Louisville Teamsters union endorses presidential candidate despite no national endorsement

A local Teamsters union has decided to endorse a presidential candidate even though the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union opted not to endorse either candidate ahead of the November election.

Teamsters Local 89, the union branch based in Louisville and representing workers at UPS, has decided to endorse current Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

"As leaders of Local 89, it is paramount that we are open and honest with our membership, even when whatneeds to be said may not be well received by some," a press release from Local 89 stated. "We respect that some of our members choose to personally support former President Trump, but it is our duty to inform all Local 89 Teamsters that when it comes to what candidates will support Organized Labor and the values we stand for, Harris-Walz is the clear choice by far."

Earlier this year, International Brotherhood of Teamsters President Sean O'Brien spoke at the Republican National Convention. O'Brien, alongside rank-and-file Teamsters from around the nation, previously held roundtables with President Joe Biden before he dropped off the Democrat running ticket and with former President Donald Trump.

O'Brien previously said the Teamsters would not endorse a candidate without meeting them. Harris met with the Teamsters earlier this week.

"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 said.

In a press release, Local 89 stated that Harris' support of "organized labor on key issues" was a large determining factor in the endorsement. The local union also paid a head nod to Walz, noting he is a "card-carrying union member" from his time as a teacher in Minnesota as well as an advocate for the labor movement during his time as governor.

Besides recognizing the pro-labor stances of Harris and Walz, the press release states the union issued a poll among its local members which showed, "Local 89 members voted overwhelmingly against Donald Trump."

"In 2024, it is clear Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are the candidates who will stand with us when we need them the most, and so we encourage all members of Teamsters Local 89 to support the candidates who will support our Union by casting their ballots for the Harris-Walz ticket on Tuesday, Nov. 5."

Contact business reporter Olivia Evans at [email protected] or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @oliviamevans_.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville's Teamsters union endorse Harris-Walz presidential ticket