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International Brotherhood of Teamsters

U.S. labor union; historically center-left, currently mixed-to-right-leaning under current leadership

Owned byMember-owned democratic union governed by elected officers; General President Sean O'Brien (re-elected June 2026) leads the international body, with more than 330 affiliated local unions across the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico
FundingFunded primarily by member dues from approximately 1.25 million members; the IBT international office collected roughly $193 million from local affiliates in 2022; locals retain more than 78 percent of dues for their own operations; total IBT assets exceed $1 billion, including a Strike and Defense Fund of approximately $365 million as of mid-2026
On the administrationmixed

Background

The Teamsters was founded in 1903 when the Team Drivers International Union and the Teamsters National Union merged, initially representing horse-drawn freight haulers before expanding into trucking and other industries. The union grew into one of the largest in the United States under mid-20th-century presidents including Dave Beck and Jimmy Hoffa, but corruption scandals—including Hoffa's 1967 federal conviction—led the AFL-CIO to expel the union in 1957. The Teamsters were readmitted to the AFL-CIO in 1987 but departed again in 2005. Federal oversight imposed in 1989 under a civil racketeering settlement shaped internal governance for 37 years; in June 2026, the Justice Department and the union jointly moved to end that oversight. Historically a reliable Democratic institution, the union broke with that tradition when O'Brien spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention—the first Teamsters leader to appear there—and the union ultimately withheld a presidential endorsement after an internal survey showed 59.6 percent of polled members preferred Donald Trump over Kamala Harris. Since Trump's second term began in January 2025, O'Brien has publicly praised administration trade and tariff policy, while critics inside and outside the union have argued that the cordial relationship with the White House has not translated into concrete gains for members. O'Brien won re-election to a second five-year term in June 2026, facing opposition from a reform slate that accused him of insufficient militancy toward the administration.

Sources

  1. O'Brien, Zuckerman Reelected to Second Five-Year Term Leading Teamsters
  2. Teamsters and DOJ move to end federal oversight of the union after 37 years – Axios
  3. Teamsters union says it will not endorse Harris or Trump in 2024 presidential election – CNBC
  4. Teamsters' Historic Appearance at RNC Puts Decades of Democratic Support in Jeopardy – U.S. News
  5. Sean O'Brien Doing MAGA's Dirty Work in the Labor Movement – CounterPunch
  6. International Brotherhood of Teamsters – Britannica
  7. International Brotherhood of Teamsters – InfluenceWatch
  8. International Brotherhood of Teamsters – Wikipedia

Profile compiled 2026-09-07; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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