Worldwide Union Cites Sturdy Political Divides, Few Commitments from Candidates

(WASHINGTON) — The Normal Govt Board of the Worldwide Brotherhood of Teamsters on Wednesday elected to not endorse any candidate for U.S. President.

After reviewing six months of nationwide member polling and wrapping up practically a yr of rank-and-file roundtable interviews with all main candidates for the presidency, the union was left with few commitments on high Teamsters points from both former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris—and located no definitive assist amongst members for both celebration’s nominee.

In information publicly launched earlier within the day, President Joe Biden received the assist of Teamsters voting in straw polls at native unions between April-July previous to his exit from the race. However in unbiased digital and cellphone polling from July-September, a majority of voting members twice chosen Trump for a potential Teamsters endorsement over Harris.

The union’s intensive member polling confirmed no majority assist for Vice President Harris and no common assist among the many membership for President Trump.

“The Teamsters thank all candidates for assembly with members face-to-face throughout our unprecedented roundtables. Sadly, neither main candidate was capable of make critical commitments to our union to make sure the pursuits of working persons are all the time put earlier than Huge Enterprise. We sought commitments from each Trump and Harris to not intervene in vital union campaigns or core Teamsters industries—and to honor our members’ proper to strike—however have been unable to safe these pledges,” mentioned Teamsters Normal President Sean M. O’Brien.

“Our mission as union representatives is evident: to be trustworthy and upfront, to be inclusive and, above all, to be clear with our membership. Because the strongest and most democratic labor union in America, it was important for our members to drive this endorsement course of. Democrats, Republicans, and Independents proudly name our union house, and we’ve got an obligation to symbolize and respect each one in every of them. We strongly encourage all our members to vote within the upcoming election, and to stay engaged within the political course of. However this yr, no candidate for President has earned the endorsement of the Teamsters’ Worldwide Union.”

Through the Teamsters Rank-and-file Presidential Roundtables, the union shared suggestions from members within the railroad and airline industries who work below the Railway Labor Act (RLA) and are on the mercy of presidency intervention that usually prevents work stoppages. Whereas 10,000 Teamsters at United Airways are at the moment negotiating a brand new settlement, tens of 1000’s of railroad Teamsters have been compelled to just accept a brand new contract carried out by Congress with out member assist in 2022. In roundtable discussions with Trump in January and Harris this month, neither candidate promised to not intervene to power comparable RLA contracts, which undermines employees’ bargaining leverage.

Whereas Harris pledged, if elected, to signal the PRO Act, a vital piece of labor laws strengthening union protections, and criticized harmful “proper to work” legal guidelines which are enacted to bankrupt unions, Trump wouldn’t decide to veto nationwide “proper to work” laws if he returned to the White Home.

“‘Proper to work’ legal guidelines solely exist to attempt to kill labor unions,” mentioned Teamsters Normal Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman. “It’s a pink line for the Teamsters and have to be for any union when a candidate for elected workplace doesn’t oppose such anti-worker laws. It’s too essential a difficulty for the labor motion as a complete to be left as much as state legislatures.”

Based in 1903, the Worldwide Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking individuals within the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Go to Teamster.org for extra data. Observe us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Fb at Fb.com/teamsters.