Teamsters President at the Conventions | Vinnie Vernuccio

Full Episode Transcript:

Vinny Vernnuccio: About 40 percent of union households, election after election, usually the third to 40 percent typically vote Republican. And as you know, almost all union giving usually goes to Democrats and left leaning causes. Just the vitriol that’s coming out after O’Brien for daring to speak to Republicans really shows that no, workers are the face, keep focus on workers, leadership, they are really not the Republican’s friends.

He doubled down on the old failed policy. Of compulsory unionism of the big labor wishlist in Congress that has failed workers time and time again. And, you know, you said it, I think he absolutely whiffed the opportunity that, uh, Trump and the RNC gave him.

Matt Kane: Two weeks ago, Teamster’s President Sean O’Brien, addressed the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. It was the first time that a leader of the union ever addressed the GOP convention. However, the Teamsters have also requested a speaking slot at the DNC later this month, meaning a lot is still up in the air regarding their support.

Vinny Vernuccio, the president and co founder of the Institute for the American Worker, has some great insight on what to make of all of this, and he joins me right now. Vinny, thanks so much for joining me. Welcome. Hey! Thanks again for having me on! So despite so much being made about Republicans appealing to unions, you claim that Teamsters president Sean O’Brien actually needs Republicans more than Republicans need him.

What Now, we know that unions are an important voting block for Republicans in many swing states, which makes what you said a pretty bold take. Uh, however, there’s certainly merit to it. So why don’t you tell us how unions actually need Republicans, or the Teamsters Union in particular needs Republicans, more than Republicans need the union from your point of view?

Vinny Vernnuccio: Well, to answer your question, I think Sean O’Brien spoke at the RNC for two reasons. First, about 40 percent of union households Election after election, usually the third to 40 percent typically vote Republican. And as you know, almost all union giving usually goes to Democrats and left leaning causes.

In fact, the Center for Union Facts did a study and found that the Teamsters use the political giving of their dues. 99 percent of it went to left leaning causes. So that was the first reason. And the other reason I think he was just hedging his bets. Uh, you know, at the time, you know, uh, president Biden’s poll numbers were cratering.

Uh, president Trump is, uh, doing very well in the polls. And I think that, um, he did not want to be lumped in with the other unions that, um, are once again, going all in for Democrats. Now, the problem was. That it was all political theater and he essentially gave a speech that would have gotten resounding applause at the DNC as opposed to the RNC.

Matt Kane: Now that’s what I wanted to ask you about. So as for the specifics regarding his remarks, you feel that his message whiffed. Um, tell us what it was about his remarks that left you with the impression that You know, one would be forgiven for mistaking his speech as being directed at a Democrat audience as opposed to a Republican one.

Vinny Vernnuccio: Absolutely. So, uh, you know, have to give President Trump and the RNC credit. They gave Sean O’Brien, they gave him a golden opportunity. And I was. Hopeful. I wasn’t, I was hoping, excuse me, but I wasn’t hopeful that he would embrace that opportunity. Talk about worker freedom, talk about championing the individual worker, giving them a choice.

And instead he doubled down on the old failed policies of compulsory unionism, of the big labor wishlist in Congress that has failed workers time and time again. And you know, you said it. I think he absolutely whiffed the opportunity that, uh, Trump and the RNC gave him.

Matt Kane: And now maybe that can be explained by the fact that the Teamsters have also requested a speaking slot at the DNC later this month now, which does raise the question, how much of this is a political play by O’Brien?

Because typically, as we just discussed, unions, uh, lean predominantly left. So is this an organic consideration for them to be shifting to the right? Or is it possible that he is just anticipating a Trump victory strongly? And as you said, hedging his bets?

Vinny Vernnuccio: Well, I think he’s hedging his bets, but I will beg to differ with one point you just made, um, union leadership.

Excuse extremely heavily to the left. Once again, union households, union members, about a third of 40 percent typically vote Republican and Trump, President Trump overwhelmingly performed with union households in the last two elections. So, you know, there is a big difference there. And, you know, I, I think that.

O’Brien could have addressed that. He could have spoken to those Republican teamsters that have Republican values, that believe in limited government, that believe that power should not be rested in Washington, DC, and believe in lower taxes and frankly, worker freedom. And instead, no, you absolutely said it.

He gave a speech that, uh, it was largely talking to a Democrat audience.

Matt Kane: So setting aside the optics of what was said, let’s talk about legitimate voter impacts, sort of alluding to what you just discussed. So in many instances, the higher ups in corporations or unions, they hold beliefs that the vast majority of their employees, uh, that the union or an agency or an organization represents would disagree with.

We see this all the time. With our federal agencies, whether it be the FBI or now even the Secret Service in light of the attempt on President Trump’s life. Uh, Trump just stated that while the figureheads have, uh, they leave a lot to be desired, I should say, he imagines he probably receives 95 percent support from the overall body of institutions such as the FBI, and you just mentioned he does pretty well with union workers.

So my question is, what impact do you think, Whoever the Teamsters end up endorsing, if they endorse either candidate from either party, will have on voter behavior. Is it more symbolic or does the whoever the Teamsters president endorses, um, does that impact voter sentiment at all?

Vinny Vernnuccio: Well, it’s not just the endorsement.

It’s also the money they spend. And once again, overwhelming giving of both their PAC, you know, their dues money that that, uh, center for union fact study highlighted to other unions. You look at, uh, their political giving it. Overwhelmingly goes towards the left and towards Democrats. So that’s not so much the symbolic endorsement and, you know, that we’ll have a little bit of impact.

It’s more the action, the political giving. But once again, I mean, uh, you look at the last couple of elections, you look where the union endorsements were. You look how the union households voted. Um, Republicans are still overwhelmingly or, or getting more and more support among the rank and file among those union households, despite what union leadership is, uh, is doing.

Um,

Matt Kane: So because of that, would you say, obviously money is important, but is the importance of diminished a little bit based on what you’re saying, because that’s what it sounds like. If Republicans are still improving with unions, despite the money continuing to go to the Democrat side, does that sort of make money a moot point or less important than the years prior?

Vinny Vernnuccio: Money’s always important. Okay. I mean, these are elections. Elections cost money, get out the vote, which you need to do very well is very important, but, um, you are seeing a dent, um, in. The individual worker, the rank and file worker. And, you know, that’s why I was starting, you know, a lot of President Trump’s speech and JD Vance’s speech and others from the day is out there in Milwaukee.

We’re speaking directly to union workers and frankly, towards all workers. Remember, in the private sector. Union membership is only about 6%. So there is a 90, over 94 percent of workers are not in the union. And I think that’s really where Republicans were speaking to those rank and file members, both union and also the non union workers.

And that’s where they can thrive. And they don’t have to kowtow to union leadership and support a lot of the policies that union leadership wants. Because that doesn’t translate down to the rank and file.

Matt Kane: So what do you expect from the Teamsters at the DNC? Do you believe it will be a carbon copy of what was said at the Republican National Convention?

Because you did say it almost sounded like that would have been geared towards a Democrat convention. Do you think it will be relatively the same? Or what is your expectation for them later this month?

Vinny Vernnuccio: Well, you know, if you’re an I love Lucy fan, uh, O’Brien has some explaining to do, uh, to the leadership within his own union and also to other unions.

What really surprised me is you had that RNC speech that was nothing but really union talking points and the typical union backed policies. And yet for O’Brien daring to just speak to Republicans, even with that left leaning message, he has been getting flack from not just other union leaders, but now he’s even being challenged within his own party for daring to commit the sin of speaking to Republicans.

So I, you know, I think he’s going to have to address that if he does get the speaking [00:09:00] slot, you know, he is having to address that now, but it really proves the point that, you know, Even this left leaning message just delivered to Republicans, Republicans, especially labor curious Republican groups or so called conservative groups that says, Oh, we can win over union leadership.

Just the vitriol that’s coming out after O’Brien for daring to speak to Republicans really shows that no workers are the face. Keep focus on workers, leadership, they are really not the Republicans friends.

Matt Kane: So let’s leave with a prediction from you then, because based on that, do you think that heat that he’s feeling internally will impact whether they end up ultimately endorsing the Teamsters, that is, Trump, Kamala, or whoever they do officially end up nominating?

What, what are you expecting them to do when this is all said and done? Will they be endorsing Trump, Kamala or somebody else?

Vinny Vernnuccio: Uh, you know, the team serves to their credit. They have always held their cards close to their vests. They have always tried to play both sides. And if you go to Carl Rove’s book, you can see they were, uh, playing footsie with the Bush administration and, you know, to, uh, the Bush administrative Bush W administration credit.

The teamsters did endorse Reagan and his father, H W Bush. But I think at the end of the day, teamsters are gonna be neutral. They’re gonna try to play both sides. And remember, they have a lot riding on this. Their pensions are absolutely underwater. They just got a huge bailout from the federal government.

They’re gonna probably need another bailout from the federal government and need a lot of favors. And they really need it. Cannot afford to anger either side at this point.

Matt Kane: Yeah, it truly isn’t an exaggeration to say the past month has been one of the more unprecedented ones politically in American history.

So, so much more can still happen, not only between now and November, but even between now and the DNC later this month. So, it’ll certainly be interesting to see how it all unfolds. Vinny, thank you so much for joining me today. Appreciate your time. Thank you.

Vinny Vernnuccio: Hey, thanks for having me on.

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