Teamsters' New Boss Has Tough Words for UPS and Sets Sights on Amazon

O’Brien takes over as union president from Hoffa on Tuesday
Leader wants only Teamsters to organize at Amazon warehouses

Sean O’Brien at the Teamsters headquarters in Washington, D.C., on March 17.Photographer: Michael A. McCoy/Bloomberg

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By Thomas Black

March 21, 2022 at 1:00 PM UTC

Updated on

March 21, 2022 at 4:14 PM UTC

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There is nothing subtle about Sean O’Brien’s negotiating style.

O’Brien, the incoming leader of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, peppers his speech with words like “leverage” and “pressure” and “fight” and wants the executives over at the United Parcel Service Inc. to understand he’s not going to play as nicely as his predecessor, James P. Hoffa. There are 16 months before the Teamsters’ collective contract is set to expire with UPS, and O’Brien is already talking general strike if his demands aren’t met.