Teamsters President Calls on Democrats to End Shutdown

Teamsters President Sean O’Brien issued a blunt warning Thursday as the federal government shutdown continued into its second month, calling for an immediate resolution to prevent further damage to working families and the U.S. aviation industry.

Speaking outside the West Wing, O’Brien was joined by Vice President JD Vance and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in urging Congress — particularly Senate Democrats — to stop blocking a clean funding measure and reopen the government.

O’Brien leads the 1.4 million-member International Brotherhood of Teamsters and has increasingly positioned himself as a political independent, arguing that neither party has consistently defended the interests of the American worker.

“We took a position three weeks ago,” O’Brien said. “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 highlighted the human impact of the shutdown — missed paychecks, stalled transit operations, and mounting household stress.

“And we have got to think about the families that are going to be affected,” O’Brien continued. “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.”

The shutdown has strained the aviation sector, with air traffic control staffing spread thin and key maintenance operations disrupted — a scenario labor leaders warn could soon affect flight safety and national transportation reliability.

O’Brien argued that the solution is straightforward: reopen the government now, resolve disputes later.

“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.”

O’Brien — a fourth-generation Teamster known for his combative approach to internal union reform — has increasingly broken from traditional Democratic Party alliances. His decision to speak at the 2024 Republican National Convention marked the first time a Teamsters president has done so, signaling a dramatic shift in labor politics during President Donald J. Trump’s second term.

“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 lawmakers recently.

“The Democrats have played political football with massive labor reform bills,” he added. “Republicans have largely reintroduced business-friendly bills that make it harder to form a union.”

Yet O’Brien has cultivated a productive working relationship with Vice President Vance, who has made the American worker central to the Trump administration’s policy focus.

The appearance at the White House reflected a rare moment of unity between the labor movement and federal leadership — a collaboration built around economic stability and national infrastructure integrity.

“This is not about politics — it’s about people,” O’Brien said. “Get it done.”