Sean M. O’Brien is edging ever closer to becoming the Teamsters union’s next general president.
According to data issued Tuesday afternoon by the Teamsters’ Office of the Election Supervisor, O’Brien enjoyed a commanding lead over his opponent, Steve Vairma, on the second day of vote tallying. O’Brien had received more than 34,798 votes, compared to Vairma’s 11,103 votes, with the union’s central and southern regions partially reporting. Ballots were still being counted in the central region, where O’Brien leads by a wide margin.
Fred Zuckerman, O’Brien’s running mate, had a similar lead over his opponent, Ron Herrera. As of Tuesday afternoon, Zuckerman has earned 34,254 votes, compared to 11,592 votes for Herrera. In the 1.3 million-member union, Zuckerman and Herrera are contending for the position of general secretary-treasurer, the second-highest position.
The eastern and western United States, as well as Canada, have yet to be recorded. O’Brien, the president of Boston’s Local 25, has the potential to win large numbers of votes in the east. Vairma, secretary-treasurer of Denver’s Local 455, is banking on a strong and favorable turnout in the west.
According to the Office of Election Supervisor, about 190,000 Teamsters members voted. This is down from 210,000 votes in the 2016 general election when incumbent President James P. Hoffa barely defeated Zuckerman. In the 2011 general election, almost 250,000 members cast ballots in a three-way battle between Hoffa, Sandy Pope, and Fred Gegare, which Hoffa easily won.
Both O’Brien and Vairma are in charge of slates of officers seeking top positions in the union. In theory, a voter may vote for one presidential candidate while selecting slate members for the other. In practice, however, voters choose the slate headed by the candidate they want to be president of the United States.
Hoffa, who has led the union since 1998, stated in February 2020 that when his current term ends in March 2022, he would step aside. The election is, in many ways, a referendum on Hoffa’s legacy. O’Brien is seen as a combative and tough leader. He has also expressed his dissatisfaction with Hoffa’s leadership. Vairma is the Hoffa faction’s favorite, and she is seen as a continuation of the current leader’s agenda.
Since being removed as head of the strong small-package division, which negotiates collective bargaining agreements with UPS Inc. (NYSE:UPS), the union’s largest individual employer with between 310,000 and 320,000 members, O’Brien has been at odds with Hoffa. Hoffa opposed O’Brien’s intention to include Zuckerman in impending UPS contract discussions, according to O’Brien.
Local 89, the largest UPS Teamsters local in Louisville, Kentucky, is led by Zuckerman. The UPS Worldport global air hub is located in Louisville. During contract cycles, no local has been more of a thorn in UPS’ side.
