Teamsters Union Declines Endorsement for U.S. President
Editorial StaffThe Facts -
- The Teamsters elected not to endorse any candidate for U.S. President.
- Neither Trump nor Harris made serious commitments on key Teamsters issues.
- Members showed no majority support for Harris and no universal support for Trump.
International Union Cites Strong Political Divides, Few Commitments from Candidates
Press Contact: Kara Deniz Phone: (202) 497-6610 Email: kdeniz@teamster.org
(WASHINGTON) — The General Executive Board of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters on Wednesday elected not to endorse any candidate for U.S. President.
After six months of member polling and nearly a year of roundtable interviews with all major candidates, the union noted few commitments on top Teamsters issues from former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, leading to no definitive support among members for either party’s nominee.
Data released earlier showed President Joe Biden had support in straw polls before exiting the race. However, in independent polling, a majority of members twice selected Trump for a possible endorsement over Harris.
General President Sean M. O’Brien stated, "The Teamsters thank all candidates for meeting with members. Unfortunately, neither major candidate made serious commitments to our union. We sought commitments from both Trump and Harris not to interfere in critical union campaigns and to honor our members’ right to strike but were unable to secure those pledges."
During the Presidential Roundtables, the union shared feedback from railroad and airline industry members under the Railway Labor Act (RLA). Trump and Harris did not promise not to force similar RLA contracts, which undermines workers’ bargaining leverage.
While Harris pledged to sign the PRO Act and criticized "right to work" laws, Trump would not commit to veto national "right to work" legislation if he returned to the White House.
General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman added, “‘Right to work’ laws exist to kill labor unions. It’s a red line for the Teamsters and must be for any union when a candidate does not oppose such anti-worker legislation.”
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.
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