered crucial for both Trump and Harris. “We will play a role in getting out the vote,” Samuelsen said. “This comes down to swing states, organized labor’s role is to target swing states where we have sufficient density.” — Nick Reisman IT’S TUESDAY. Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman. WHERE’S KATHY? Conducts an interview with NPR’s “All Things Considered.” WHERE’S ERIC? Hosts his weekly off-topic news conference. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We think this jazzes up our voters, too. We have every desire to talk about this and explain what we believe it does.” — New York Conservative Party chair Gerard Kassar on the “equality amendment” on the ballot that some Democrats fear is faltering ahead of November, POLITICO’s Nick Reisman reports.
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