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SHOCK POLL: Teamster Members Support Trump Over Harris—By A Wide Margin
Members did support Biden over Trump, however, a majority do not support Harris.
By Peter List, Editor | September 18, 2024
For several months, unlike most unions, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters has engaged its members in determining who, if anyone, the union would endorse for President.
On Wednesday, following a meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris earlier this week, and citing the fact that neither candidate would commit to not using government intervention to interfere in the union’s business, the union announced that it would not be endorsing any candidate in the 2024 election.
However, another possible reason for the refusal to endorse either candidate could be that, according to union’s own polls, more Teamster members support former President Donald Trump than those who support Kamala Harris, reports Just the News.
The union's phone poll showed 58% of members backed Trump while 31% backed Harris. Six percent were undecided and 5% did not know. Trump's margin increased in the electronic member poll, with 59.6% of respondents backing him, compared to 34% who preferred Harris and 6.4% who wanted someone else.
Although a majority of Teamster members polled had earlier supported President Joe Biden’s re-election, after he left the race, that support did not transfer to Harris.
“The results represent a significant departure from earlier polling with President Joe Biden in the race.” Just the News reported. “A Teamsters Union straw poll completed in early July showed Biden leading Trump 44.3% to 36.3%.”
Following President Biden’s removal from the presidential campaign, nearly all unions immediately endorsed Harris’ candidacy without polling their members.
However, as the union had not yet endorsed anyone, Teamsters president Sean O’Brien very publicly stated that the union would not endorse anyone without having a meeting first.
That meeting took place on Monday, with Vice President Harris meeting with the Teamsters’ Executive Board.in Washington, DC.
“Vice President Kamala Harris held a sometimes tense meeting with Teamsters leaders on Monday,” the New York Times reported, “defending the Biden administration’s labor policies against pointed questions and concluding with a promise that she would win the presidency and treat the union fairly with or without its backing.”
I would like to know how many Teamster members actually participated in the poll. As a union activist, I know that my union conducts a poll, but only about 25% respond to the presidential poll. I believe it's important for President O'Brien to provide that information. Additionally, President O'Brien was elected through a democratic process. Does he think that former President Trump believes in the same process, or does Vice President Harris support democracy over autocracy?