Teamsters Board Decides To Make No Presidential Endorsement This Cycle

deadline.com:

The board of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters said that it would make no presidential endorsement this cycle. Sean O’Brien, the general president of the Teamsters, said in a statement, “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.

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.” The decision came after the union released polling data of its members showing that Donald Trump was favored by 58% for endorsement, and Kamala Harris was favored by 31%.

The poll was conducted by Lake Research Partners. In a statement, the union said that “extensive member polling showed no majority support for Vice President Harris and no universal support among the membership for President Trump.” O’Brien broke with longtime tradition and spoke at the Republican National Convention this summer.

Harris had met with the board earlier this week, and Trump earlier this year. The union credited Harris with pledging to sign the PRO Act, a longtime piece of the legislation that would strengthen protections for unions, but the union noted that neither she nor Trump would promise not to intervene to force railroad contracts under the Railway Labor Act.