Respectfully, this is bullshit.
O'Brien growing a spine would have involved calling out Republicans and their policies at the RNC.
The Republican Party, as it exists under the leadership of Donald J. Trump, is a party of and based around an ideology of bigotry, marginalization, oppression, and hatred.
O'Brien's speech and this announcement serve as a tacit endorsement of that ideology. The leadership or the International Brotherhood of Teamsters is telling the world and the rank-and-file that the repressive, Neo-fascist ideology of Trumpism is at the very least acceptable to them.
There is zero chance that the right to organize survives a second Trump administration.
All O'Brien did here was throwing out female, PoC, immigrant, refugee, migrant, and LGBTQ+ brothers, sisters, and family under the bus.
It was the opposite of Solidarity.
Actually it is completely relevant. Where there are people there is power. Solidarity is the currency of unionionism and the unity Solidarity provides is the only true source of any Union's strength.
Former Teamster, 19 year UPS service provider (package car driver), currently studying Social Welfare with an emphasis on community organizing in hopes of working as a labor organizer. I don't dabble, I think about this shit all day