'American workers own this nation': Teamsters president blasts corporations. What to know

Teamsters union president Sean O’Brien delivered a fiery yet centrist speech on Monday night at the Republican National Convention, as he advocated for a bipartisan coalition to support American workers.

O’Brien, a fourth-generation member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, joined Local 25 in Charlestown, Massachusetts, when he was 18 years old as a heavy-equipment driver for the rigging industry in the Greater Boston area. O'Brien's Teamsters bio says he is the union's youngest president in its 128-year history. His age is not listed.

Who is the current leader of the Teamsters?

Sean O’Brien is the president of the Teamsters union. His focus as Teamsters president includes “winning and defending strong national contracts, organizing new members, and aggressively taking on employers,” according to his biography. With 1.3 million members, the Teamsters is one of the largest labor unions in the United States. Their members vary from lawyers to sanitation workers to construction workers to health care professionals.

What is Sean O'Brien's salary?

O’Brien’s salary as Teamsters president was $250,352 in 2023, according to a March 2024 article by Teamsters for a Democratic Union.

What did O’Brien say in his RNC address?

The union president, who was sworn into the position in March 2022, noted during his speech that the Teamsters is not beholden to any political party but called it an honor to be the first president of the union to address the RNC.

O’Brien also commended former President Donald Trump for his toughness following an attempt on his life on Saturday at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. O'Brien also noted that Trump, now the official Republican nominee for president, is unafraid of criticism.

He did not offer an endorsement, but O’Brien underscored that the union has supported GOP presidential candidates in the past, including Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush.

“I want to be clear at the end of the day: The Teamsters are not interested in whether you have a D, R, or an I next to your name,” he told the crowd, and those watching via broadcast or streaming service. “We want to know one thing: What are you doing to help American workers?”

O'Brien used his stump to advocate for labor law and corporate welfare reform. He called out Amazon, Uber, Lyft and Walmart for the lack of benefits offered to their employees. He said the corporations don’t take responsibility for their workers.

"Never forget, American workers own this nation," he said.

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Sean O'Brien at the RNC: Who he is and what Teamsters president said