Teamsters' boss O'Brien lauds Trump tariffs, says attention should be on 'massive' CEO compensation

On Tuesday, Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, told O'Brien he believes he is sincere when he speaks about public policy that grows a "thriving middle class in this country."

"That's not an act," Moreno suggested, to which O'Brien confirmed.

"There's no secret what our position is as a union on tariffs."

O'Brien took heat from the left for agreeing to speak at the 2024 Republican National Convention, and has been more open than some union leaders to engage with the Trump administration. 

In the hearing, he acknowledged public concern over the timing and specifics regarding the implementation of Trump's tariff regime and its effect on the U.S. consumer.

However, he lambasted the 1993 NAFTA agreement forged under the Clinton administration, blaming the now-former framework for shipping jobs overseas.

O'Brien added that while there is concern over job loss as well, there are other cost factors at play with the new tariff regime.

He said corporate America should shoulder some of any negative fallout from the tariffs.

"Take a little less in your own pocket, stop giving more to Wall Street, and just reward your workers and don't pass this cost on the consumers," he said.

"We've got to take a look at excessive compensation with a lot of these CEOs and these corporations and their willingness to reward Wall Street instead of the people that work in these jobs."

The Teamsters, which represent UPS workers as one of their largest workforces, also have been concerned over foreign nationals, who may not know English or U.S. traffic laws, being allowed to swoop in and take commercial driver's license (CDL) jobs, O'Brien said.

Moreno noted that as an immigrant himself - from Colombia - his parents required him to learn English, and asked O'Brien his thoughts on the flood of English-illiterate drivers on the same roads his members carry parcels every day.

"So our members are very passionate. By the way, our membership of 1.3 million is well representative from first-generation immigrants who came over here the right way, who learned the language, learned the laws, obtain this CDLs properly. And went to work and everything else."

He suggested another solution being that Mexican truck drivers could drop their trailers at the U.S. border, to be picked up by American drivers who finish the trip.