When they called me a traitor, I knew I was on the right track. That probably sounds crazy but let me explain.

Last summer, President Donald Trump opened the doors to the Republican National Convention and invited me to speak. I immediately agreed, but in doing so, it created a firestorm of political unrest on the Left and Right.

On the Right, they demanded President Trump take back the invitation. On the Left, they called me a “traitor.” However, I had my reasons.

You see, I spend a ton of time traveling all across this country meeting with Teamster members every week. You know what I see? An American worker being taken for granted. Workers are being sold out to big banks, big tech, corporate conglomerates, and the wealthy elite. And I’m not the only one who sees this.

We all know how Washington is run. Working people have no chance of winning this fight on their own. We need ALLIES. And that is why I agreed to be the first Teamster in our 121-year history to address the Republican Convention.

The Teamsters of today are not beholden to anyone or any party. We can’t afford to be; being so limited would be foolish. Instead, we’re willing to work with a bipartisan coalition to accomplish something real for the American worker.

That bipartisan nature is also reflected in our history. We’ve endorsed Republican presidential candidates in the past, including Nixon, Reagan, and George H.W. Bush.

And bipartisanship is reflected in the make-up of the Teamsters as a whole. The fact is, over half of our members are registered Republicans or Independents who regularly vote Republican. At the end of the day, the Teamsters are not interested in whether you have an R, D, or an I next to your name as your Party affiliation. We only want to know one thing: what are you doing to help American workers. Which is why it is encouraging to see more elected Republicans working with us on pro-worker issues.

Not long ago, the Teamsters reached out to eight Republican senators who stood up for railroad Teamsters over our fight for paid sick leave. Josh Hawley was one of them.

After that, Josh and I started talking. Senator Hawley changed his position on national right to work.

Then we started walking. Senator Hawley walked a Teamsters picket line in St. Louis and a UAW picket line in Wentzville, Missouri. Senator Hawley has shown he is not willing to accept the pillaging of working people’s pocketbooks by mega-corporations, globalist CEOs, their lawyers and apologists. He’s standing up and standing strong with workers and their unions. Josh Hawley is proof that Republican elected officials and working people can link arms and join in common cause.

So are Vice President J.D. Vance, Senator Roger Marshall, and Representatives Nicole Malliotakis, Mike Lawler, Brian Fitzpatrick and more.

This is the tip of the iceberg. This group is expanding and putting fear into those who have monopolized the GOP from the top down. We are at an inflection point where the Republican Party is changing. Where it was once a bastion of Country Club elites and business tycoons, under leaders like President Trump, Vice President Vance, and Senator Hawley, it is becoming more a party of workers than it ever has been.

This presents a great opportunity for Teamsters. That is why I am writing to ask for your help today. I urgently need your support for the TEAM Fund today. I hope you will consider contributing at least $20.25 to help us identify and support more pro-worker Republican candidates in 2025.

You probably know that the TEAM Fund is the Teamsters’ 527 political account. It supports the Teamsters’ political program, ensuring elected officials in Washington and at the state and local levels advocate for the best interests of our nation’s working families, especially the Teamsters.

But you may not know that, among labor unions, we are the Number One supporter of Republican candidates. But we need to increase this support at this crucial juncture.

That is why I hope you can make a special gift of $35, $50, $100, or even $250 to TEAM Fund today.

As control of Congress continues to shift between Republicans and Democrats in nearly every recent election, bipartisan friendships are more crucial than ever. As I mentioned earlier, this also reflects the bipartisan composition of Teamster membership.

Although the Teamsters and Republicans may not agree on all a growing group has shown the courage to sit down and consider our point of view.

The fact is many Republican elected officials are starting to recognize the old knee-jerk reactions to unions – the outdated bullshit that unions destroy American companies – is wrong.

We need our Republican and conservative Teamsters to step up and help ensure we have the resources in the TEAM Fund to support these emerging pro-worker Republicans so we can secure a seat at the table, regardless of who is in charge.

Specifically, with your financial support, our TEAM Fund will:

• Support President Trump’s pro-worker initiatives like strategic tariffs to put American workers first, make it easier for companies to remain in the U.S., and appoint the most pro-labor Republican Secretary of Labor in history.
• Back incumbent pro-worker Republicans in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House.
• Identify pro-labor state legislators in key states and support their campaigns.

This is a watershed moment. Republican Party leaders from President Trump to Senator Hawley to House Members like Nicole Malliotakis are open to listening to workers’ concerns and meeting with Labor to put American workers first.

We can seize this moment and build bipartisan support for our labor agenda. Having a strong, well-financed TEAM Fund is a key component of this effort.

That’s why I hope you will join me today. Send a personal contribution of $20.25 as a symbol of your support for this important initiative. If you can do even more, consider making a generous gift of $50, $75, $100, or $250 today.

And, as an added incentive, if you do send a gift of $50 or more, TEAM Fund will send you a special t-shirt as a “Thank You” for your generous support!

Whatever you decide, please send your check or use your credit card to give right away. President Trump wants to Make America Great Again. If we’re going to do it, it is going to take the American worker to get it done – especially our 1.3 million Teamsters who move America.

It’s never been a question. Teamsters love this country. I love this country, and I know you do, too. So let’s do this. Join me and join the TEAM Fund today.

Many thanks for considering my request.

Fraternally,

Sean O’Brien
President
International Brotherhood of Teamsters

P.S. When I told Senator Hawley that I was writing to you about the TEAM Fund, he asked if he could include a special note to you as well.

Please take a moment to read Josh’s note and hear what he has to say about how the Republican Party is changing and putting the American worker first.

Then join us in support of the TEAM Fund by sending your gift of $20.25, $35, $50, $75, $100, or $250

Thank you!