Transformative Insights from Great Barrier Reef Fish Reveal Shifting Trends in Global Biodiversity

Life on the Great Barrier Reef is undergoing big changes in the face of climate change and other human-caused pressures, a new study reveals. From food security to controlling seaweed and even making sand for beaches, reef fish are a hugely important part of marine ecosystems providing a range of benefits to humans and coral
HomeLocalTeamsters Union Decides Against 2024 Presidential Endorsement, Leaving Harris and Trump in...

Teamsters Union Decides Against 2024 Presidential Endorsement, Leaving Harris and Trump in the Lurch

 

 

Teamsters Union Decides Not to Endorse in 2024 Presidential Race, Holding Back Support for Harris and Trump


This article has been updated with additional information.

 

WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters announced they will not endorse any candidates in the upcoming 2024 presidential election, choosing not to support either Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump.

This decision is a setback for Harris, the Democratic nominee, who has prominently highlighted her union endorsements in her campaign aimed at crucial states in the Rust Belt, including Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan. This marks the first time since 1996 that the Teamsters will miss endorsing a presidential candidate.

“Sadly, neither of the major candidates could provide serious commitments to our union that would prioritize the needs of workers over corporate interests,” stated Sean O’Brien, president of the Teamsters, after a nearly year-long review of the candidates.

 

 

The decision was made by the union’s General Executive Board during a meeting in Washington on Wednesday, where they had discussions with Harris on Monday and previously met with Trump in January.

 

The Teamsters are one of the largest unions in the country, representing 1.3 million workers, including truck drivers, freight handlers, airline pilots, and zookeepers, among others.

While Teamsters leaders praised Harris for her support of the pro-union PRO Act in Congress and her stance against “right-to-work” laws, which weaken unions, they noted that Trump did not commit to veto a proposed national “right-to-work” law, which they deemed a “red line” for the union.

 

However, neither candidate agreed to refrain from intervening in labor disputes governed by the Railway Labor Act, which allows Congress to dictate contracts in the rail and airline sectors. For instance, a new contract for rail workers was approved by Congress in 2022, bypassing the support of Teamsters’ members to prevent a freight rail shutdown.

“We asked both Trump and Harris for commitments not to interfere in pivotal union efforts or the core industries of Teamsters, and to uphold our members’ right to strike—but we couldn’t secure those promises,” O’Brien remarked.

 

 

 

Trump Gains Support from Teamsters’ Rank-and-File Members

Trump continues to seek support from individual union members, even without their union’s formal endorsement, as he aims to build a working-class coalition similar to the one that helped him win in 2016.

Before their announcement, the Teamsters shared internal polling results showing that a majority of their members favor Trump over Harris, despite many leaders from other unions throwing their support behind the vice president.

A phone survey conducted last week among Teamsters members revealed that 58% support Trump, while 31% back Harris. An earlier electronic survey taken over the summer showed a similar preference of 60-34% for Trump.

When President Joe Biden was the likely Democratic nominee, a straw poll conducted by the Teamsters in the spring and summer indicated that their members preferred Biden over Trump by a 44%-37% margin. However, this straw poll utilized a different method, as members voted in person during Teamsters town hall meetings.

 

“While the Teamsters Executive Board is not making any formal endorsements, the vast majority of rank-and-file members want Donald Trump back in the White House,” stated the Trump campaign in response.

Trump, during a campaign event in New York, remarked, “It’s a great honor. They’re not going to endorse the Democrats. That’s a significant development.”

In reply to the Teamsters’ decision, Lauren Hitt, spokesperson for Harris’s campaign, noted that several local chapters of the Teamsters have endorsed the vice president, including some that parted ways with the national union on Wednesday.

Teamsters Joint Councils 7 and 42, representing 300,000 members across California, Nevada, Hawaii, and Guam, endorsed Harris right after the national union’s announcement.

This announcement comes from organizations such as Michigan Teamsters Joint Council 43 and Teamsters Joint Council 39, which represent all Teamsters in Wisconsin.

 

“While Donald Trump claims that workers on strike should be dismissed, Vice President Harris has literally joined workers on the picket line, standing firmly with labor throughout her career,” Hitt remarked. “The Vice President’s solid record with unions is why Teamsters locals across the nation have already thrown their support behind her, alongside an overwhelming majority of organized labor.”

Hitt continued: “As the Vice President communicated to the Teamsters on Monday, if she becomes president, she will always advocate for the Teamsters’ members because they have been and will always be the individuals she fights for.”

 

 

Teamsters President Addresses RNC Convention

In the 2020 election, the Teamsters endorsed Biden over Trump. However, the union’s leadership held off on revealing its endorsement decision for the 2024 elections, even as nine out of the ten largest unions in the country endorsed Harris, including the United Auto Workers, the AFL-CIO, and the United Steelworkers.

 

In August, O’Brien made history as the first Teamsters president to speak at a Republican convention during the union’s 121 years, a decision that upset many Democrats.

 

“Our union is home to Democrats, Republicans, and independents, and we owe it to every one of them to respect and represent their views,” O’Brien stated. “We urge all our members to participate in the upcoming elections and stay active in the political arena. But this year, none of the presidential candidates have secured the Teamsters’ International Union’s endorsement.”

Although the Teamsters have generally supported Democratic presidential candidates, they have also endorsed some Republicans, including presidents George H.W. Bush in 1988, Ronald Reagan in both 1980 and 1984, and Richard Nixon in 1960 and 1972.

Like in 1996 and this year, the Teamsters also refrained from endorsing any candidate in the 1976 election between Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford.

Contributing: Reuters

Contact Joey Garrison via X, previously known as Twitter, @joeygarrison.