Teamsters will not endorse Trump or Harris in Nov. election

STORY: The Teamsters union said Wednesday they won’t endorse any U.S. presidential candidate for the first time since 1996.

That’s despite a majority of members backing Donald Trump over Kamala Harris in polls.

A recent poll the Teamsters released Wednesday shows 59.6% of its members preferred the Republican candidate, compared to 34% for Democrat Harris.

The union counts some 1.3 million members, working as everything from truck drivers and airline pilots to zookeepers.

They have endorsed Democrats in every presidential contest since the year 2000.

However, Teamsters President Sean O'Brien made a high-profile appearance at the Republican National Convention, backing Trump.

He told Fox News the union's decision to decline an endorsement came after they, QUOTE, “couldn’t get solid commitments on our core issues”

A Teamsters executive board endorsement could be important to either candidate in the November election.

It's seen as a potential factor in a handful of battleground states that may decide the results, including Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania, where union membership is strong.

Speaking to reporters in New York, Trump responded to the Teamsters decision not to endorse a candidate by saying “It's a great honor. They're not going to endorse the Democrats. That's a big thing."

Most major unions have endorsed Harris, including the United Auto Workers union.

The AFL-CIO, which represents 60 unions and 12.5 million workers, endorsed Harris in July.