A significant internal challenge is underway within one of the nation’s most powerful labor unions, driven by a dispute over its political direction. A prominent union official has launched a campaign for the presidency of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, directly criticizing the current leadership’s alignment with former President Donald Trump.
The challenger, Richard Hooker Jr., who leads a Teamsters local in Philadelphia, argues that President Sean O’Brien has endangered the union’s membership by forging a relationship with Trump. Hooker contends that this alliance contradicts the interests of the 1.3 million workers the union represents.
“Aligning with a figure who has a documented history of opposing worker protections, from pension security to workplace safety, is a fundamental betrayal of the labor movement’s purpose,” Hooker stated. He suggested the current leadership’s earlier criticism of Trump was a political calculation that has since been abandoned.
The controversy intensified after O’Brien delivered a speech at the Republican National Convention last summer, praising Trump. Subsequently, the union broke with its recent tradition by declining to endorse any candidate in the presidential election, having backed Democratic nominees in every cycle since 2000.
Hooker’s campaign, which is gathering signatures to qualify for the union’s national convention ballot next June, cites several grievances. These include the contentious 2023 contract with UPS—a major Teamsters employer—which was followed by significant job cuts at the company, as well as broader frustrations with the administration’s political strategy.
The challenger also pledges to pursue the Teamsters’ re-affiliation with the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the United States. If successful, Hooker would become the first Black man to lead the international union.
The leadership election is scheduled for November 2026. The race is unfolding as the union’s political spending has notably shifted under O’Brien, with increased contributions flowing to Republican congressional candidates and groups.
“The core question for every member is: what has this political partnership actually delivered for workers?” Hooker asked. “Reaching across the aisle is one thing, but partnering with someone whose record is fundamentally antagonistic to labor is an entirely different matter. It puts the entire working class in jeopardy.”