Two leaders of a prominent New York City union went public this week with sharp criticism of the Democratic Party, saying the party has moved too far left and is losing the support of blue-collar union members. Robert "Bobby" Bartels Jr., the business manager of Steamfitters Local 638, and Brian Kearney, the union's president, both spoke out after far-left Democratic Socialists of America candidates won primary elections in New York last week against incumbent and establishment Democrats.
Steamfitters Local 638 has existed for 150 years and has mostly supported Democratic candidates in the past. The union represents blue-collar steamfitters, pipefitters, HVAC technicians, welders, and industrial and mechanical service technicians. It broke ranks with Democrats and endorsed President Donald Trump in 2024.
Bartels was direct about his view of DSA candidates. "I think they're communists, and I don't think they have the benefit of the working class — the real working class, the taxpayers' — support," Bartels told Fox News Digital.
The DSA primary winners Bartels criticized include Darializa Avila Chevalier in New York's 13th Congressional District and Claire Valdez in New York's 7th Congressional District. Both are members of the Democratic Socialists of America and held views that were highlighted by rivals during the campaign.
Bartels said he sees a broader trend among people in the building trades. "They do have the people's support that want everything for free and want everything handed to them without working for it, and I think the Democratic Party is going way far to the left," Bartels said. "And as a matter of fact, the more building trades people you speak to, the more they're going away from the Democratic Party."
He also raised concerns about immigration policy, arguing that open border policies drive down wages for union members. "Because they're bringing the illegal immigrants in here to steal the Americans' jobs and lower the rates," Bartels said. "They're working to tear down the people that are working and building everything."
Bartels said it offends him when left-wing politicians claim to represent the working class. "Because I'm the working class, and they're not here to support me," he said. "They want to support the people who want to take from the working class."
Kearney, the union president, acknowledged the union's traditional roots while also expressing concern about the direction of the DSA. "I mean, we traditionally have been working class labor Democrats," Kearney said. He added that the DSA will need to find inroads through the labor movement in New York City, suggesting that the labor movement there remains a distinct force from the DSA's political base.
Both leaders described the current Democratic Party as out of touch with the practical concerns of people who work in the trades, including wages, job security, and immigration enforcement.
