The Worldwide Brotherhood of Teamsters mentioned Wednesday the union is not going to endorse any U.S. presidential candidate regardless of polls displaying a majority of members backing Republican candidate Donald Trump over Democrat Kamala Harris.
The 1.3 million-member union, which represents truck drivers and a variety of different staff from airline pilots to zookeepers, had launched a nationwide digital survey of its members on Wednesday displaying rank-and-file members most popular the previous president over Vice President Harris by 59.6 p.c to 34 p.c.
The Teamsters have supported each Democratic presidential candidate since 2000, however have often backed Republicans, together with President Ronald Reagan in 1984 and Vice President George H.W. Bush in 1988. That is the primary time since 1996 that the union has not endorsed both candidate.
Most main unions have endorsed Harris, together with the United Auto Employees union. The AFL-CIO, which represents 60 unions and 12.5 million staff, endorsed Harris in July.
The endorsement by the Teamsters govt board had been broadly anticipated as a result of it was seen as a think about a handful of swing states that can determine the Nov. 5 election, together with Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania, the place union membership is robust.
“We have been unable to get strong commitments on our core points,” Teamsters President Sean O’Brien instructed Fox Information in explaining the union’s determination. “There was no help. I feel that sends a message to each events that in the event that they actually need to help staff, they should reevaluate it and perceive that nothing is taken as a right, it’s earned.”
Harris marketing campaign spokeswoman Lauren Hitt famous that regardless of the nationwide union’s determination, some native Teamsters unions have rallied behind Harris. “When she is elected president, she is going to look out for the rank and file of Teamsters it doesn’t matter what, as a result of they’ve all the time been and all the time would be the folks she fights for,” Hitt mentioned.
Chatting with reporters at a New York bar, Trump mentioned of the Teamsters’ determination to not endorse a candidate: “It is an ideal honor. They are not going to endorse the Democrats. That is an enormous deal.”
In a subsequent survey, the union mentioned that after the Sept. 10 presidential debate, unbiased polling agency Lake Analysis Companions present in a ballot ending Sept. 15 that Teamsters members chosen Trump by 58 p.c for his or her endorsement, versus 31 p.c for Harris.
O’Brien and different union representatives met with Harris on Monday after assembly with Trump in January.
The Teamsters mentioned their very own polling information confirmed that earlier than Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race on July 21, members backed Biden by 44.3 p.c to Trump’s 36.3 p.c.
O’Brien spoke on the Republican Nationwide Conference in July, but in addition criticized Trump for suggesting that staff who strike might be fired.