(WASHINGTON) — The International Brotherhood of Teamsters' General Executive Board announced on Wednesday that it would not endorse any candidate for the U.S. Presidency. This decision follows extensive member polling and nearly a year of roundtable discussions with major presidential candidates.
Despite a thorough review of six months of nationwide member polling and interviews, the union found that neither former President Donald Trump nor Vice President Kamala Harris provided satisfactory commitments on critical Teamster issues. The data showed a split among members, with no clear majority support for either candidate.
In earlier straw polls conducted at local unions between April and July, President Joe Biden had gained the most support before he exited the race. However, in subsequent independent polling conducted from July to September, a majority of members chose Trump over Harris as a potential endorsee.
“Although we had face-to-face meetings with both Trump and Harris during our unprecedented roundtables, neither could guarantee the commitments we sought,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. “We asked both to refrain from interfering in key union campaigns and core industries and to uphold our members' right to strike, but we did not receive these pledges.”
O’Brien emphasized the union’s dedication to being transparent and member-driven in its endorsement process. He urged members from all political affiliations within the union to vote in the upcoming election and remain politically engaged. However, he stated that neither candidate had met the union's criteria for endorsement this year.
The Teamsters also shared concerns from members in the railroad and airline industries, which are regulated by the Railway Labor Act (RLA) and often subject to government intervention that can restrict their ability to strike. Despite ongoing contract negotiations for 10,000 United Airlines Teamsters and recent forced contract acceptances by railroad Teamsters in 2022, neither Trump nor Harris committed to refraining from intervening in similar RLA contracts in the future.
While Harris pledged to support the PRO Act and opposed “right to work” laws, Trump did not commit to vetoing national “right to work” legislation if re-elected, a stance that General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman criticized as harmful to labor unions.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, founded in 1903, represents 1.3 million members across the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico.
0 Comments