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100% of Rail Union Political Advocacy Dollars Went to Left-Wing Organizations
Union watchdog releases report detailing financial spending of two leading rail unions and their local affiliates
By Katy Grimes, February 2, 2026 2:24 pm
The Center for Union Facts recently analyzed spending data from two labor unions affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters – the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees, between the years of 2022 and 2024.
Of the money both unions spent on political or issue advocacy between 2022 and 2024 (DNC & Aligned, Bipartisan Efforts, GOP & Aligned, Special Interests, Civil Rights, and Left-Wing Media), all of it went to issues on the left.
The unions represent the largest segments of the railroad workforce responsible for operating trains and maintaining track, signals, and related rail infrastructure, the Center for Union Facts reports. Their membership primarily includes locomotive engineers, train crews, and maintenance-of-way employees, including track, bridge, and signal workers.
“Using annual financial filings with the Department of Labor (known as Form LM-2), we found that BLET, BMWE, and their local unions direct a significant share of member dues toward left-leaning political advocacy, typically without the consent of their members. In that time frame alone,
the unions spent nearly $72 million on notable entities,” they found.
The Center for Union Facts released its report on how these two major unions affiliated use member dues to fund their one-sided political agenda.
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees unions are spending overwhelmingly partisan. Between the years 2022 and 2024, the unions sent nearly $90,000 to Democratic-aligned groups while allocating no funds to bipartisan efforts or GOP-led initiatives and campaigns, according to mthe Center for Union Facts.
The Teamsters President, Sean O’Brien, has continually made public efforts to portray the union as middle-of-the-road, requesting speaking engagements at both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, and recently praising the Trump Administration’s Labor Secretary Center for Union facts says.
According to the report:
“Notable recipients on the left between 2022 and 2024 include a range of Democratic-aligned political organizations like the Midwest National Convention Fund, the Teamsters Rail Conference, and the National Democratic Club. These groups have advanced the causes and electoral priorities of the Democratic Party through fundraising, political organizing, and advocacy activities.”
Special interest campaigns aligned with left-of-center policy priorities were also among the most notable recipients. These include Vote NO On 1, a campaign opposing a right-to-work ballot initiative, and the Labor Campaign for Single-Payer Health Care, an organization advocating for a Medicare-for-All system. Other examples include the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, whose leaders have ties to prominent unions, the Association for Innovative Passenger
Rail Operations, and the U.S. High Speed Rail Association—both of which promote transportation policies frequently supported by Democratic lawmakers and progressive coalitions. RBC & Associates, a boutique firm owned by the president of the Association for Innovative Passenger Rail Operations, also made the list. Notable left-wing media recipients include DemList, LLC, a national political column dedicated to informing the Democratic party and its allies.
“The Teamsters union and its president, Sean O’Brien, continually make a show of crossing party lines and working with the current president,” said CUF communications director Charlyce Bozzello. “Don’t let their rhetoric fool you. The Teamsters’ own political advocacy skews almost completely to the left, and now we know the same is true for its major affiliates.”
A California native and Navy mom, Katy lives in Sacramento, CA.
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Thanks, Katy. This is the type of news that is not available anywhere else. Every Californian should be reading the California Globe.
I hear Democrats and unions say they are crossing party lines. However, on examination, there is no indication of that. They are gaslighting people.
Of course, the Democrats put clauses into the HSR project that says only union members can work on the project. Then the money comes back to the Democrats for their election campaigns. It’s pure corruption.