Vice President Kamala Harris has won the endorsement of the National Black Caucus of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters — even as the larger union withholds its endorsement.
Caucus members voted unanimously Tuesday to support Harris at a conference in Las Vegas. Publicly supporting Harris risks resistance from a union with a history of retaliation.
The political convention, known as TNBC, praised Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for their “unwavering commitment to workers and their families” in a statement released after the vote.
“His records reflect a deep dedication to advancing labor rights and supporting the American working class,” he said.
Labor organizations rushed to support Harris after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race. But the Teamsters have been a remarkable holdout.
President Sean O’Brien said the union plans to support a presidential candidate after both conventions and has invited all candidates for interviews. Harris, who was invited last month when she became a presidential candidate, has not yet given an interview.
TNBC Chairman James Curbeam said in the statement that the caucus based its decision on former President Donald Trump’s actions in his career in politics and business.
“When people show you who they are, believe them and Trump has shown us for 40 years who he really is: someone who is not for us,” Curbeam said. “Supporting a candidate’s story would be a betrayal of the values we fight to defend.”
The Teamsters typically don’t endorse until after both parties’ conventions, but O’Brien’s outreach efforts to Republicans and speech at their convention in July have upset some members.
The Teamsters president told NBC 10 Boston that, as of Tuesday, he had not received an invitation from Democrats to speak.
A union poll this summer showed pluralistic support for Biden. The Teamsters are surveying their members for the second time with an online poll.
In Chicago, there will be no shortage of organized labor support for Harris. In addition to the several unions that have already supported the Democratic candidate, union labor was used to help build and support the convention, according to convention organizers.
“We are building a convention in Chicago that will tell our story to the American people, including the stories of labor and union leaders and workers across America who support the Harris-Walz ticket and its pro-union record and vision,” said Matt Hill , DNC Senior Director of Communications.
