Teamsters Union declines to endorse either presidential candidate

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, long a stalwart in presidential races, on Wednesday declined to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris or former Donald President Trump, citing a lack of commitment to workers’ rights from either presidential candidate.

It’s the first time since 1996 the union has withheld an endorsement for president.

The move comes after six months of research and candidate meetings that “found no definitive support among members for either party’s nominee,” the union said in a statement after its General Executive Board met Wednesday.

The normally Democrat-backing, 1.3 million-member union said neither Democratic nominee Harris nor Republican candidate Trump met its criteria for supporting workers’ rights.

“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,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said in the statement.

“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,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien.

Two days earlier, Harris had met with the union’s leaders and listened to Harris’s platform, but found it wanting, O’Brien said. And, although he controversially addressed the Republican National Convention earlier this summer, the rank-and-file did not appear to overwhelmingly support the former president for a second term.

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