Teamsters President Sean O’Brien demanded an end to the government shutdown Thursday in a passionate speech on its impact on the U.S. aviation industry.
Flanked by Vice President J.D. Vance and Transportation Secretary Michael Duffy outside the West Wing of the White House, the union leader called on lawmakers, including Senate Democrats, to "end the shutdown" and pass a clean continuing resolution (CR) to reopen the government.
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O’Brien, who leads the 1.4 million-member International Brotherhood of Teamsters, has recently positioned himself as an independent force, challenging both parties.
The fourth-generation Teamster is also known for his combative style. He took over the union in 2022.
"We took a position three weeks ago," O'Brien said Thursday. "Pass a clean CR, get to the table, negotiate a deal. Do not put working people in the middle of a problem, they should not be in there," he added.
He continued: "And we have got to think about the families that are going to be affected. Think about when you have to tell your son or daughter they can't play sports because you're not getting paid. Think about when you can't pay your mortgage. Think about when you can't pay your tuition," he said.
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O'Brien's final point highlighted the need for a "clean CR," a temporary funding bill that keeps government operations running at existing levels and could buy Congress time to reach a longer-term budget agreement without new partisan riders.
"Put the politics aside, get to the table, negotiate a deal, pass a clean CR right now, and then figure out the problems moving forward," he said. "Let’s not compromise the safety or the livelihoods of working people. Pass a clean CR."
Although O’Brien did not endorse President Donald Trump in the 2024 race, he spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention, a first for a sitting Teamsters president.
He has also criticized Democrats for what he calls a growing disconnect with working Americans.
"For as long as I have been a Teamster, neither party has spearheaded an effort to reach bipartisan agreement on labor reform," O'Brien told a Senate committee on Oct. 8. "The Democrats have played political football with massive labor reform bills. Republicans have largely reintroduced business-friendly bills that make it harder to form a union."
O'Brien did not immediately respond to FOX Business' request for comment.
