The Teamsters union announced it will not offer an endorsement in the 2024 presidential election, though its members overwhelmingly support former President Donald Trump.
The union said in a release that it received few commitments on top Teamsters issues from Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris.
Nearly 60% of Teamsters members who participated in an electronic survey support Trump compared to 34% for Harris. A survey conducted over the phone found Trump leading 58% to 31%, the union said.
"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 General President Sean O'Brien said in a statement. "We sought commitments from both Trump and Harris not to interfere in critical union campaigns or core Teamsters industries —and to honor our members' right to strike — but were unable to secure those pledges."
Teamsters General President Sean O'Brien spoke at the Republican National Convention in July, Trump met with the Teamsters in July and President Joe Biden met with them in March, when he was still the presumptive Democrat nominee, Politico reported. Harris met with the union on Monday, hoping to secure its endorsement.
After O'Brien spoke at the Republican National Convention, he was denied a chance to speak at the Democratic National Convention, Politico reported.
At the GOP Convention, O'Brien praised GOP lawmakers and criticized corporate America, though he later accused Trump of "economic terrorism" after Trump told Elon Musk he supported firing workers who go on strike.
The AFL-CIO and United Auto Workers have endorsed Harris. The Teamsters National Black Caucus has also endorsed Harris.
A poll taken before Biden dropped out showed 45% percent of Teamsters members were supporting Biden while one-third were supporting Trump.
The Teamsters endorsed Biden over Trump in 2020 and Hillary Clinton over Trump in 2016.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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