The powerful Teamsters union has decided not to endorse either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris for president, in a major blow to the Democrat.
The move comes weeks after Teamsters boss Sean O’Brien spoke at the Republican national convention, and days after Harris met with union leaders.
A letter from the union’s executive board reveals a split among members and an erosion in support for the Democrat when Joe Biden resigned in July.
“President Joe Biden won the support of Teamsters in informal polls conducted at local unions between April and July before dropping out of the race,” the statement said, citing data from member surveys. “But in independent electronic and telephone polls conducted between July and September, a majority of voting members twice selected Trump as a likely Teamsters nominee over Harris.”
‘The extensive survey of union members did not show majority support for Vice President Harris or universal support among members for President Trump.’
That left leaders of the union, which includes truck drivers and a variety of other professions, with the difficult position of selecting a candidate who did not have strong backing from their own members.
The Teamsters union is not endorsing either candidate, representing a political victory for former President Donald Trump.
The union, which is more conservative than many other unions that align with Democrats, has not endorsed a Republican since 1988. It also did not do so in 1996 during Bill Clinton’s re-election campaign.
The high-stakes move comes in an election in which rust belt states are crucial. Public polls show Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, all with strong union membership, are in contention.
It is the only one of the country’s ten major unions that does not support Harris.
According to data released by the union, rank-and-file voters voted for Trump over Harris by 60-34 percent.
Vice President Harris had sought the group’s endorsement, though the union boss did not speak at its convention after addressing Trump’s.
The announcement was the latest labor move in a hotly contested election. Biden made a point of marching with striking UAW workers earlier this year. And Trump sparked controversy with an approving comment to Elon Musk on Platform X when Musk talked about firing striking workers.
The Teamsters also criticized both candidates for failing to commit to supporting them on key issues.
“After reviewing six months of nationwide membership surveys and concluding nearly a year of roundtable interviews with all of the major presidential candidates, the union was left with few commitments on key Teamsters issues from both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, and found no definitive support among members for either party’s nominee,” it said.
Harris did not speak to reporters when she met with Teamsters leaders days ago.
The AFL-CIO, with its 12.5 million workers, endorsed Harris this summer, and the United Auto Workers union also supports her.
The announcement came hours after a big news story in the market, when the Federal Reserve announced a 50 basis point interest rate cut. It was the first rate cut since the start of the pandemic and showed a decline in inflation.
Before dropping out, Biden was leading Harris in Teamsters polls, 44 percent to 36 percent.
In a statement from the Trump campaign, the non-endorsement was treated as a victory. “While the Teamsters Executive Board has not issued any formal endorsement, the hard-working members of the Teamsters have been clear and forceful: they want President Trump back in the White House! These hard-working men and women are the backbone of America and President Trump will stand firmly behind them when he returns to the White House,” said national press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
At the White House, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to comment but called Biden the “most pro-union president in history” and said he is “proud to have that title.”