Teamsters Union Leadership Candidate Debate

Two candidates vying to lead the 1.4 million member Teamsters union will face off in a debate at the National Press Club at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 1. 

The election of the new general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters marks the beginning of a new era for the powerful union. Teamsters President James P. Hoffa, 80, will step down in March after leading the organization for 23 years. His father, Jimmy Hoffa, led the organization from 1957 until 1971.

Two longtime labor leaders are seeking the post. Teamsters International Vice President-East Sean M. O'Brien, representing the Teamsters United slate, is a fourth-generation Teamster, and president of the Local 25 and secretary-treasurer of Joint Council 10, both in Boston. International Vice President-at-Large Steve Vairma, representing the Teamsters Power slate, served as secretary-treasurer of the Local 455 in Denver since 1996 and as president of the Joint Council 3, which represents members in eight states.

The in-person Headliners event will be held in the Club's ballroom and is open to NPC members and credentialed media. The event will also be live-streamed. Registration is required and seating is limited.   

Candidates will take questions from a panel of journalists, including National Press Club President Lisa Matthews, video assignment manager for the Associated Press, Harold Meyerson, editor-at-large of the American Prospect, and Ian Kullgren, a labor union and workplace issues reporter for Bloomberg. Matthews will also field questions from other reporters, Club members and the public. To submit a question, email [email protected] with TEAMSTERS in the subject line.

Candidates will be asked to address issues including wages, jobs, healthcare, their post-Hoffa vision, and their strategies for expanding union representation among American workers. At its 30th annual convention in June, the Teamsters voted to continue its focus on unionizing Amazon, saying it would devote "all resources necessary" to organize workers there.

The Teamsters in 2020 concluded more three decades of federal oversight that had required the union to conduct direct elections of its top officers. Although no longer subject to the consent decree, the union has agreed to follow the same election rules, including oversight by an independent election supervisor This fall, Teamster members across the US and Canada will vote by mail ballot to select a General President and other top officers for a five-year term. The ballot count begins Nov. 15.

Members, guests and visitors are required to show proof of vaccination at the Club entrance. This can be a physical copy of a vaccination card, or a photo on a mobile device. If you cannot show proof of vaccination, you must show a recent negative COVID-19 test (within 48 hours). If you would prefer to upload your vaccination record in advance of the event, you can do so at www.press.org/vaxpass.  To read more about Club safety measures, please visit https://www.press.org/safetyfirst.