DNC makes Teamsters president sweat
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Sean O'Brien speaks at the Republican National Convention on July 15 in Milwaukee, Wi. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Teamsters President Sean O'Brien has been ghosted by the Democratic National Convention after his request to speak this week in Chicago.
Why it matters: At least seven leaders of major labor unions were set to take the DNC stage tonight, but O'Brien has become persona non grata in some Democratic circles.
- "We didn't get a response to our request for him to speak," Kara Deniz, a Teamsters spokesperson, told Axios.
The Teamsters boss became the first-ever union president to speak at an RNC last month, delivering fiery remarks before a party that has a track record of opposing labor movements.
- Rank-and-file Teamsters retirees have been invited to attend the DNC, a sign that O'Brien's snub is personal, The Bulwark reports.
- A spokesperson for the Democratic National Convention did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
The big picture: The Teamsters historically endorse Democrats, but the union with about 1.3 million members has not yet offered an endorsement this cycle.
- Vice President Kamala Harris is planning to sit for a roundtable with members of the Teamsters.
- Harris and Gov. Tim Walz have worked to shore up support among labor unions and win over some of the voters in this key demographic who have drifted toward Trump.
Zoom in: O'Brien's speech at the Republican National Convention highlighted the extent to which the GOP is trying to also court labor workers this cycle, a group that has historically backed Democrats.
- These voters could have an outsized impact, particularly in the key swing states in the "blue wall" of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
What to watch: More than half a dozen labor union leaders are set to speak at the Democratic convention in Chicago on Monday.
- Shawn Fain, the president of the United Automobile Workers, is the only labor leader who will have a solo speaking slot in a sign of his political star power.
Go deeper: Teamsters president Sean O'Brien savages big business in RNC speech
Editor's note: This article has been updated to add a quote from a Teamsters spokesperson and to clarify the lede to reflect that O'Brien has been ghosted, rather than him saying he has been ghosted.
