WEBVTT - Interview Only w/ Sean O’Brien - Why Union Members Flipped On Democrats & Supported Trump 0:00:05.480 --> 0:00:08.479 Well, joining me now is one of the most I 0:00:08.480 --> 0:00:11.880 think interesting people in American politics today. It's the head 0:00:11.880 --> 0:00:16.599 of the Teamsters Union and Sean O'Brien. Before we get 0:00:16.640 --> 0:00:21.479 started with sort of your life in the literally in 0:00:21.520 --> 0:00:24.760 the center lane of American politics these days, the Teamsters 0:00:24.800 --> 0:00:29.680 in general have a reputation, you know, my lifetime, of 0:00:29.760 --> 0:00:35.159 being the less partisan of the major unions that you know, 0:00:35.680 --> 0:00:38.360 while you know, when I was growing up, most of 0:00:38.400 --> 0:00:42.120 the labor movement was Democratic. But if there was a 0:00:42.200 --> 0:00:45.280 labor union that would be open to supporting Republicans, it 0:00:45.360 --> 0:00:49.320 was the Teamsters. Walk me through that. What is that relationship? 0:00:49.360 --> 0:00:52.600 Why is that What would you say explains that history? 0:00:52.840 --> 0:00:55.000 Well, I think what explains the histories. We are one 0:00:55.000 --> 0:00:56.920 of the lodgest We always have been one of the largest, 0:00:57.320 --> 0:01:01.640 I believe, most influential unions in the country. You know, 0:01:01.640 --> 0:01:06.080 we've been around since nineteen oh three. But we're very diverse. 0:01:06.200 --> 0:01:08.840 We're a very diverse union. We always have been and 0:01:08.880 --> 0:01:12.240 I think we always will be. And you know there's 0:01:12.240 --> 0:01:17.039 no secret that you know, we have endorsed Republican candidates prior, 0:01:17.720 --> 0:01:21.440 but historically we've always went with Democrats, and I think 0:01:22.480 --> 0:01:24.800 you know that I'm a lifelong Democrat, so I was 0:01:24.800 --> 0:01:27.200 brought up in a Democratic state, so you know, you 0:01:27.280 --> 0:01:32.399 always pulled that party line. But you know the history, 0:01:32.520 --> 0:01:34.959 if you look back in history, it wasn't always that 0:01:35.040 --> 0:01:37.200 way with the teams As union, you know, I think 0:01:37.280 --> 0:01:40.600 the philosophy has always been, let's try and work with 0:01:40.760 --> 0:01:43.200 the people that are going to work on behalf of 0:01:43.440 --> 0:01:47.520 the best interests of our members. And that's why we're 0:01:47.560 --> 0:01:50.720 a little bit different than most because we're a lot, 0:01:50.920 --> 0:01:55.440 we're transparent, we're inclusive, and we want to support people 0:01:55.440 --> 0:01:57.720 that are going to support our issues regardless of what 0:01:57.720 --> 0:02:00.680 their political affiliation has. And that's always been the case 0:02:01.280 --> 0:02:01.840 pretty much. 0:02:02.520 --> 0:02:05.920 Uh. The if I were to paint a picture of 0:02:05.960 --> 0:02:08.799 the average Teamsters member of a Teamsters union, it's a 0:02:08.919 --> 0:02:11.799 it's a truck driver. But that is I think being 0:02:11.919 --> 0:02:16.840 very myopic. Tell me, you're actually a very diverse set 0:02:16.840 --> 0:02:19.880 of workers, uh that are that are members of the 0:02:19.880 --> 0:02:22.919 Teamsters Union. Walk my listeners through that. 0:02:22.880 --> 0:02:23.120 All right? 0:02:23.240 --> 0:02:26.160 The easiest way to describe it, because it is a 0:02:26.240 --> 0:02:29.760 very complicated, uh description if you try to you know, 0:02:30.560 --> 0:02:35.519 sector bisector, so building trades or a company or electrician. Uh, 0:02:35.560 --> 0:02:38.320 you're a plumber, right. Everybody knows that's what you are. 0:02:38.760 --> 0:02:40.600 The teamster is the best way to say it, and 0:02:40.639 --> 0:02:43.839 I say it all the time. We represent everybody from 0:02:44.080 --> 0:02:47.520 airline pilots to zoom keepers and everybody in between. 0:02:48.280 --> 0:02:51.200 I remember, like you guys have been helping to organize 0:02:51.200 --> 0:02:52.400 Amazon worker we have. 0:02:52.720 --> 0:02:55.280 Yeah, we we've uh, we've actually taken that fight on. 0:02:55.440 --> 0:03:01.520 We joined forces with Amazon Labor Union, which success organized 0:03:01.560 --> 0:03:04.480 in New York. And you know, there's no secret that 0:03:05.120 --> 0:03:11.200 we have a longstanding relationship bargaining relationship with UPS, which 0:03:11.240 --> 0:03:15.040 is one of the was the largest UH package delivery companies, 0:03:15.080 --> 0:03:17.760 and so it was a natural fit for us to 0:03:18.200 --> 0:03:23.280 uh joined forces and women organizing uh the direct employees 0:03:23.320 --> 0:03:28.560 and also organizing the third party leasing arrangement, which is 0:03:28.760 --> 0:03:31.040 a scam and a shell game, which we all know about. 0:03:31.960 --> 0:03:34.840 So that's been our biggest focus. Amazon not just to 0:03:34.880 --> 0:03:37.800 the teams is Union, not just to you know, germane 0:03:37.800 --> 0:03:40.560 to us. But they're probably going to be the biggest 0:03:40.640 --> 0:03:45.880 threat to organize labor UH because they have their fingers 0:03:45.920 --> 0:03:50.920 in so many different industries and so many different uh 0:03:51.120 --> 0:03:53.040 you know, technologies that could affect us. 0:03:53.080 --> 0:03:56.320 So you know, let's talk about automated robotic. Look, Amazon 0:03:56.440 --> 0:03:59.480 is going hard at replacing the human being. They want 0:03:59.480 --> 0:04:03.160 to replace the human being as fast as possible. Amazon's 0:04:03.160 --> 0:04:06.800 not alone, They're just the largest entity with the resources 0:04:06.840 --> 0:04:10.040 to do it. You're try to protect human labor. 0:04:10.040 --> 0:04:12.840 Well, we have to protect human labor, because you know, 0:04:12.920 --> 0:04:15.800 without human labor, where are these folks gonna go. And 0:04:15.800 --> 0:04:17.640 that didn't get the opportunity to go to college, that 0:04:17.680 --> 0:04:22.640 didn't get the opportunity that that some people got, and look, 0:04:23.120 --> 0:04:27.960 you know, AI is probably the biggest threat to the 0:04:28.040 --> 0:04:32.280 human population. And I think, you know, and I've been 0:04:32.320 --> 0:04:35.240 focused on this meeting with people that I normally wouldn't 0:04:35.240 --> 0:04:38.200 even talk to because my concern is, like, what is 0:04:38.279 --> 0:04:42.080 what effect is AI? Because it's so it's so complicated. 0:04:43.040 --> 0:04:45.640 But I think what we're going to see with AI 0:04:45.760 --> 0:04:48.839 and this automation and all these corporations that are falling 0:04:48.839 --> 0:04:52.279 in love with it, you're going to see the the 0:04:52.400 --> 0:04:56.040 upper management of a lot of these corporations be affected 0:04:56.080 --> 0:04:59.200 by AI because they're not gonna need all these analysts, 0:04:59.200 --> 0:05:02.159 they're not gonna need all these white collar jobs. So 0:05:02.200 --> 0:05:05.000 you're going to see a further disparity once that middle 0:05:05.080 --> 0:05:08.279 layer management is you know, basically affected and they lose 0:05:08.320 --> 0:05:10.479 their jobs, You're going to see CEOs pay continue to 0:05:10.480 --> 0:05:15.600 grow because all the savings. My mission is to make 0:05:15.640 --> 0:05:19.520 sure that we capture capture that money for the folks 0:05:19.600 --> 0:05:22.919 that are still working these blue collar jobs and create 0:05:23.400 --> 0:05:26.640 hopefully opportunity for retraining in new jobs as a result 0:05:26.680 --> 0:05:29.799 of the implementation of technology. And Amazon, to your point, 0:05:30.640 --> 0:05:33.320 doesn't care about the humans. They care about they care 0:05:33.360 --> 0:05:35.920 about their brand, and they care about their profits, and 0:05:35.960 --> 0:05:36.360 that's it. 0:05:37.360 --> 0:05:41.000 You know, I'm pretty convinced that the issue of twenty 0:05:41.080 --> 0:05:44.159 twenty eight is going to be like, if you're a 0:05:44.200 --> 0:05:47.640 presidential candidate and you don't have a policy on AI 0:05:47.800 --> 0:05:51.440 job displacement, you shouldn't be running for president. No, it's 0:05:51.480 --> 0:05:53.240 probably going to be the table stakes, right, I. 0:05:53.200 --> 0:05:55.440 Mean, twenty twenty eight is going to be like, so, 0:05:55.800 --> 0:05:57.560 I just did some little bit of research on you 0:05:57.600 --> 0:06:00.000 because I'm a huge fan, but I'm a little bit 0:06:00.040 --> 0:06:02.680 more mature because I'm six days older than you. I 0:06:02.720 --> 0:06:05.240 was born Actril second, nineteen seventy two. 0:06:05.400 --> 0:06:07.440 No, kiddy, look at that, all right. 0:06:07.240 --> 0:06:09.840 But it's gonna be like twenty twenty eight has the 0:06:09.839 --> 0:06:14.080 potential to be like, do you remember WWF what was 0:06:14.120 --> 0:06:16.200 that big event they used to have every a summer. 0:06:15.920 --> 0:06:18.520 Slam, Summer Wrestlemanians, WrestleMania. 0:06:18.720 --> 0:06:20.599 Yeah, like WrestleMania, but ye you. 0:06:20.680 --> 0:06:23.080 Put the rumble at the end where there's a million 0:06:23.160 --> 0:06:23.839 people in the ring. 0:06:23.880 --> 0:06:26.520 But now, yeah, it's happening right now across the street 0:06:26.520 --> 0:06:29.720 from where I'm at. But no, I mean, look, this 0:06:29.800 --> 0:06:33.960 is a huge threat to the American workforce, and whether 0:06:33.960 --> 0:06:36.120 you're a Republican or Democrat, you have to have a 0:06:36.160 --> 0:06:41.480 solution in support network to support workers whose jobs are 0:06:41.480 --> 0:06:44.359 going to be at risk. Maybe even you know extinct 0:06:45.200 --> 0:06:47.880 and you're spawn on. I mean, everybody falls in love 0:06:47.920 --> 0:06:50.760 with convenience and technology. We're all guilty of it. You know, 0:06:50.800 --> 0:06:52.839 we own something online, we hit that button, we want 0:06:52.839 --> 0:06:55.920 it yesterday. But what cost does that come at? Right? 0:06:55.960 --> 0:06:57.960 Does it comes at a cost of someone's job? 0:06:58.440 --> 0:07:01.600 What is your leverage? So let's take UPS UPS a 0:07:01.680 --> 0:07:04.920 big you know the UPS drivers, and UPS says hey man, 0:07:04.920 --> 0:07:09.240 we love these robot trucks and we're going to have 0:07:09.360 --> 0:07:13.920 these robot drivers. What's your leverage to protect your human. 0:07:14.360 --> 0:07:17.480 My leverage is the collective Bogging agreement we negotiated where 0:07:17.520 --> 0:07:21.880 we negotiated language that any technological change needs to be 0:07:21.920 --> 0:07:24.840 agreed upon. If there's a disagreement, it's subject to arbitration. 0:07:25.200 --> 0:07:29.040 But we also know we also negotiate provisions that UPS 0:07:29.080 --> 0:07:32.360 has to maintain a certain level of full time jobs 0:07:32.400 --> 0:07:34.640 and create full time jobs as a result of it. 0:07:35.040 --> 0:07:37.680 So you know, we're already in stages and it's been 0:07:37.720 --> 0:07:40.280 going off a ten of twelve years where UPS in 0:07:40.320 --> 0:07:42.680 the warehouses, where we have fifty four percent of our 0:07:42.680 --> 0:07:45.440 membership out of three hundred and forty thousand apart time 0:07:45.560 --> 0:07:49.000 is to get full time benefits, health and welfare, pension. 0:07:49.320 --> 0:07:53.640 So we're very, very sensitive to any type of job elimination. 0:07:54.080 --> 0:07:57.440 But we we're convinced and we have committees where because 0:07:57.440 --> 0:08:01.720 of our collective bogging agreement, we can identify opportunities to 0:08:01.760 --> 0:08:04.680 create new jobs as a result of technology being implemented. 0:08:04.800 --> 0:08:08.320 So that's the difference right now between an unionized company 0:08:08.360 --> 0:08:13.240 like UPS versus non union FedEx and or Amazon. We 0:08:13.360 --> 0:08:16.640 have the ability because we negotiated those terms and conditions. 0:08:16.640 --> 0:08:19.640 But you know, if you're a non union Amazon employee 0:08:19.680 --> 0:08:22.640 inside the warehouse, you know chances are at some point 0:08:22.640 --> 0:08:26.120 in time, if Amazon has the opportunity to replace you 0:08:26.200 --> 0:08:28.160 with a robot. They are going to do their best 0:08:28.160 --> 0:08:30.720 to do that. And I got to tell you, I 0:08:30.720 --> 0:08:33.439 think we all know technology it's not full growth and 0:08:33.800 --> 0:08:36.200 the best I always tell people, like when we're fighting 0:08:36.200 --> 0:08:40.160 about these autonomous vehicles, which is disturbing to me, you know, 0:08:40.440 --> 0:08:44.440 and I'm a Democrat. It's disturbing to me when you 0:08:44.600 --> 0:08:50.640 have governors in California, in Illinois and Colorado who say, hey, 0:08:50.679 --> 0:08:53.320 I want to support working people. I want to support 0:08:53.360 --> 0:08:55.640 you know, the creation of jobs. And when you work 0:08:55.679 --> 0:08:59.920 bipartisan on a state level and you have agreed to 0:09:00.480 --> 0:09:04.560 legislation that's going to mandate human operators and commercial vehicles 0:09:04.960 --> 0:09:07.520 and it gets to the governor's desk and they veto it, 0:09:07.840 --> 0:09:09.880 what does that signal this just happened. 0:09:10.040 --> 0:09:12.160 So you brought this up? You look you it's like 0:09:12.200 --> 0:09:15.800 you read my research on you, and but I was 0:09:15.840 --> 0:09:21.680 about this was very recent legislation. And these are three 0:09:21.679 --> 0:09:26.960 Democratic governors who all are all want labor support. I 0:09:27.080 --> 0:09:29.960 probably all believe, you know, would say they're very supportive 0:09:29.960 --> 0:09:34.720 of collective party. But Jared Poulos, Dab Pritzker, Gavin Newsom, 0:09:34.760 --> 0:09:37.280 what's their explanation for why they vetoed these bills. 0:09:37.400 --> 0:09:40.240 That is a great question. So what do they tell 0:09:40.280 --> 0:09:42.840 you? You're probably going to find this how to believe Newsom 0:09:43.000 --> 0:09:46.160 is not a big fan of Sean O'Brien. Have been 0:09:46.200 --> 0:09:48.800 critical of him because he's in love with big tech. 0:09:48.840 --> 0:09:50.320 I mean, that's the bottom line, right. 0:09:50.840 --> 0:09:52.400 You see tech as adversarial. 0:09:53.200 --> 0:09:57.559 I see tech as adversarial because the script has been 0:09:57.679 --> 0:10:02.360 flipped right from where the report publicans were fifteen years ago. 0:10:03.040 --> 0:10:05.520 Now the Democrats seem to be holding their seats and 0:10:05.559 --> 0:10:08.520 falling in love. I call it like Stockholm syndrome. You know, 0:10:08.600 --> 0:10:11.400 some of these governors have fallen in love or some 0:10:11.440 --> 0:10:14.120 of the Democrats have fallen in love with their captor, right, 0:10:14.720 --> 0:10:18.679 and they don't know the result, the catastrophic result. I 0:10:18.760 --> 0:10:21.880 talked to the governor from Colorado, right, called him up 0:10:21.880 --> 0:10:24.719 before because we were getting word that. You know, he 0:10:24.880 --> 0:10:27.280 was on the fence whether he was going to veto 0:10:27.360 --> 0:10:30.760 it or sign it into legislation. No, I forget. I 0:10:30.800 --> 0:10:35.520 was in Times Square, I was at another event, and 0:10:35.559 --> 0:10:37.960 I called him. I said, look, this is going to 0:10:37.960 --> 0:10:41.480 be detrimental to working people. It's going to be detrimental 0:10:41.520 --> 0:10:45.960 to CBL license holders. It's not just a union issue. 0:10:46.080 --> 0:10:47.600 I go, there could be like two hundred and fifty 0:10:47.640 --> 0:10:51.880 thousand people affected by this. He's like, I love the team, 0:10:51.920 --> 0:10:55.400 says I go, okay, this is where I've always supported 0:10:55.440 --> 0:10:58.319 you and everything you've done. I don't know whether that's 0:10:58.320 --> 0:11:00.320 true or not. I'm saying to myself, he says, but 0:11:00.400 --> 0:11:03.559 I just can't be with you on this one. I said, really, 0:11:04.240 --> 0:11:05.800 this is the one that really matters. This is the 0:11:05.840 --> 0:11:07.439 only one that matter is. I said, where are you 0:11:07.480 --> 0:11:09.640 going to put those two hundred and fifty thousand well 0:11:09.640 --> 0:11:11.080 to why I'm going to set two hundred thousand, two 0:11:11.120 --> 0:11:13.560 unre fifty thousand people that lose their job? Where are 0:11:13.600 --> 0:11:17.840 they gonna go? I said? And furthermore, I drove a 0:11:17.840 --> 0:11:20.360 truck my whole life. I said, you know, the best 0:11:20.400 --> 0:11:26.040 technology and the best information is a human hot instinct 0:11:26.160 --> 0:11:29.319 in their brain. They can react quicker than any computer. 0:11:29.640 --> 0:11:31.360 What are you going to do when you're platooning a 0:11:31.440 --> 0:11:34.400 vehicle wearing two hundred forty thousand pounds and a malfunction 0:11:34.520 --> 0:11:36.560 kills a family of four? Are you gonna be okay 0:11:36.640 --> 0:11:38.320 with that? Because I certainly am not going to be 0:11:38.320 --> 0:11:40.200 okay with it? And he says, oh, you know what, 0:11:40.440 --> 0:11:43.680 don't worry about that stuff. It's ten to fifteen years 0:11:43.720 --> 0:11:45.920 down the road. I said, no, it's ten to fifteen 0:11:45.960 --> 0:11:49.720 minutes down the road. But that's the perplexing stuff for us. 0:11:49.760 --> 0:11:52.960 And that's where you know, I get criticized sometimes because 0:11:52.960 --> 0:11:55.760 they'll say, well, you're a labor leader and you're criticizing 0:11:55.760 --> 0:11:59.240 the Democrats. Well, I'm a label leader that criticizes the Republicans. 0:11:59.280 --> 0:12:02.120 I'm a labor leader criticizes the independence as well when 0:12:02.120 --> 0:12:05.640 you're not making reasonable decisions on how it's going to 0:12:05.640 --> 0:12:09.240 affect working people. More so, your constituents who if they 0:12:09.280 --> 0:12:12.000 don't have a job, where do they go? They want, 0:12:12.400 --> 0:12:13.880 they go, They go on the they go on the 0:12:13.880 --> 0:12:15.000 they go on the done. 0:12:15.880 --> 0:12:18.440 Look, I look at your job is to you have 0:12:18.480 --> 0:12:21.520 one job, right, You're there to protect your workers. You're 0:12:21.520 --> 0:12:25.640 there to do that. I get that. What is you 0:12:25.679 --> 0:12:32.080 also have to be responsive to technological change? What's your recipe? 0:12:32.120 --> 0:12:34.000 If you could go back to Polus, you could go 0:12:34.080 --> 0:12:36.839 back to pritzkerg and say, look, I get that. You 0:12:36.880 --> 0:12:39.240 want to you want to be able to innovate. You 0:12:39.280 --> 0:12:43.800 want to be able to to to allow automation to 0:12:43.880 --> 0:12:47.520 have a chance in some areas, where maybe automation will 0:12:47.520 --> 0:12:51.160 be better in certain in certain things. You know, you 0:12:51.559 --> 0:12:54.800 see things with microsurgeries, right that maybe having a robot 0:12:55.000 --> 0:12:58.200 do it is better than the human hand. I think 0:12:58.200 --> 0:13:01.280 we all accept that. Where's your line on this and 0:13:01.640 --> 0:13:03.360 where do you feel where do you feel like you 0:13:03.360 --> 0:13:04.599 have to show some flexibility? 0:13:04.640 --> 0:13:08.240 That's a great question. I don't think. I think people 0:13:08.240 --> 0:13:12.840 there's a perception out there when you speak against anything 0:13:12.880 --> 0:13:15.240 that has an effect on jobs, you have viewed as 0:13:15.240 --> 0:13:19.599 an impediment, right, and that impediment is what That impediment 0:13:19.760 --> 0:13:21.680 is the bottom line of a balance sheet and the 0:13:21.720 --> 0:13:25.160 profits of that company, int or technology. We do not 0:13:25.360 --> 0:13:28.040 want to be an impediment that is going to potentially 0:13:28.120 --> 0:13:33.920 maybe improve our members' jobs, improve productivity, improve work as safety. 0:13:34.559 --> 0:13:38.480 We are going to embrace technology because we have for 0:13:38.679 --> 0:13:41.640 since nineteen oh three. I mean, think about think about 0:13:41.679 --> 0:13:44.840 what's behind me two horse heads and carriages. Right. What 0:13:45.000 --> 0:13:47.199 technology that we had to deal with was a combustible 0:13:47.200 --> 0:13:49.720 engine that came and created vehicles that we got off 0:13:49.720 --> 0:13:51.920 of horses and got behind staring wilds and trucks. Right, 0:13:52.120 --> 0:13:54.520 So we're not trying to be an impediment. We know 0:13:54.559 --> 0:14:01.760 what's coming the problem is it's a difference between implementation 0:14:03.120 --> 0:14:08.040 versus conversation and input. So, in other words, there seems 0:14:08.040 --> 0:14:10.520 to be a disconnect where hey, we're just going to 0:14:10.520 --> 0:14:15.120 implement this technology without any consideration of having a conversation 0:14:15.200 --> 0:14:17.600 to say, hey, look this is what we're thinking of doing. 0:14:18.120 --> 0:14:20.600 This potential could be the effect. What do you think 0:14:20.640 --> 0:14:24.960 about this technology? It would say, great, However, where can 0:14:25.000 --> 0:14:27.480 we create jobs? How is this going to affect workers? 0:14:28.040 --> 0:14:31.120 Those conversations aren't happening. It's you know, we don't want 0:14:31.160 --> 0:14:34.120 to be an impediment, but we want to be part 0:14:34.120 --> 0:14:37.440 of the solution to a potential problem. As a result 0:14:37.480 --> 0:14:39.720 of it, we know it's coming. Just give us a 0:14:39.720 --> 0:14:42.360 seat at the table and hair our point of view. 0:14:42.920 --> 0:14:46.240 And like we're seeing the grocery warehouse industry, you know, 0:14:46.280 --> 0:14:47.920 there was a big push and there is a big 0:14:47.920 --> 0:14:51.280 push in these big grocery warehouses where we represent you know, 0:14:51.520 --> 0:14:54.960 thousands upon thousands of workers nationwide, the big grocery chains 0:14:55.320 --> 0:15:01.200 where they did implement robots to select orders that did jobs. However, 0:15:01.280 --> 0:15:03.760 we created jobs as a result of it. Who's going 0:15:03.800 --> 0:15:07.120 to program these robots, who's going to maintain these robots, 0:15:07.160 --> 0:15:09.760 who's going to do quality control. So we were able 0:15:10.160 --> 0:15:13.160 to create jobs because we had those conversations, and we 0:15:13.200 --> 0:15:16.160 maintain the workforce. We do not want to be impediment 0:15:16.200 --> 0:15:18.760 to anything that's going to potentially make life easier. But 0:15:18.840 --> 0:15:22.680 we can't embrace something where we don't have the knowledge 0:15:22.760 --> 0:15:25.040 and or a solution to the bigger problem, which where 0:15:25.040 --> 0:15:26.280 do you put these people to work. 0:15:27.440 --> 0:15:31.480 Let's go back to the nineties and NAFTA and what 0:15:31.600 --> 0:15:34.640 was in anticipation of what was going to be huge displacement, 0:15:35.560 --> 0:15:41.640 massive job shifting, outsourcing overseas. Some of it was just 0:15:41.800 --> 0:15:44.400 outsourcing from the north to the south, right to work 0:15:44.440 --> 0:15:47.040 states versus so called white to work states, et cetera. 0:15:49.200 --> 0:15:53.640 What were the mistakes that your predecessors in the labor 0:15:53.720 --> 0:15:58.360 leadership world made then that you don't want to repeat, Well, 0:15:58.360 --> 0:16:00.800 as we bring AI on board here. 0:16:01.160 --> 0:16:04.440 Yeah, so again we took people for their word. I 0:16:04.480 --> 0:16:07.280 think back then, you know, think about it when when 0:16:08.080 --> 0:16:11.960 NAFTA came into effect, you know, Clinton introduced that. We 0:16:11.960 --> 0:16:14.280 were very supportive of Clinton in the ninety two election. 0:16:14.760 --> 0:16:16.520 All this isn't going to hurt, it's going to help. 0:16:16.800 --> 0:16:19.000 You know, There'll be a residual value as a result. 0:16:19.040 --> 0:16:21.720 Of these trade agreements, I think we trust Agay, you 0:16:21.720 --> 0:16:22.600 guys were the least. 0:16:22.760 --> 0:16:25.400 If I remember, the Teamsters were the most supportive of 0:16:25.480 --> 0:16:27.160 NAFTA compared to the other unions, right. 0:16:27.080 --> 0:16:30.560 Because it was well initially, yeah, initially we were very 0:16:30.680 --> 0:16:34.000 very well. After that, we were anything that was introduced. 0:16:34.000 --> 0:16:36.720 I think it was p and tr after that, Yeah, 0:16:36.840 --> 0:16:39.320 trying to trade Dale and I think KAFTA was after that. 0:16:40.320 --> 0:16:44.120 After getting burnt on NAFTA, you know, the skepticism was 0:16:44.160 --> 0:16:46.880 at an all time high. So I think to your question, 0:16:47.400 --> 0:16:49.240 what mistakes were made that I don't want to make 0:16:49.480 --> 0:16:53.160 that my predecess made. They trusted the people that we 0:16:53.280 --> 0:16:56.280 supported at that point in time, where I'm not suggest 0:16:56.280 --> 0:16:59.600 you shouldn't trust people. But just because someone has a 0:16:59.680 --> 0:17:02.840 d the name doesn't mean that making good policy behalf 0:17:02.880 --> 0:17:05.240 of American workers. And I don't think it was well 0:17:05.359 --> 0:17:08.960 thought out, uh and or explained. Well, maybe it wasn't 0:17:09.240 --> 0:17:12.199 explained to to with all the facts associated with it. 0:17:12.320 --> 0:17:16.680 So that's why we're being different. We're different nowadays under 0:17:16.680 --> 0:17:20.400 our leadership because I'm having those conversations with both sides. 0:17:20.720 --> 0:17:23.600 If the Republicans introduce something that it's good for us 0:17:24.200 --> 0:17:26.479 I'm gonna go to the Democrats and say, all right, 0:17:26.520 --> 0:17:29.200 the Republicans are telling us that this this is good 0:17:29.200 --> 0:17:31.679 for our members. Is it good in your opinion? 0:17:31.760 --> 0:17:32.200 Is it good? 0:17:32.359 --> 0:17:34.000 And if it is, why is it? If it's not, 0:17:34.480 --> 0:17:36.679 why is it not? So I don't think any of 0:17:36.680 --> 0:17:40.719 those discussions happened, and I think people just back then, uh, 0:17:40.760 --> 0:17:43.119 you know, took people for their word. I mean, I 0:17:43.480 --> 0:17:45.640 just I'm not gonna do that, you know. I want 0:17:45.640 --> 0:17:48.119 to know exactly what the effects are going to be. 0:17:49.440 --> 0:17:52.640 And look, hopefully they're going to be honest and open 0:17:52.680 --> 0:17:55.080 with us. If look, if I'm gonna if I'm gonna 0:17:55.080 --> 0:17:57.560 take a hit, tell me I'm gonna take a hit. 0:17:57.600 --> 0:17:59.840 That way, I can be prepared to defend it, you know. 0:18:00.000 --> 0:18:02.119 But if you're going to be, you know, less than 0:18:02.160 --> 0:18:05.320 honorable in telling us the effects and or your intentions, 0:18:05.359 --> 0:18:07.680 then that's a problem for the people that tell us. 0:18:07.600 --> 0:18:14.760 That there's a reason results matter more than promises, just 0:18:14.880 --> 0:18:17.600 like there's a reason. Morgan and Morgan is America's largest 0:18:17.720 --> 0:18:20.480 injury law firm. 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So with more than 0:18:48.800 --> 0:18:51.080 one thousand lawyers across the country, they know how to 0:18:51.119 --> 0:18:54.040 deliver for everyday people. If you're injured, you need a lawyer. 0:18:54.440 --> 0:18:56.760 You need somebody to get your back. Check out for 0:18:56.880 --> 0:19:01.520 the People dot com, Slash podcast, Ordal Pound Law, Pound 0:19:01.760 --> 0:19:05.800 five two nine law on your cell phone. And remember 0:19:05.920 --> 0:19:07.800 all law firms are not the same. So check out 0:19:07.800 --> 0:19:10.400 Morgan and Morgan. Their fee is free unless they win. 0:19:15.920 --> 0:19:18.560 When we look at you, know you've pointed out how 0:19:18.560 --> 0:19:20.479 close an age we are. And in some ways, when 0:19:20.520 --> 0:19:23.600 you and I were growing up, Democrats were the party 0:19:23.600 --> 0:19:27.720 of labor. Republicans were to party of business. As you 0:19:27.800 --> 0:19:32.840 and I became adults, the Democrats started to become basically 0:19:32.880 --> 0:19:35.080 the Clinton wing of the party became the party of 0:19:35.320 --> 0:19:38.320 business also, So then all of a sudden and there 0:19:38.359 --> 0:19:42.320 was this moment where it looked like labor was shrinking 0:19:42.600 --> 0:19:46.960 and shrinking and shrinking. Then then I think that the 0:19:47.000 --> 0:19:50.400 Great Recession sort of awoken to people, right, and suddenly 0:19:50.880 --> 0:19:55.399 there was people realized, oh, job protections, Maybe I can't 0:19:55.400 --> 0:19:59.520 trust these entities. Where would you see? Was was the 0:19:59.600 --> 0:20:04.040 setup a mistake back when we were kids that labor 0:20:04.080 --> 0:20:06.520 shouldn't have been tied to one party and frankly business 0:20:06.520 --> 0:20:08.040 shouldn't have been tied to one party. 0:20:08.920 --> 0:20:10.720 Yeah, I mean I think if we all had a 0:20:10.800 --> 0:20:13.160 duel of us, so to speak, no, we know now, 0:20:13.720 --> 0:20:17.240 I think most of us would adopt the philosophy that 0:20:17.280 --> 0:20:20.560 we're trying to adopt now. From my union, I can 0:20:20.560 --> 0:20:22.520 only speak for my union. 0:20:22.440 --> 0:20:25.720 Being Teamster's transactional rather than D and R. 0:20:25.880 --> 0:20:29.240 Right, yeah, right, It's just what's who is going to bet? 0:20:29.280 --> 0:20:31.840 Who is going to you know, make decisions that are 0:20:31.880 --> 0:20:34.440 going to support working people. I mean, that's it's It's 0:20:34.520 --> 0:20:37.720 not hard, it's pretty simple, and I think oftentimes we 0:20:37.840 --> 0:20:41.359 complicate too many things. But I think if we had 0:20:41.359 --> 0:20:45.000 a do over, it wouldn't be just you know, embracing 0:20:45.040 --> 0:20:48.160 one party versus the other. And conversely, you know, one 0:20:48.200 --> 0:20:52.840 party shouldn't embrace big business versus working people either. I mean, 0:20:52.840 --> 0:20:55.359 I think both sides are guilty of that, right and 0:20:55.640 --> 0:20:57.520 who's paying the consequence as far right now, I mean, 0:20:57.520 --> 0:21:01.119 you think about these trade deals, these trade deals right now, 0:21:01.480 --> 0:21:04.640 if you go back and you look at footage of 0:21:04.960 --> 0:21:06.920 you know, and again I don't want to seem like 0:21:06.960 --> 0:21:09.760 I'm picking on the guy Chuck Schumer. In nineteen ninety six, 0:21:10.320 --> 0:21:14.080 he's given a speech on the Senate floor, I believe, 0:21:14.400 --> 0:21:17.639 or maybe the House floor saying how bad the Chinadale 0:21:17.800 --> 0:21:20.320 is and how we need to these tariffs and all 0:21:20.320 --> 0:21:23.560 this other stuff. And then two thousand and seven, two 0:21:23.600 --> 0:21:26.840 thousand and eight, Hillary Clinton's you know, explaining to her 0:21:26.920 --> 0:21:31.200 policy and immigration. Now fast forward, you know, the same 0:21:31.720 --> 0:21:35.320 positions that these folks were taking, you know, fifteen twenty 0:21:35.400 --> 0:21:40.320 years ago, is the same policy is basically implemented under 0:21:40.320 --> 0:21:44.280 this administration, although the immigration policy has been a little 0:21:44.320 --> 0:21:48.639 bit more aggressive than probably people thought, which you know, 0:21:48.680 --> 0:21:53.600 again that's another debate for another conversation, but it's like 0:21:53.720 --> 0:21:57.640 contradicting it best. So for me and you, we've been 0:21:57.720 --> 0:22:00.679 fortunate enough to look at what the the argument was 0:22:00.680 --> 0:22:03.720 from the Dems then to what it is now, what 0:22:03.800 --> 0:22:07.320 the arguments from the Republicans were then, and where we 0:22:07.359 --> 0:22:11.199