The International Brotherhood of Teamsters declined to endorse a candidate for president on Wednesday, announcing that they'll throw their support behind no one in the upcoming presidential election.
The decision not to endorse came shortly after the union released internal polling data that showed a strong preference for former president Donald Trump among the union's rank-and-file. Nearly 60% of the union's membership voiced their support for Trump in in-person straw polls that ran from April through September. Only 34% said they would vote for Kamala Harris.
“Our members are the union, and their voices and opinions must be at the forefront of everything the Teamsters do," Teamsters President Sean O'Brien said of the polls in a statement.
The union shared that their decision not to endorse came after they couldn't secure promises from either candidate.
“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,” O’Brien shared. “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 non-endorsement is the first time that the 1.3-million-member union has opted out of choosing a candidate in almost 30 years. It comes after O'Brien spoke at the Republican National Convention earlier this year, promising an openness to working with any candidate who would advance the goals of his union.
"We want to know one thing: 'What are you doing to help American workers?'" he said at the time. "As a negotiator, I know that no window or door should ever be permanently shut."
The move comes as a surprise, as the union endorsed the Biden-Harris campaign in 2020. The Biden Administration also secured a significant victory for retired Teamsters, protecting their pensions from cuts under their COVID-19 relief plan.
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