Casey picks up union endorsements while we scratch our heads at O’Brien RNC speech

As workers who have been on strike for 21 months, we take a keen interest in elections. We know the struggles of working people often succeed — or fail — as a result of decisions made by elected officials, so we’re always trying to figure out where candidates stand on issues affecting organized labor.

Events the past few days have provided some clues.

Wednesday we got word that three more unions have thrown their support behind Democrat Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, who’s facing Republican Dave McCormick in the November election. And on Tuesday night, we watched Teamsters President Sean O’Brien address the Republican National Convention. 

O’Brien’s decision to give union credibility to a political party with a long history of promoting policies that stomp on unions and working people irked a lot of labor folks — not to mention officials in the Biden administration, who’ve been doing worker-friendly actions such as appointing labor allies to the National Labor Relations Board and shoring up the Teamsters pension plan, which prevented severe cuts to about 350,000 retirees.

In Milwaukee, the Trump-loving crowd grew ecstatic at O’Brien’s praise of the former president but grew quiet when O’Brien blasted corporations who abandon communities to inflate their bottom lines. He received only a smattering of applause after slamming “corporate vultures” who buy companies with the intent of driving them into bankruptcy. He derided toothless labor laws that benefit corporations and not employees. In too many labor disputes, workers get the short end while companies escape consequences for violating labor law. (Post-Gazette strikers have some personal experience in this field.) 

While O’Brien hammered corporations for manipulating labor law to their own benefit at the expense of workers (he called it “economic terrorism”) and demanded an end to corporate welfare, Donald Trump watched with no expression. His vice presidential pick, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, offered a slight smile and clapped his hands a few times.

We were left wondering how they square O’Brien’s message with the party’s staunch opposition to organized labor and any policies that curb corporate power. Do these two candidates actually intend to change the party’s policies to benefit working people at the expense of the GOP’s big money donors? Or is O’Brien being used as part of a cynical attempt to lure rank-and-file union members with fake populism? We have an opinion but, dang it, it’s against the rules of proper journalism to express it. We will say this: Depending on the outcome of the November election, the answer could profoundly affect the lives of millions of working people in this country. 

Enough of O’Brien’s speech, let’s get to the Casey news: The senator’s office called us Wednesday to say Casey has picked up the endorsement of the United Auto Workers, the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, and the Communications Workers of America.

(Full disclosure: The striking workers who produce this publication are represented by The Newspaper Guild-CWA, an affiliate of the Communications Workers of America.)

Here are portions of a few statements the Casey folks sent to us:

From EAS Carpenters Union Executive Secretary-Treasurer William C. Sproule: “Union Carpenters and their families have always been able to count on Sen. Casey to have their backs. Sen. Casey secured historic investments to rebuild Pennsylvania’s infrastructure while creating thousands of good-paying Pennsylvania jobs, a win-win for working families across the commonwealth.” 

From CWA District 2-13 International Vice President Michael P. Davis: “Whether it is introducing pro-union legislation, standing in solidarity with striking workers or fighting for fair pay and benefits, Bob Casey has spent his entire career standing up for Pennsylvania workers.”

From UAW Region 9 CAP/Retiree Representative Wence Valentin III: “[Casey’s] record of protecting the right to organize, supporting workers’ and retirees’ pensions, and creating good-paying union jobs across Pennsylvania speaks for itself. He has stood in solidarity with us, supported our unionization efforts, advocated for us on the federal level and even joined us on the picket line.”

The endorsements add to Casey’s growing list, which includes the United Mine Workers; the United Steelworkers; the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO; the Pennsylvania State Education Association; American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Council 13; the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776; and Pittsburgh Firefighters, IAFF Local No. 1.

In March, Casey was in Pittsburgh to pick up the endorsement of the Pittsburgh Regional Building Trades Council, which supports 33 local unions representing a broad swath of workers, from carpenters to plasterers to electrical workers to bricklayers.

During a short speech that day, Casey said the upcoming election was especially important because rights Americans once assumed were assured — women’s rights, voting rights and labor rights — were being threatened.

“They’re trying to undermine unions every day of the week,” Casey said of the GOP. “Trying to take away the right to organize. We have to stop them — not sit down and talk to them about it, not hold their hands about it — stop them from trying to destroy unions.”