Both in terms of leadership and political actions, labor unions have a left-leaning reputation. Many blue-collar union workers are divided between Republicans and Democrats. However, unions are pro-Democratic as a group.
This story in the Washington Post is very interesting. The Teamsters, a well-known union in the United States, gave a large donation to the Republican National Committee. It was even more than what they had given the Democratic National Committee.
According to federal records, the Teamsters’ Political Committee has donated $45,000 to the Republican National Committee. This is a major departure for an organized labor group that has supported Democrats in recent years, including President Biden who has championed worker’s rights.
The union made the maximum contribution allowed by the union’s Political Action Committee to the RNC on the day that former President Donald Trump met the Teamsters leadership for the second meeting in January.
The Teamsters usually donate to Republican candidates but rarely to the RNC. In 2004, the Teamsters donated $15,000 to the Republican party. You can see that the majority of Teamster spending on politics goes to Democrats.
It is not the usual practice for the Teamsters to make donations to the RNC. They occasionally give small contributions to Republican candidates through their political action committee. According to Open Secrets, an organization that tracks campaign contributions in Washington, this is the first time the union has contributed to the RNC. It donated $15,000 to the RNC in 2004.
Except for this RNC contribution, nearly 95 percent of Teamsters’ contributions totaling $458,000 this election went to Democrats. This includes a $30,000 donation to the DNC as well as a $60,000 gift to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
It’s quite a big deal and could be indicative of the precarious position in which President Joe Biden is currently placed.
Biden’s administration was accused of creating a labor problem in 2022 just before the midterm election to show what a staunch ally it is to blue-collar employees. The country was at the edge of a rail strike that could have further crippled the American economic system and halted transportation throughout the country.
In the end, his team managed to reach a compromise with the rail companies and workers, but he was criticized for his apparent indifference. Others said he created the crisis to score political points.
The president’s team was further frustrated by the threat of strike for other delivery services.
Biden has made himself relatable by telling many anecdotes of his childhood. However, some of these stories have been called into question and others have been flatly disproven.
The president has a hard time connecting with voters at this moment, and economic concerns are top of mind for many voters, including those in the union. The administration’s (or perceived) lack of efforts likely played at least some part in the Teamster Political Committee’s donation to the RNC. The former president Donald Trump was able to connect with many union workers during 2016.
If the Teamsters give Republicans a closer look in 2024 it is only a sign that Democrats have deeper problems than thought.
