The International Teamsters union on Wednesday declined to announce an endorsement in the 2024 presidential election, just hours after releasing internal polling data showing workers it represents strongly support former President Donald Trump.
Among rank-and-file members of major labor unions, 59.6% of those surveyed said the Teamsters should support Trump, while only 31% said they would support Vice President Kamala Harris. That difference of more than 25 points has remained largely unchanged since the union ordered a survey after the Sept. 10 presidential debate. Despite the poll results, the union Refused He made it clear on Wednesday that he was unable to endorse Harris because he lacked “majority support” for her and “universal support” for Trump.
A Teamsters spokesman did not immediately say why the union set different standards for the two candidates. (Related: New report reveals powerful labor union that suddenly courted Republicans spent millions on liberal advocacy.)
“The Teamsters thank all the candidates for meeting face-to-face with our members during this unprecedented roundtable,” said Teamsters President Sean O'Brien. “Unfortunately, neither major candidate was able to make a serious commitment to our union that they would always put workers' interests above big corporations. We asked both Trump and Harris for a commitment not to interfere in vital union efforts or Teamsters' core industries, and to respect our members' right to strike, but we did not receive that promise.”
Labor unions cited President Trump's failure to explicitly say he would veto bills that would guarantee workers' rights as one of the reasons they did not support him.
The Teamsters, which historically support Democrats and often donate to left-of-center causes, aimed to support Republicans in this election. The union has donated to the Republican National Committee, met with Trump and O'Brien Invited He will speak at the Republican National Convention. Some on the right have resisted union attempts to curry favor with conservatives, such as the Center for Union Facts, which posted a billboard outside the Republican National Convention calling the Teamsters “two-faced” over their liberal spending history.
Although the Republican Party was generally tolerant of the Teamsters, the Democratic National Convention ignored O'Brien, refusing to allow him to speak at its events. According to To the Associated Press.
A union vote sign is displayed in front of the state Capitol during a rally hosted by the Teamsters in support of Democratic candidates on November 7, 2022. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Ms Harris is significantly less popular among rank-and-file Teamsters members than President Joe Biden, who trailed Mr Trump by just 8 points in a poll the union ordered before he dropped out of the race. Union leaders held a roundtable discussion with Ms Harris on Monday, The Hill reported. Reported.
“We represent everyone from airline pilots to zoo keepers, we don't just represent Democrats,” O'Brien told reporters.
The Teamsters' support could have had a major impact on votes for either candidate, given their membership is concentrated in the battleground states of Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania. According to To Reuters.
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