The International Brotherhood of Teamsters on Wednesday announced it will not formally endorse a candidate in the 2024 presidential election, ending months of speculation about whether the labor union would back Republican Donald Trump or Democrat Kamala Harris. The union's general executive board said in a statement that its member polling showed no majority support for Harris, and no universal support for Trump.
"The Teamsters thank all candidates for meeting with members face-to-face during our unprecedented roundtables. 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 President Sean O'Brien said in the statement.
With 1.3 million members, the Teamsters union is one of the largest labor groups in the country. The non-endorsement is a break from the union's decadeslong tradition of backing Democratic candidates. But it's not a complete surprise.
O'Brien had signaled in July that the union was open to endorsing Trump when he delivered a speech on the first night of the Republican National Convention.
"As the strongest and most democratic labor union in America, it was vital for our members to drive this endorsement process. Democrats, Republicans, and Independents proudly call our union home, and we have a duty to represent and respect every one of them," O'Brien wrote.
"We strongly encourage all our members to vote in the upcoming election, and to remain engaged in the political process. But this year, no candidate for President has earned the endorsement of the Teamsters' International Union," he wrote.
In a national survey of Teamsters members conducted after the Sept. 10 presidential debate, union members overwhelmingly backed Trump over Harris, 58% to 31%, according to results published by the union ahead of its formal endorsement.
The most recent results are very different from those of surveys conducted when President Joe Biden was still the Democratic nominee. Before Biden dropped out of the race July 21, the union's rank-and-file members backed Biden over Trump, 44.3% to 36.3%.
Lack of Commitments on Key Issues Led to Decision
The union on Wednesday said neither Harris nor Trump would promise not to intervene to force contracts like those allowed under the Railway Labor Act. Such intervention would undermine workers' bargaining leverage, the statement said.
Railway Labor Act Concerns
During the Teamsters Rank-and-file Presidential Roundtables, the union shared feedback from members in the railroad and airline industries who work under the Railway Labor Act (RLA) and are at the mercy of government intervention that often prevents work stoppages. While 10,000 Teamsters at United Airlines are currently negotiating a new agreement, tens of thousands of railroad Teamsters were forced to accept a new contract implemented by Congress without member support in 2022. In roundtable discussions with Trump in January and Harris this month, neither candidate promised not to intervene to force similar RLA contracts, which undermines workers’ bargaining leverage.
The union praised Harris for pledging to sign the PRO Act, which would strengthen union protections, and criticized Trump, who refused to commit to veto national "right to work" legislation, the union said.
'Right to Work' Laws are a Red Line
"'Right to work' laws only exist to try to kill labor unions," Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman said in the statement. "It is a red line for the Teamsters."
While Harris pledged, if elected, to sign the PRO Act, an essential piece of labor legislation strengthening union protections, and criticized dangerous “right to work” laws that are enacted to bankrupt unions, Trump would not commit to veto national “right to work” legislation if he returned to the White House.
Union leaders also featured prominently at the Democratic National Convention in August, but the Teamsters — and O'Brien — were conspicuously absent. After O'Brien appeared at the RNC, a spokesperson for the union confirmed to CNBC that O'Brien had not received an invitation to speak at the Democratic convention.
Trump & Harris Respond to Teamsters Decision
"The Teamsters carry a lot of weight," Trump said at a campaign stop in New York City Wednesday afternoon. "It was always automatic that Democrats get the Teamsters, and they said we won't endorse the Democrats this year. So that was an honor for me."
Harris campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt, in response to the union's decision, said, "The Vice President's strong union record is why Teamsters locals across the country have already endorsed her — alongside the overwhelming majority of organized labor."
If Harris is elected president, "she will look out for the Teamsters rank-and-file no matter what — because they always have been and always will be the people she fights for," said Hitt.
Potential Impact on Election
The decision could influence certain battleground states in the Nov. 5 election where union membership is strong, including Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania.
O'Brien's Unique Position in Labor Politics
O'Brien made waves at this year's Republican National Convention after delivering one of the most anti-big business speeches in recent RNC memory and becoming the first boss in the organization's 121-year history to address the convention. He was not invited to speak at the Democratic National Committee.
"Today, the Teamsters are here to say we are not beholden to anyone or any party," O'Brien said during the July speech. "We will create an agenda and work with a bipartisan coalition, ready to accomplish something real for the American worker. And I don't care about getting criticized."
A New Era for the Teamsters?
The Teamsters' decision not to endorse either candidate marks a significant shift in the union's political strategy. It remains to be seen how this decision will impact the union's relationship with both political parties in the years to come. However, it is clear that the Teamsters are prioritizing their own interests and the interests of their members above all else.
