Several Joint Council Leaders Pledge Support for Vice President Kamala Harris After Union Announces Neutrality in Presidential Race
Author: Charisma Madarang
### Charisma Madarang
September 19, 2024
On July 30, 2024, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Julia Beverly/Getty Images
After the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (Teamsters) broke tradition by announcing it would not endorse any candidate for president this election cycle, several joint councils in key states like Nevada, Michigan, and Wisconsin have publicly declared their support for Democratic nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris.
“After six months of reviewing a national membership survey and nearly a year of grassroots roundtable interviews with all major presidential candidates, the union found that neither former President Donald Trump nor Vice President Kamala Harris had made significant commitments on top truck driver issues—and there was no clear preference among members for either candidate,” the Teamsters General Executive Board announced Wednesday.
The union’s decision stands out ahead of the November election as most major unions support Harris, including the United Auto Workers, AFL-CIO, National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, and United Steelworkers.
Earlier this week, the Teamsters released an electronic survey showing nearly 60% of members supported Trump, while a phone survey indicated that 58% chose Trump over Harris at 31%. Trump boasted these numbers during his campaign rally in New York on Wednesday. However, joint councils and local unions, including the Long Island chapter, have come out in support of Harris.
“As Vice President to the most pro-union administration in history, Kamala Harris has worked with truck drivers and other union workers to pass the historic Butch Lewis Act, which has saved over a million retirees’ pensions,” said Bill Carroll, president of Wisconsin Teamsters Joint Council 39. “This November, we will join millions of union workers across the country again to defeat Donald Trump.”
Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, have also received support from Michigan Joint Council 43, which wrote: “Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz have consistently demonstrated their commitment to supporting the labor movement, securing Social Security, and ensuring all Americans access quality healthcare, including women’s reproductive rights.”
Representing over 300,000 truck drivers in California, Nevada, Hawaii, and Guam, Joint Councils 7 and 42 support Harris and Walz, stating they are “committed to supporting workers through action, such as backing the Protecting Organizing Rights Act.” The statement also highlighted a bill signed by Walz that bans mandatory captive audience meetings. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) shared this endorsement on X with the caption: “Truck drivers in Nevada know Kamala Harris is a fighter for our union workers. She supports us, and we will unite all unions across the state to support her.”
In August, Teamsters President Sean O’Brien sparked an internal rebellion within the union when he spoke at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. O’Brien also applied to speak at the Democratic National Convention but was not invited. Instead, the DNC invited rank-and-file truck drivers who have kept their pensions thanks to the Biden-Harris administration.
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Source: Rolling Stone
