Courting labor
But the mere fact that O'Brien appeared at the RNC suggests that at least some members of the union's leadership and rank-and-file are curious about the Republican Party's recent attempt to rebrand as the party of the American worker.
It's an interesting turn, and one that seems to align with Trump's ideas about increasing tariffs on Chinese goods and returning the US to a golden age of manufacturing. But the true test will be whether the GOP advances any specific policy proposals to go along with the rhetoric.
Government-backed training in high-tech manufacturing jobs through grants to union training centers or other workforce development programs would be one such option. It would certainly help safeguard the types of technologies the US has identified as being sensitive enough to keep out of the hands of its adversaries.
Until then, the only thing the party and the unions may have in common is a shared disdain for "elites." To hear O'Brien describe it, the threat from large corporations such as Amazon.com, which he named in his remarks, is not only toward labor organizers but also toward national security.
"Amazon is valued over $2 trillion, that makes it the 14th largest economy in the world," he said. "What is sickening is that Amazon has abandoned any national allegiance. Amazon's sole focus is on lining its own pockets. Remember, elites have no party, elites have no nation. Their loyalty is to the balance sheet and the stock price at the expense of the American worker."
Charted Territory
Mixed signals | Taiwan's export orders rose just 3.1% in June from a year earlier, less than half the growth seen in May and short of the 12.3% pace expected, amid a plunge in business with Japan. Separately, South Korea's early trade data showed exports are continuing to grow at a double-digit clip, reinforcing optimism over the outlook for economic growth.
Today's Must Reads
Airbus said it's going deeper than ever before into its supply chain to stabilize component providers, putting more engineers on the ground at suppliers as it seeks to shore up its production network.
Mexico's president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum blasted Donald Trump for his "rude" language after he gave a speech recounting his past negotiations with incoming economy minister Marcelo Ebrard.
Electric-vehicle maker Zeekr is considering making cars in European factories linked to its parent, the Chinese auto conglomerate Zhejiang Geely, to avoid European Union tariffs and further its international expansion.
The EU is cracking down on Chinese biodiesel imports after investigating complaints that a flood of unfairly priced renewable fuel is undercutting producers in the bloc and hurting workers. Separately, Serbia and the EU signed a framework agreement on critical raw materials.
Aviation leaders gathering in the UK for the Farnborough International Airshow this week have a shot at addressing some of the lingering issues hanging over the industry.
Czech car production rose to an all-time high in the first half of the year as the industry that is key for the central European country's economy is recovering from post-pandemic shortages of components.
The possibility that former President Donald Trump could win a second term has spurred China watchers to map out potential consequences for the world's No. 2 economy.
In this Bloomberg Originals mini-documentary, we explore Xi Jinping's long-term plan to turbocharge the nation's technological prowess.
It's an interesting turn, and one that seems to align with Trump's ideas about increasing tariffs on Chinese goods and returning the US to a golden age of manufacturing. But the true test will be whether the GOP advances any specific policy proposals to go along with the rhetoric.
Government-backed training in high-tech manufacturing jobs through grants to union training centers or other workforce development programs would be one such option. It would certainly help safeguard the types of technologies the US has identified as being sensitive enough to keep out of the hands of its adversaries.
Until then, the only thing the party and the unions may have in common is a shared disdain for "elites." To hear O'Brien describe it, the threat from large corporations such as Amazon.com, which he named in his remarks, is not only toward labor organizers but also toward national security.
"Amazon is valued over $2 trillion, that makes it the 14th largest economy in the world," he said. "What is sickening is that Amazon has abandoned any national allegiance. Amazon's sole focus is on lining its own pockets. Remember, elites have no party, elites have no nation. Their loyalty is to the balance sheet and the stock price at the expense of the American worker."
Charted Territory
Mixed signals | Taiwan's export orders rose just 3.1% in June from a year earlier, less than half the growth seen in May and short of the 12.3% pace expected, amid a plunge in business with Japan. Separately, South Korea's early trade data showed exports are continuing to grow at a double-digit clip, reinforcing optimism over the outlook for economic growth.
Today's Must Reads
Airbus said it's going deeper than ever before into its supply chain to stabilize component providers, putting more engineers on the ground at suppliers as it seeks to shore up its production network.
Mexico's president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum blasted Donald Trump for his "rude" language after he gave a speech recounting his past negotiations with incoming economy minister Marcelo Ebrard.
Electric-vehicle maker Zeekr is considering making cars in European factories linked to its parent, the Chinese auto conglomerate Zhejiang Geely, to avoid European Union tariffs and further its international expansion.
The EU is cracking down on Chinese biodiesel imports after investigating complaints that a flood of unfairly priced renewable fuel is undercutting producers in the bloc and hurting workers. Separately, Serbia and the EU signed a framework agreement on critical raw materials.
Aviation leaders gathering in the UK for the Farnborough International Airshow this week have a shot at addressing some of the lingering issues hanging over the industry.
Czech car production rose to an all-time high in the first half of the year as the industry that is key for the central European country's economy is recovering from post-pandemic shortages of components.
The possibility that former President Donald Trump could win a second term has spurred China watchers to map out potential consequences for the world's No. 2 economy.
In this Bloomberg Originals mini-documentary, we explore Xi Jinping's long-term plan to turbocharge the nation's technological prowess.
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