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WASHINGTON — The Teamsters’ political action committee broke decades of precedent last month when the union leadership voted to approve a $45,000 donation to the Republican National Committee’s convention fund.
In recent years, Teamsters donations have been given primarily to Democrats. This year’s donation to the RNC convention fund marked the labor union’s pivot to large donations to both parties, though the vast majority of donations still flow to liberals.
The January vote to approve the donation is igniting frustration among some members, who in interviews with NBC News were blunt in expressing their disapproval of the move: “Disgusting.” “Disheartening.” “Playing footsie.”
NBC News spoke with 10 Teamsters members about the contribution, which highlighted a rift in membership about politics and about former President Donald Trump in particular. Though some celebrated the move, others are considering pausing their contributions to DRIVE, the Teamsters PAC. Critics of the donation say they refuse to contribute funds if they will eventually go to support Republicans who hold views that they believe are antithetical to their union goals.
The last time the 1.3 million-person labor union participated in both parties’ conventions was in 2000, when George W. Bush accepted his party’s nomination at the convention in Philadelphia, according to a Teamsters spokesperson. DRIVE is nonpartisan, according to the union’s website, and stands for Democrat, Republican, Independent Voter Education.
Both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are vying for the powerful union’s endorsement. Teamsters backed Biden in 2020, but has yet to endorse a presidential candidate for the 2024 cycle.
“If I were a rank-and-file member, and they continued playing footsie with a party that’s trying to kill us, I would have considered it,” said John Palmer, Teamsters vice president at-large, who said he was one of the few leadership members to vote against the RNC convention donation.
Palmer, an outspoken critic of Trump, ultimately decided to continue donating to DRIVE because his leadership position deals with PAC-related matters. But other members are taking the jump.
Two Teamsters members of Local 728 in Atlanta told NBC News that they plan to discontinue donations to DRIVE because of the RNC convention donation.
“I’m well aware that we do have Republicans in our union. But anyone can see his record,” said Evette Avery, referring to Trump. “Stands for itself when it comes to unions and workers, and it’s never been favorable.”
Her colleague David Courtenay-Quirk, who worked with union organizers to encourage members to contribute to the PAC when he first joined Teamsters, said that “playing with somebody like Trump is beyond the pale, in my opinion.”
Christophe Silvera, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 808 in New York City, went further, questioning, “Why would the union give money to an organization that is wholly anti-union?”
“There is something unholy about a union that would give $45,000 to — I don’t call them the Republicans anymore,” Silvera said. “It’s the Confederate party.”
In a statement to NBC News, Teamsters spokesperson Kara Deniz said that all the union’s members’ “voices will be heard, regardless of party.”
“Rank-and-file members will be on the ground and active in both conventions this year to make sure elected officials know the Teamsters’ issues and are hearing the challenges that working people face in this country,” Deniz added.
Trump has often been at odds with unions, and two major unions — United Auto Workers and the AFL-CIO, have already endorsed Biden. The AFL-CIO has attacked the former president on labor issues, calling his record “catastrophic for workers.” Similarly, UAW President Shawn Fain railed against the former president in a speech endorsing Biden, calling Trump a “scab” and adding that “Donald Trump is a billionaire, and that’s who he represents.”
Biden has continuously expressed support for unions, saying during speeches that he is “proud to be the most pro-union president.” Last year, he made history in Michigan by becoming the first sitting president to appear on a picket line.
Despite strong opposition by some union members to Trump, Teamsters President Sean M. O’Brien met privately with the former president at the beginning of January, followed by another roundtable with O’Brien and other members in Washington later that month.
Deniz said that the internal review and approval process for Teamsters’ RNC donation began in December, and the formal board vote took place on Jan. 10. She added that the process was “well underway” before any meeting with Trump.
The Teamsters PAC donated an identical sum to the Democratic National Committee’s convention fund.
Matthew Taibi, vice president of the Eastern Region, said he voted in favor of the RNC convention donation when the issue was brought before leadership.
“Makes a lot of sense as far as being able to participate in the process, any endorsement process and to have our voices, our members’ voices heard at all levels with all party affiliations,” said Taibi, who also serves as principal officer of Local 251 in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
Jamarsae Brown, a member of Teamsters Local 162 in Portland, Oregon, is a Democrat but argued the RNC convention donation was a “good move.”
“We have voters on both sides,” he said.
An RNC official told NBC News that they have not received the contribution to the convention fund yet.
Deniz said the union goes through an internal auditing and reporting process before sending contributions, adding that it takes time.
Teamsters backed Biden during the 2020 election cycle, but the union has yet to make an endorsement for 2024. Trump met with Teamsters leaders at the union’s headquarters last month. The timing for a meeting with Biden has not yet been announced.
Richard Hooker, the secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 623 in Philadelphia, argued that Trump speaking in the Teamsters headquarters lobby “sends the wrong message.”
He argued that many union workers “know that the Republican Party, a vast majority of them, and of course Donald Trump, does not care about the working man, the working woman or the working family.”
Brown said he viewed the meeting as “productive,” though.
“You’ve got to engage, and you’ve got to ask the questions,” he said.
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