GASP! A Union President Has A New Podcast, and He Interviewed a GOP Senator
Some people are not pleased.
By Peter List, Editor | January 31, 2025
Love him or hate him, agree with him or disagree with him, Teamsters President Sean O’Brien is a different kind of union leader.
He is the first union leader, despite being a registered Democrat and delivering a blisteringly pro-union speech, to have ever spoken at the Republican National Convention—a move that drew considerable controversy from within the movement as well as the Democratic Party.
The controversy was further fueled when O’Brien’s Teamsters refused to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris’ run for the White House.
In keeping with his brand of being a different kind of union leader and “reaching across the aisle,” O’Brien has recently begun a long-form podcast to bypass the media and reach an audience that he otherwise wouldn’t.
Although he only has three episodes published so far, O’Brien’s podcast is definitely unique.
His first episode (which is worth watching) was with progressive and pro-union influencer Hasan Piker, during which O’Brien and Piker discuss the downfall of mainstream media, the fight against Amazon, and the PRO Act.
O’Brien’s third episode is with actor Casey Affleck—younger brother to Ben—in which the two talk about AI and its impact on workers.
However, it is his second episode, with GOP Senator Josh Hawley that may be of interest to those in labor relations.
Hawley, who recently introduced a pro-union framework for labor law legislation, shares his populist views about company CEOs, Amazon, Boeing and others, as well as his efforts to help unions. O’Brien and Hawley also discuss the issue of immigration, which has drawn online criticism from the Left.
WATCH:
“Truly a traitor to the working class.”
Just as O’Brien’s speech to the RNC, as well as his union’s non-endorsement of a presidential candidate in the 2024 election, O’Brien’s interview with Hawley, has drawn criticis from leftist critics on X (formerly Twitter).
Kim Kelly, a labor journalist and author, stated on X that O’Brien is “truly a traitor to the working class.”
A group called ‘Teamsters Mobilize’ released a statement calling O’Brien’s comments “xenophobic.”
“These remarks undermine the core principle of union solidarity and trade unionism. This rhetoric is an insult to everyone, especially all Teamsters and children of immigrants,” the group stated. “There is no room for nationalism and xenophobia in the Teamsters. An injury to one is an injury to all.”
Others shared their opinions as well:
Although O’Brien’s podcast is new (and controversial for some), it is a unique approach for a union leader to take to reach external audiences beyond the three to five-minute soundbites on the mainstream media.