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Sean O'Brien (labor leader)

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Sean O'Brien
O'Brien speaking on Independence Mall in Philadelphia in 2022
Born
Sean M. O'Brien

1971 or 1972 (age 52–53)
Medford, Massachusetts, US
OccupationTrade unionist
TitleGeneral President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (since 2022)
Sean O'Brien's voice
O'Brien speaking on the need for unionization
Recorded November 14, 2023

Sean M. O'Brien (born 1971 or 1972)[1] is an American labor leader who is the General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.[2] He formerly served as the Vice President Eastern Region of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT).

O'Brien was the youngest person elected as President of Teamsters Local Union 25 and was the Secretary-Treasurer of New England Joint Council 10.[1][3] O'Brien resigned from Local 25 and Joint Council 10 on March 1, 2022, in order to serve full-time as General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.[4] O'Brien was sworn into office as the 11th General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters at the union's headquarters in Washington, D.C., on March 22, 2022.[5]

Early life

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O'Brien grew up in Medford, Massachusetts,[6] in a family of Teamsters. His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all members of Local 25 in Boston, driving trucks. O'Brien attended University of Massachusetts Boston for one semester before joining Local 25 in 1991.[7]

Teamster leadership

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In 2006, O'Brien was elected president of Local 25, and was re-elected six times before becoming General President. In the fifteen-year span of his presidency, the local's membership increased by 30%, notably organizing a group of more than 1,000 parking lot attendants, many of whom were immigrants from East Africa.[7]

In 2013, O'Brien was suspended for two weeks for threatening members of the reform group Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU) who were opposing one of his allies. O'Brien apologized and the lead TDU advocate in the episode later supported him.[2]

In 2017, O'Brien was the lead negotiator for the Teamsters with United Parcel Service (UPS) during bargaining for a new national contract, covering approximately 240,000 drivers, package sorters, loaders and clerks.[8] He was dismissed from his position as Package Division director by James P. Hoffa after reaching out to Teamster Locals and members that had opposed Hoffa's reelection as general president.[9]

O'Brien (front) with General Secretary-Treasurer-Elect Fred Zuckerman and other officials during a transition meeting

Campaign for the general presidency of the IBT

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See also: 2021 International Brotherhood of Teamsters election

In May 2018 O'Brien announced his candidacy to run against long-standing General President James P. Hoffa of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.[10] Hoffa eventually decided not to seek reelection and instead endorsed Steve Vairma, another vice president. The Sean O'Brien and Fred Zuckerman Slate was endorsed by Teamsters for a Democratic Union (a rank and file teamster reform organization) in November 2019 after a UPS contract was signed, despite a majority of members voting against the contract terms.[11] O'Brien also campaigned on organizing Amazon workers. In November 2021, O'Brien was elected, defeating Vairma in a rare win for a candidate who was neither an incumbent nor endorsed by the incumbent Teamsters president. O'Brien assumed the role in March 2022.[12]

Local 25 charity work

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Under O'Brien's leadership Local 25 has raised more than $5,000,000 for charitable causes.[13]

Dispute with Markwayne Mullin

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While testifying at a March 2023 hearing at the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, O'Brien got into an argument, including back-and-forth insults, with US Senator from Oklahoma Markwayne Mullin. Afterwards, O'Brien tweeted at Mullin numerous times. When O'Brien next appeared in front of the same committee in November of that year, Mullin followed up on those tweets, which he said had challenged him to a fight, and told O'Brien that he accepted. As the two continued to insult each other, Mullin made clear that he was ready for a physical altercation. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, the committee chairman, jumped in to try to calm tensions, reminding Mullin this behavior is not acceptable for a United States senator and urging him to stick to questions about labor.[14][15] Mullin would later go on to state that he and O'Brien met after the altercation, where they "had a great two-hour conversation" and O'Brien "stood up and apologized" to him.[16]

2024 United States presidential election

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On July 15, 2024, O'Brien became the first leader of the IBT ever to speak at a Republican National Convention, where he gave a speech encouraging delegates to respect American labor in spite of differing political allegiances. According to a Teamsters spokesperson, O'Brien also requested to speak at the 2024 Democratic National Convention. A Teamsters spokesperson said the DNC never responded to O'Brien's request for a speaker slot at the Democratic convention.[17] Despite historical affiliations with the Democratic Party, the Teamsters decided not to endorse a candidate in the 2024 presidential election after an internal poll revealed that 60% of their members supported Trump.[18] After this, joint councils for the states of Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin individually endorsed Harris.[19]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Sean O'Brien carries on legacy". Boston Herald. May 30, 2018. Archived from the original on September 10, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Scheiber, Noam (November 19, 2021). "A Hoffa Ally, Then a Foe, and Soon the Teamsters President". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  3. ^ "Message from the President" (PDF). Teamsters Local 25. Winter 2007. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  4. ^ "Social Media – Teamsters Union Local 25".
  5. ^ "O'brien-Zuckerman, General Executive Board Begin Five-Year Term".
  6. ^ Johnston, Katie (July 27, 2023). "'He's a force': Teamsters head Sean O'Brien, who just reached UPS deal, has deep Mass. labor roots". The Boston Globe. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Leonard, Devin; Black, Thomas (November 12, 2021). "First Task for the Teamsters' Next Boss: Take On UPS". Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  8. ^ Schneider, Mike (October 18, 2018). "Thousands of Teamsters voted against a new UPS contract. It was ratified anyway. Union drivers feel betrayed". www.chicagotribune.com. Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 4, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  9. ^ Ashe, Ari (September 12, 2017). "O'Brien Fired as Top Teamsters Negotiator in UPS Contract Talks". www.ttnews.com. Archived from the original on June 15, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  10. ^ Dowling, Brian (May 30, 2018). "Boston teamsters boss to take on James P. Hoffa". www.bostonherald.com. Boston Herald. Archived from the original on June 15, 2020. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  11. ^ Levin, David (January 2020). "The Teamster Revolt Against the Hoffa Era". www.jacobinmagin.com. Jacobin Magazine. Archived from the original on June 18, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  12. ^ Scheiber, Noam (November 19, 2021). "A Hoffa Ally, Then a Foe, and Soon the Teamsters President". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  13. ^ Damiano, Michael (November 1, 2016). "The Boss: Sean O'Brien and the Teamsters Attempt an Extreme Makeover". www.bostonmagazine.com. Boston Magazine. Archived from the original on June 15, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  14. ^ Becket, Stefan (November 14, 2023). "GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin challenges Teamsters president Sean O'Brien to fight at Senate hearing". CBS News. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  15. ^ Greco, Jonathan (November 14, 2023). "Words between US Sen. Markwayne Mullin, Teamster leader lead to fight challenge in Tulsa". KOCO 5 News. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  16. ^ Folley, Aris (July 18, 2024). "Mullin says Teamsters chief apologized after confrontation at Senate hearing". The Hill. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  17. ^ "UAW's Shawn Fain Blasts 'Scab' Trump In DNC Speech". HuffPost. August 20, 2024.
  18. ^ Gurley, Lauren Kaori (September 18, 2024). "Teamsters will not endorse for president, in blow to Democrats". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  19. ^ Multiple sources
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