International Brotherhood of Teamsters President Sean O’Brien addresses UPS Teamsters during a picket ahead of the upcoming strike outside a UPS distribution center in Brooklyn, New York, July 14, 2023 Speech.
Brendan McDermid | Reuters
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters announced Wednesday that it will not officially endorse a candidate in the 2024 presidential election, ending months of speculation over whether the union would support Republican Donald Trump or Democrat Kamala Harris.
The union’s general executive committee said in a statement statement Its member polls show Harris does not have majority support and Trump does not have widespread support.
“The Teamsters Association thanks all candidates for meeting face-to-face with members during our unprecedented roundtable. Unfortunately, both major candidates failed to make a serious commitment to our union to ensure the interests of working people. Always put it before big business,” Teamsters President Sean O’Brien said in a statement.
“We sought commitments from Trump and Harris not to interfere with vital union activities or the core Teamsters industry and to respect our members’ right to strike, but failed to deliver on those commitments,” O’Brien said.
With 1.3 million members, the Teamsters union is one of the largest labor groups in the United States. The no-endorsement is a break from the union’s decades-long tradition of backing Democratic candidates. But it’s not entirely surprising.
O’Brien said in a speech on the first night of the Republican National Convention in July that the union was willing to support Trump.
“As the strongest and most democratic union in America, it is critical that our members drive this recognition process. Democrats, Republicans and independents are proud to call our union home, and we have a responsibility to represent and respect each of them.” People,” O’Brien wrote.
“We strongly encourage all members to vote in the upcoming elections and remain engaged in the political process. But this year, no presidential candidate has received the support of Teamsters International,” he wrote.
In a national survey of Teamsters union members conducted after the Sept. 10 presidential debate, union members overwhelmingly supported Trump over Harris. 58% to 31%according to results released by the union ahead of official recognition.
The Trump campaign pointed to the poll results as a response to a lack of support for the union, writing in a campaign email that “the rank-and-file Teamsters support Donald Trump for president.”
The recent results differ significantly from surveys conducted when President Joe Biden was the Democratic nominee. Before Biden dropped out of the race on July 21, union rank-and-file members favored Biden over Trump, 44.3% to 36.3%.
The news comes days after union members and leadership met with Harris, who has received Endorsement from several other unions.
Union leaders also featured prominently at the Democratic National Convention in August, but the Teamsters and O’Brien were conspicuously absent. After O’Brien appeared at the RNC, a union spokesman confirmed to CNBC that O’Brien had not received an invitation to speak at the Democratic National Convention.
“The Vice President’s outstanding union record is why Teamsters across the country and the vast majority of organized labor support her,” Harris campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt said in response to the union’s decision.
If Harris is elected president, “no matter what, she will care about the rank-and-file Teamsters — because they have always been and always will be the people she fights for,” Hitt said.
This is a developing story, please check back for updates.
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