OP ED: Republican: The Party of Labor

President Trump invited the leader of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters to speak at the 2024 Republican National Convention. As a party, Republicans should fully support President Trump’s endorsement of organized labor unions.

Three years ago, I created the West Virginia Republican Labor Caucus and was rebuked by some fellow members of my party.

Now, we are all witnessing a realignment of American politics after events at the 2024 RNC, with an emphasis on organized labor unions.

The Republican Party, an organization historically supportive of the corporate elite, is now seeing those same corporations work against them on the national level through campaign fundraising and at the ballot box. 

Because of this, the Republican Party is now raising up leaders from the labor movement in a seismic shift toward populist ideals that support working families.

During the Republican National Convention, keynote speaker Sean O’Brien, President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, became the first Teamsters leader in history to address the RNC.

During O’Brien’s remarks, he slammed corporations and big business for their treatment of working families and praised Republicans with the courage to speak out against anti-labor policies. 

He even called out radicals on both sides of the aisle, encouraging true Republicans to support Americans who are simply trying to make a living.

O’Brien’s comments should empower our Republican leaders on the state level who have taken up the mantle of organized labor, helping the movement to grow in local conservative circles that may have been traditionally opposed to such ideas.

In 2021, the West Virginia Republican Party Chairman of that time renounced the West Virginia Republican Labor Caucus, claiming the ideas of supporting working-class men and women went against the party line. 

In reality, the values and ideals of working-class families often align with the core fundamentals of the Republican Party.

Since that time, not only have our numbers grown, but the West Virginia Republican Labor Caucus has been successful in passing worker-friendly legislation such as the STAND Act, which provides an avenue for apprentices in the construction trades to receive an associate’s degree from local community and technical colleges.

With all of this in mind, I truly hope the response from our current state party would be different today, after President Trump presented Sean O’Brien as a keynote speaker at this year’s Republican Convention.

If Republican leaders hope to connect with working-class voters in the years to come, we would be wise to continue this new path of supporting working-class families and organized labor unions.

West Virginia Delegate Evan Worrell (R-23)

Chairman, West Virginia Republican Labor Caucus