international fraternity truck driver announced on Wednesday that it would not formally endorse the candidate 2024 presidential electionending months of speculation about whether unions would back Republicans 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 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,” Teamsters President Sean O’Brien stated in the 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 lack of support is a break from the union’s decades-long tradition of support democracy candidate. But it’s not entirely surprising.
O’Brien, speaking on the first night of July, said the union was open to supporting Trump. republican national convention.
“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.
Recent results differ significantly from surveys conducted during the president’s term Joe Biden Still the Democratic nominee. forward Biden withdraws Rank-and-file union members supported Biden over Trump in the July 21 race, 44.3% to 36.3%.
The union said Wednesday that neither Harris nor Trump would commit to not intervening in forcing contracts allowed under the Railroad Labor Act. Such intervention would weaken workers’ bargaining leverage, the statement said.
The union said it praised Harris for promising to sign the PRO Act, which would strengthen protections for unions, and criticized Trump for refusing to commit to vetoing national “right-to-work” legislation.
“‘Right-to-work’ laws exist solely to try to kill unions,” Teamsters Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman said in a statement. “This is a red line for Teamsters. “
The news comes days after a meeting between union members and leadership. Harriswho received Endorsement from several other unions.
Trade union leaders also appeared at the meeting Democratic National Convention August, but the Truckers and O’Brien were noticeably 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.
“Truck drivers carry a lot of weight,” Trump said at a campaign event in New York City on Wednesday afternoon. “Democrats always automatically get Teamsters, and they said we’re not going to support Democrats this year. So it’s an honor for me.”
“The Vice President’s strong 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.
