The Teamsters Won't Endorse Trump? They Already Have!
When you cut off your nose to spite your face.
The headline in every major news article and on every media platform on Wednesday was that the “International Brotherhood of Teamsters” will not endorse Harris or Trump for President.
“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 President Sean M. O’Brien said in a 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.”
The Teamsters have a history of endorsing presidental candidates, both Democratic and Republican is nothing new. What so special about this election? The Teamsters supported Republican candidate Richard Nixon, they endorsed Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush for president in the 1980s. They endorsed Democratic candidates Bill Clinton in the 1992, Barack Obama in 2008, Hillary Clinton in 2016, and in 2020 they endorse Joe Biden.
Teamsters Union President in 2020 Stated
“Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have both had to fight hard to get to where they are today,” Hoffa said. “The Teamsters will be just as determined working for Joe and Kamala this fall because we know they will work for our members in the White House.”
- James Hoffa - Teamster President 2020
Biden and Harris both signed the Teamsters Pledge in 2020 promising to back the union’s priorities – pension reform, collective bargaining rights and fair trade, including related legislation. They also both sat down with the Teamsters to discuss their views on the issues. That was in 2020. I do not believe Harris’s views have changed when it comes to the Unions and working for the people they represent. Yet in 2024 there has been a change in style and leadership with that of the Teamsters Priesdent Sean O’Brien. So when they say they won’t endorse a candidate in 2024. Seems to me they already have (Or O’Brien has).
When they refused to endorse a presidential candidate, the endorement was for Donald Trump.
Facts:
O’Brien met privately with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in January and held a roundtable with the former president at the union’s headquarters.
O’Brien’s prime-time address at the GOP convention, where he both praised Trump days after an assassination attempt — calling him “one tough SOB”.
The Teamsters released the results of an electronic poll of its members on Wednesday, which showed 59.6 percent supporting a Trump endorsement compared with 34 percent supporting a Harris endorsement.
Trump as president supported a labor agenda that severely restricted union power, including installing NLRB appointees whose policies and rulings made it harder for workers to join unions.
Did The Teamsters or more importantly Mr. O’Brien forget these word regarding workers rights from Donald Trump while rambling on with Musk on X.
"I look at what you do," Trump said to Musk during a two-hour interview Monday night on X, the social media platform Musk owns."You walk in, you say, 'You want to quit?' They go on strike," Trump said to Musk. "I won't mention the name of the company, but they go on strike and you say, 'That's okay, you're all gone. You're all gone. So, every one of you is gone,'" Trump said. Trump was referring to the 2022 gutting of Twitter staff after Musk took over the social media business and renamed it X.
"Firing workers for organizing, striking, and exercising their rights as Americans is economic terrorism," said Teamsters President Sean O'Brien. Yet Mr. O’Brien still mets and eats with the economic terrorist. SOMETHING STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN WITH THIS GUY! Just saying. I think they need to check the teamsters books.
The Biden-Harris administration, signed into law a measure that saved the pensions of millions of union retirees, including many in the Teamsters. As part of its 2021 pandemic aid, the administration included the Butch Lewis Act to save the underfunded pensions of more than 1 million union workers and retirees’ underfunded pensions. The act was named after retired Ohio trucker and Teamsters union leader Butch Lewis, who spent the last years of his life fighting to prevent massive cuts to the Teamsters’ Central States Pension Fund. Vice President Harris has pledged to sign the PRO Act, which would strengthen union protections and is something the Teamsters support.
Protecting the Right to Organize Act (Pro Act):
The PRO Act would prevent employees seeking to join a labor union from being fired. It would allow unions to override "right-to-work" laws, allowing labor unions to collect dues from all employees in a workplace, regardless of whether or not they are a member of a labor union.
“Our members are the union, and their voices and opinions must be at the forefront of everything the Teamsters do. Our final decision around a possible Presidential endorsement will not be made lightly, but you can be sure it will be driven directly by our diverse membership," O'Brien added.
Diverse membership Mr. O’Brien says. Well how diverse is the teamsters?
Following the Republican National Convention and Biden’s campaign exit, the Teamsters commissioned a national electronic poll of its 1.3 million members, overseen by an independent third party. During a voting window from July 24-Sept. 15, rank-and-file Teamsters voted 59.6 percent for the union to endorse Trump, compared to 34 percent for Harris. Looks like the Teamsters polling reflects their diversity. So when close to 60% of Teamsters in a poll say they would support Trump for president then the teamsters should not endorse him. Right.
So why not endorse VP Harris? The Vice President hasn’t changed her stance on Labor and Unions. They are the same as Bidens. So what has changed. The person at the top of the ticket. Her Gender? Her race?
"So when Joe Biden ran in 2020 the Teamsters endorsed. Biden-Harris was then the most pro union administration ever, yet support eroded when Harris was top of ticket," Van Lathan tweeted. "What changed I wonder???"
Yeah. We see you Teamsters, oh excuse me “International Brotherhood of Teamsters”.
Chris Towler, who is a political science professor at Sacramento State University, tweeted the straw poll results showing support for Biden prior to him dropping out and new support for Trump when matched up against Harris. He opined that it was "no surprise the first Democratic candidate in almost 40 years to not get their endorsement is also the first woman of color to lead a major party ticket."
Your polling survey numbers say Trump. It couldn’t possibly be on his for his policies on Unions?
Facts:
The Trump administration pursued policies that were hardly union-friendly, his policies limited employees’ rights to organize in certain types of workplaces and lowering the standard to rid workplaces of a union. Through a series of executive orders signed in 2018, Trump decimated the power of those unions, weakening their ability to bargain contracts and curtailing the amount of time union representatives can spend helping members with their complaints. The Trump-led NLRB also lowered the standard needed for employers to oust an existing union and ruled in employers’ favor on setting handbook rules, a seemingly small issue but one that carries big implications for workplace standards. The board under Trump further made it easier for employers to classify workers as independent contractors, rather than employees, meaning those workers could no longer be covered by the law protecting employees’ rights to organize or collectively bargain.
So we know it’s not Union policies. It must be something else. Maybe it is his MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN policies. Say I’m wrong. I don’t think I am and numbers don’t like. The Teamster Union know who they are catering too. They just wanna have it both ways. This isn’t about Union policies. This is about trumpism. And true to what the country has become divided, so is the Teamsters.
So as it stands today.
Labor Unions that have endorsed Harris
United Auto Workers (UAW)
AFL-CIO
American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
National Education Association (NEA)
United Steelworkers (USW)
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
United Food & Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW)
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
Labor Unions that have endorsed Trump
Florida Police Benevolent Association
International Union of Police Associations
National Association of Police Organizations
National Fraternal Order of Police
Labor Unions that have declined to endorsed a candidate
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters
The Teamsters polling numbers show us who they really are and what they really believe. And when their President Sean O’Brien went down to Mar a Lago to kiss the ring, that was all she wrote. It was done and done.
I just would like to remind the Teamsters. That close to 60% maga Teamsters. You might be a trumper. But Trump is certainly not a Union Man.
“Everywhere I go, I tell people, 'Look, you may not be a union member, you better thank a union member for the five-day work week, You better thank a union member for sick leave. You better thank a union member for paid leave. You better thank a union member for vacation time.
“Because what we know is when union wages go up, everybody’s wages go up.”
Vice President Kamala Harris.
CellyBlue - I Do Know This.
Please note that Teamsters Joint Councils 7 & 42 (West Coast) and 32 (Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin) have endorsed Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
Also the Iron Workers Union have endorsed Harris/Walz as well!
https://www.ironworkers.org/s/news/iron-workers-union-endorses-harris-for-president
Sad, indeed. Racism and sexism all at once.