At a Senate Health Committee hearing on Tuesday, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) challenged a union witness to a fight.
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00:00 Thank You. Senator Mullen. Thank You Mr. Chairman. Just to get a little factual on what
00:05 Mr. O'Brien just said about right-to-work states versus
00:09 forced work states. According to the Compensationary Data Report the US Commerce Department
00:15 an average salary for private sector employee in 2019 was $4,000 higher than the average employee in forced union states.
00:25 Stating that right-to-work states pay more. Now if we also want to break this down to statistics which was quoted earlier by Mr.
00:32 O'Brien about wage differences. If you talk to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in non-union jobs their average salaries raised
00:40 14.6% compared to 11% wage increase on unionized workers from 2020 to 2023. If you go back to the percentage of
00:50 union workers because if unions was working so well, then you'd see an increase in union jobs not a decrease.
00:56 50 years ago 33% of our labor force was union. Today it's 10.1%.
01:02 If you go back and you start looking at wage earns if you actually compare
01:07 comparable wages to ages
01:10 not a partisan point, but you go to all wages earned
01:14 not just comparing 16 and over to
01:18 54 to 64 year old ages you'll see that the actual average
01:22 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistic that if you subtract the union dues
01:27 it's actually higher.
01:30 Non-union employees are getting paid
01:32 by roughly 1 to 2 percent which is exactly what union dues are is 1 to 2 percent of their salary.
01:37 So I just wanted to set the record straight on that and that's coming from statistics. All right now
01:42 let's talk about Mr. O'Brien himself his behavior as everybody knows and it's here in the last time
01:46 I mean I kind of had a back-and-forth. I appreciate your demeanor today. It's quite different
01:50 but after you left here you got pretty excited about the keyboard. In fact you
01:55 tweeted at me
01:58 one two
02:00 three four
02:02 five times and let me read what the last one said. It said greedy CEO who pretends like he's self-made.
02:10 Sir I wish he was in the truck with me when I was building my plumbing company myself and my wife was
02:16 running the office because I sure remember working pretty hard in long hours.
02:20 Pretends like he's self-made. What a clown.
02:24 Fraud. Always has been.
02:27 Always will be.
02:29 Quit the tough guy act and these Senate hearings. You know where to find me. Anyplace, anytime, cowboy.
02:37 Sir this is a time, this is a place.
02:40 You want to run your mouth we can be two consenting adults. We can finish it here. Okay, that's fine. Perfect.
02:46 You want to do it now? I'd love to do it right now. Well stand your butt up then. You stand your butt up.
02:50 Oh, hold on. Stop it. Is that your solution every poll? No, no sit down.
02:54 You know you're a United States Senator. Actively. Okay, sit down, please. All right. Can I respond? Hold it.
03:02 If we can't, no I have the mic. I'm sorry. This is what he said. You'll have your time. Okay, can I respond?
03:09 Oh, no you can't.
03:11 This is a hearing and God knows the American people have enough contempt for Congress. Let's not make it worse.
03:18 I don't like thugs and bullies. I don't like you because you just described yourself.
03:22 Hold it. You have the mic. You have time. Make your statement.
03:26 All right, then let's do this because I did challenge you and I accepted your challenge.
03:30 And you went quiet. No, I didn't go quiet.
03:33 I was, you challenged me to a cage match acting like a 12 year old school yellow bully.
03:38 Hold it. No, excuse me. I will say, I will say exactly what you said. Senator Mullin, I have the mic.
03:43 You have questions on any economic issues, anything that's said, go for it.
03:47 We're not here to talk about physical abuse. You brought him here. We're not talking about, of course I did.
03:52 And let me show you his hearing because I want to expose this thug to who he is.
03:57 You're not pointing me. That's disrespectful. I don't care about respecting you at all. I respect people that I respect.
04:02 So let me, hold it.
04:06 You're one of the most elite people. Hold it. Please.
04:09 All right.
04:12 This is a, excuse me. Mm-hmm. This is a hearing to discuss
04:17 economic issues. All right. If you have questions for Mr. O'Brien or anybody else on what
04:24 he has said, go for it. But we're not here to talk about
04:27 fights or anything else. I'm quoting exactly what he said. You can say what you want.
04:32 This is your witness you brought. This is my witness. I'm exposing him. You can talk anything you want.
04:39 So in 2013, O'Brien was suspended by the Teamsters for intimidating your own members.
04:46 In 2014,
04:49 you were
04:51 part of, what would you say,
04:53 organizing the harassment, intimidation of the top shelf crew. Chef, not shelf.
04:58 Oh, top chef. Okay. And then, and I think in the reports they said sexual
05:04 racist and homophobic slurs and death threats. 14 tires were sliced and
05:09 five Teamsters were arrested. And you said, well, I had nothing to do with it.
05:12 But however, in that same statement, you said, but if I get called to test file, plead the fifth.
05:17 This is, this is what, this is a witness you brought in here. In
05:20 2017, you were removed as lead negotiator by then President Hoffa for UPS for your actions.
05:27 And then in 22, when this guy was elected, what he said after he got elected was he wanted to bring a mob
05:33 mentality back to the Teamsters. This is your guy. And you're obviously going to give him a chance to respond to your questions.
05:39 Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Because this is my question. Because you called me out. I didn't call you out. You said anytime, anyplace.
05:46 That's, that, let's get the record straight. Miss, hold it. No. Hold on.
05:49 Senator Mullen, do you have a question for the witness? Yeah. Okay. Let's hear it.
05:54 So, anytime, anyplace.
05:56 No, that's not. April, April is a charity event. No, that's not, that's not. No, it's a, he, no.
06:04 Sir, he said it, and this is my question. He is here to test, no.
06:07 He said parameters and what the questions can or cannot be asked, and I'll answer the question.
06:09 No, you're not going to, we're not going to be talking about physical confrontation.
06:13 Oh, this is about charity, for a union charity, because this is for firefighters and people. This is, do you have a question on his testimony?
06:17 April, April, April. Grow up. Will you please grow up? You have a question on his, let's not be. You said it. You're an embarrassment.
06:23 You said it, and I'm just simply answering it. Senator Mullen, go hold it. Hold it.
06:27 Senator Mullen, you made some charges. Charges? Mr. O'Brien, do you want to respond to the question? Yeah, go ahead, please.
06:33 Yeah, I mean, look, the reality of it is, you know. Accept my challenge, tough guy. Mr. Mullen, tough guy.
06:38 Answer, hold it. Answer the questions. All right, you don't want, if I, he, he made a lot of statements, right?
06:45 And his statements are fiction at best. Fiction? I read them. Can you hear him? What?
06:50 Answer the question, please. I can't understand him, to be honest with you. He rambles so much. What was your question, actually?
06:57 Well, you said I made a lot of statements. No, but what's your question? I don't understand your question. Could you repeat it?
07:03 You said, any time, any place. What's your question? Accept the challenge. What challenge?
07:08 You said, any time, any place. I'm accepting yours, so why don't you come back? What challenge? What challenge are you talking about?
07:13 April 30th, how about we do it for charity at the smoking guns in Tulsa, Oklahoma?
07:18 We're not going to be talking about physical confrontations here. You want to fight me?
07:22 What did you say by any time, any place? Let's have coffee, discuss our differences.
07:26 That's what you said. Yeah, that's right, exactly. All right, well, let's say I don't have coffee. Let's do it. I'd love to.
07:30 It's funny how you're backing out. I don't back out on anything. You did.
07:33 You're the one. You're a 100, should be the most influential people in this country, making changes.
07:39 You're focused on debate that's not even relevant. You're an embarrassment.
07:44 This hearing is about the condition of the working class in America.
07:51 You're the biggest thug here.
07:54 You brought him in. You're the biggest thug. Even your colleagues call you a big thug.
07:58 I don't know why you do what you're doing, Senator Hassen.
08:00 Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Senator Mullen, please yield. I've been recognized by the chair.
08:05 Act accordingly. The right to vote is yours.