Harris Campaign Hosts Teamsters Roundtable to Discuss Workers' Rights

Harris Campaign Sets Roundtable with Teamsters

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is set to host a roundtable with Vice President Harris and the union’s members and executives on Sept. 16. We appreciate Vice President Harris taking the time to meet in person with rank-and-file Teamsters. Our members are the backbone of this nation, working in all 50 states and representing every political background. We look forward to having a conversation on the direction of the country and the issues that matter to working people, Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said in a statement first shared with The Hill.

Roundtable Significance in Presidential Endorsements

The Teamsters have this year hosted roundtables with former President Trump, President Biden, and third-party candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West. The Harris campaign accepted the union’s invitation to join the roundtable last month ahead of the Democratic National Convention.

The Teamsters have yet to make an endorsement in the presidential race, even as other unions and labor organizations, including the United Auto Workers (UAW), the AFL-CIO, and the Teamsters National Black Caucus, have endorsed Harris since she launched her campaign in mid-July. O’Brien stated that the union had not yet issued an endorsement because he hasn’t met with Harris, emphasizing that you don't hire someone unless you give them an interview.

Historically, the Teamsters endorsed Biden during the 2020 election but have challenged the notion that unions should automatically endorse Democrats. O’Brien stated, “we have an obligation to do our due diligence” and “not just automatically support one side.” O'Brien also rebuked the former president for suggesting that striking workers should be fired, calling the proposal “economic terrorism.”

Harris is leading Trump by 10 points among union households, according to a Fox News poll released last month. She has been a vocal supporter of the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which would enhance workers’ ability to form unions and bargain with employers.