AILSA CHANG, HOST:
An unlikely speaker took the stage at the Republican National Convention last night, Teamsters President Sean O'Brien.
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SEAN O'BRIEN: It's an honor to be the first Teamster in our 121-year history to address the Republican National Convention.
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CHANG: This was not an endorsement from the Teamsters, which represents 1.3 million workers, including UPS drivers and warehouse workers. But as NPR's Andrea Hsu reports, O'Brien's appearance did suggest that union votes are up for grabs in this presidential election.
ANDREA HSU, BYLINE: Sean O'Brien is no stranger to politics or to political fights. His willingness to take on anyone standing in the way of workers was on display at a congressional hearing last year when he brawled with Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin.
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MARKWAYNE MULLIN: Well, stand your butt up, then.
O'BRIEN: You stand your butt up.
BERNIE SANDERS: Oh, hold it.
MULLIN: Hey, guy...
SANDERS: Hold - stop it.
O'BRIEN: Is that your solution?
HSU: Last night, though, O'Brien took a totally different tone toward Republicans, making light of that fight and making clear his union's support can still be won.
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O'BRIEN: Today, the Teamsters are here to say, we are not beholden to anyone or any party.
HSU: In fact, he seemed quite open to a second term for Donald Trump.
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O'BRIEN: President Trump is a candidate who was not afraid of hearing from new, loud and often critical voices. And I think we all can agree, in light of what happened to him on Saturday, he has proven to be one tough SOB.
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HSU: Now, O'Brien did mention last night that he has requested a speaking slot at the Democratic Convention next month, though the Teamsters say he hasn't yet been invited. Whether it happens or not, it's clear O'Brien is using this moment to make his voice heard. Last night, he called out Republicans who actively oppose unions and went as far as to shame companies by name.
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O'BRIEN: Under our current system, massive companies like Amazon, Uber, Lyft and Walmart take zero responsibilities for the workers they employ.
HSU: But his appearance was a stark contrast to other labor leaders who have been hammering the message that a second Trump term would be disastrous for workers. Remember back in January, when the United Auto Workers endorsed President Biden, their president, Shawn Fain, called Trump a scab and recalled Trump's lack of support for GM workers on strike in 2019.
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SHAWN FAIN: He said nothing. He did nothing - not a d*** thing - because he doesn't care about the American worker.
HSU: Erik Loomis, a labor historian at the University of Rhode Island, puts it another way.
ERIK LOOMIS: We have a four-year record of the Trump administration on labor issues, and it's terrible for unions.
HSU: Trump's record includes stacking the National Labor Relations Board with corporate-friendly lawyers, a blow to workers trying to unionize, and Trump rolled back safety protections for workers across industries, from mining to meat processing.
LOOMIS: And yet, O'Brien seems to be ignoring this.
HSU: Loomis isn't sure why. Maybe he's thinking ahead to political influence he may have in a new Trump administration.
LOOMIS: Or maybe he's just trying to speak some truth to the Republicans and say, look, if you supported stronger labor law, you might get more union support.
HSU: Already, the Teamsters have a history of supporting Republicans at a higher rate than other unions. They endorsed Ronald Reagan twice. And while union voters tend to favor Democratic candidates, they aren't a monolith. Fifty-six percent of union households went for Biden four years ago. But four years before that, in 2016, Loomis points out, Donald Trump picked up a lot of union votes in states where it mattered.
LOOMIS: In a tight election like we're seeing, and we've been seeing over the last few election cycles, small shifts among particular demographics can have outsized proportions.
HSU: And clearly, lots of things are contributing to these small shifts with no doubt more to come before November. Andrea Hsu, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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