One of America's most influential labor unions, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, has decided not to endorse a U.S. presidential candidate for the first time since 1996. The union, representing approximately 1.3 million members in the U.S. and Canada, stated that it received "few commitments on key Teamsters issues" from either Democratic nominee Kamala Harris or Republican nominee Donald Trump. Additionally, a poll of its members showed "no definitive support" for either candidate, although recent surveys indicated significant backing for Trump. This decision poses a significant setback for the Harris campaign as it seeks to engage working-class voters with less than 50 days until election night.
An endorsement could have rallied thousands of Teamsters living, working, and voting in key battleground states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Shortly after the announcement, some Teamsters regional councils representing over half a million members in Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, and California declared their support for Harris.
In a statement, the Harris campaign emphasized its backing from "the overwhelming majority of organized labor," highlighting that many Teamsters locals are supporting her candidacy. "While Donald Trump claims that striking workers should be fired, Vice President Harris has consistently stood with organized labor throughout her career, even walking the picket line," said campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt.
The union's rank-and-file, which includes freight drivers, warehouse workers, and airline pilots, has long been recognized for its political diversity. Since taking over as General President in 2022, Sean O'Brien has made efforts to engage with Republicans, reaching out to more populist figures like U.S. Senators Josh Hawley of Missouri and J.D. Vance of Ohio, who is now Trump’s running mate. O'Brien also met privately with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in January, shortly before the former president participated in a roundtable with the union's board in Washington, D.C. Following that meeting, Trump expressed confidence in securing the union's endorsement.
The board also met with President Joe Biden before he officially became the Democratic nominee, as well as with third-party candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West. However, the union caused concern among Democrats when it made its first financial contributions to opponents in years, donating the maximum allowed amount of $45,000 each to both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions in February.
O'Brien and other leaders have frequently recognized that Biden has been "great for unions." However, prior to his withdrawal in July, some reports indicated that the Teamsters were not planning to endorse Biden's re-election bid.
Correction: An earlier version of this story has been updated to clarify that the Teamsters are the fourth largest union in the U.S., not the largest.