Teamsters Praise Trump’s Movie Tariffs, Rip Hollywood Studios’ ‘Un-American Addiction to Outsourcing Our Members’ Work’

The Teamsters labor union is overjoyed at President Donald Trump’s move to impose tariffs on films produced overseas, applauding it Monday as a “strong step” toward “reining in the studios’ un-American addiction to outsourcing our members’ work.”

In a joint statement, International Brotherhood of Teamsters general president Sean O’Brien and motion picture division leader Lindsay Dougherty said the Trump initiative is a “strong step toward finally reining in the studios’ un-American addiction to outsourcing our members’ work.”

The public declaration of support from the historically pro-Democrat union came barely 24-hours after Trump took a pro-labor step and said he wanted to apply a “100% tariff” on “any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands,” as Breitbart News reported.

The Teamsters’ statement backing Trump read in part that supporting American jobs directly from the White House sends the world a powerful message:

For years, Hollywood studios have hollowed out the industry by following Corporate America’s crooked playbook of outsourcing good union jobs. Studios chase cheap production costs overseas while gutting the American workforce that built the film and TV industry.

These gigantic corporations line their pockets by recklessly cutting corners, abandoning American crews, and exploiting tax loopholes abroad. While these companies get rich fleeing to other countries and gaming the system, our members have gotten screwed over.

The Teamsters Union has been sounding the alarm for years. If studios want to benefit from American box offices, they must invest in American workers.

“We thank President Trump for boldly supporting good union jobs when others have turned their heads,” the statement added.

The Hollywood Reporter notes the Teamsters’ statement is the most positive Hollywood union reaction yet to Trump’s idea even before the details have been been finalized.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million working men and women in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico.

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