The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a significant labor union, will not endorse a U.S. presidential nominee ahead of November’s election.
The BBC reported that this is the first time since 1996 that the union has not endorsed a U.S. presidential candidate.
With about 1.3 million members across the United States and Canada, the organization stated that both Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump have shown “few commitments on top Teamsters issues” that matter most, per the BBC.
Despite offering “no definitive support” for either candidate, two recent polls show modest support for Trump. Both parties need the union’s support in key battleground states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
The Teamsters will NOT endorse a candidate for president. It’s a blow to Harris, who recently met with the union.
According to the union, a review of 6 months of polling of its members found ” no definitive support among members for either party’s nominee.”
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) September 18, 2024
What are Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s opinion of unions?
Both Harris and Trump have voiced their opinions on union workers. A campaign spokesperson for Harris highlighted the stark differences between the candidates’ viewpoints on union issues.
“While Donald Trump says striking workers should be fired, Vice-President Harris has literally walked the picket line and stood strong with organized labor for her entire career,” Lauren Hitt said, according to the BBC.
Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien has led the executive board since 2022. During his tenure, he has had meetings with both presidential candidates, but he said the union had decided not to endorse anyone.
“The Teamsters thank all candidates for meeting with members face-to-face during our unprecedented roundtables. Unfortunately, neither major candidate was able to make serious commitments to our union to ensure the interests of working people are always put before Big Business,” O’Brien said in a statement obtained by ABC News.
“Democrats, Republicans, and Independents proudly call our union home, and we have a duty to represent and respect every one of them. We strongly encourage all our members to vote in the upcoming election, and to remain engaged in the political process,” he continued. “But this year, no candidate for President has earned the endorsement of the Teamsters’ International Union.”
Regardless, some workers are still endorsing a candidate
While some workers align with Trump’s vision for the working class, Politico reported that local union members in California gathered Wednesday to endorse Harris. This marks a significant division within the union’s influential membership.
“Teamster members work and live in cities as well as in rural communities, come from diverse backgrounds, and have different views, but Joint Council 7 and 42 Teamsters refuse to be divided by extremist political forces or greedy corporations that want to see us fail,” Teamsters Joint Council 7 President Peter Finn said, per Politico. “As Teamsters we will stand together to have a strong voice on the job, provide for our families, and serve the communities where we work.”
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