Teamsters Union Won’t Endorse a Presidential Candidate for 2024

For the first time in almost 30 years, the Teamsters decided not to endorse anyone for the upcoming presidential election. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is a union of freight drivers and warehouse workers formed in 1903. Since 1996 – the last time the union decided not to support a candidate – the Teamsters have supported the Democratic Party in every presidential election.

The Teamsters have endorsed some Republicans through the years, as well, including Richard Nixon in 1972, Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984, and George H.W. Bush in 1988. But, like most unions, the political affiliation of the organization has leaned reliably Democratic. The union endorsed Al Gore, John Kerry, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden – every Democrat to run for president since 1996 – but they have refused to back Kamala Harris.

Polling the Teamsters

Before the current president, Joe Biden, ended his campaign for re-election, a survey of union members showed that 44% supported him. However, a more recent poll shows that only 31% supports Vice President Kamala Harris, and almost 60% back former President Donald Trump. Still, though the organization has refused to endorse Harris, it also will not endorse Trump.

The Teamsters released a press statement, which reads: “The union’s extensive member polling showed no majority support for Vice President Harris and no universal support among the membership for President Trump.” Notice the difference in numbers and wording there: The statement makes it clear that Harris needed a majority. That’s 50% plus one more person. But she fell short of that, coming in at just 31%. On the other hand, Even though Trump had 60% of the members’ support – 10% more than Harris would have needed, based on the wording of their own statement – it wasn’t enough because he would have needed “universal support.” One must assume that means 100%, or very close to it. And so neither candidate gets the endorsement.

The union also gives a lack of commitments as a reason. The title of the press release was “International Union Cites Strong Political Divides, Few Commitments from Candidates.” The Teamsters claim neither Harris nor Trump would promise not to interfere in union campaigns and wouldn’t commit to honoring their members’ right to strike. As an example, they highlighted feedback from members of the railroad and airline industries who work under the Railway Labor Act. “While 10,000 Teamsters at United Airlines are currently negotiating a new agreement, tens of thousands of railroad Teamsters were forced to accept a new contract implemented by Congress without member support in 2022,” the press release explained.

Even though the Teamsters didn’t endorse anyone, Donald Trump counts it as a win. “The Teamsters carry a lot of weight,” the former president told Fox News. “It was always automatic that the Democrats get the Teamsters, and they said they won’t endorse the Democrats this year, so that was an honor for me.” The refusal to endorse a candidate does send a powerful message: Neither party can take for granted the support of labor unions.