How does the Teamsters union’s donation to a GOP cause impact Democrats?

While most unions have already endorsed President Joe Biden, one big fish in the labor movement is spreading the love around and holding out its support.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters turned heads by donating $45,000 to the Republican National Committee earlier this year, and has now made further GOP inroads by donating $5,000 to Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO).

The union, which represents 1.3 million transportation workers at UPS and other companies, donated to Hawley in his reelection campaign against Lucas Kunce, according to Axios.

Hawley himself is unusual in some respects, having joined picket lines with the Teamsters and the United Auto Workers in the St. Louis area. In 2022, he voted in favor of a measure from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to add seven paid sick days to a contract for rail workers.

The union says it’s more focused on issues than party affiliation.

“Regardless of party, the Teamsters will work with elected officials who meaningfully take action to stand up for working people,” spokeswoman Kara Deniz said, pointing to Hawley’s help with the St. Louis strike. “When you take steps to work in the best interests of working people and help us hold Corporate America accountable, the Teamsters will support you.”

She said the voices of Teamsters members will be heard at both major parties’ political conventions this summer.

“Working people face far too many challenges in this country today for labor unions not to be involved at every level,” Deniz added.

Still, for the union to donate to the GOP at all can be seen as unusual. The RNC donation was its first to the organization in 20 years.

Most of the money donated by the Teamsters and its DRIVE PAC this cycle has gone to Democrats, including Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), and California state Sen. Scott Wiener.

But Federal Election Commission records show a trickle of donations to Republican causes. The Teamsters gave $1,000 to Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and $5,000 to the Republican Main Street Partnership PAC in February.

The Teamsters PAC gave $1.28 million to Democrats in 2022, compared to just $30,000 to Republicans in 2022, meaning it has already donated more to GOP causes this cycle than last.

Dan Bowling, who teaches courses on labor unions at Georgia State University, says the Teamsters have always had an independent streak relative to other unions.

“I promise you the teachers unions haven’t donated to Josh Hawley,” he said. “The Teamsters are more independent, maybe even a little more conservative. They’re truckers.”

For his part, Hawley has courted Teamsters’ support, including for his legislation to raise tariffs on autos imported from China.

The RNC donation came the same day that Teamsters leaders met, for the second time this year, with former President Donald Trump, who has heavily courted union members despite lacking support from union leadership. Though the Teamsters made an equal donation to the Democratic National Committee, the split donations represented a departure from recent precedent.

“Within the union itself, I have tremendous support,” Trump said following his meeting with Teamsters President Sean O’Brien. “They like what I do. They never had a better four years than they had during the Trump administration. I can say that for a lot of businesses and a lot of people, African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, they had the best four years they’ve ever had.”

There has long been a gap between the political activity of union leaders and the voting habits of rank-and-file union members. Biden won 56% of union votes in 2020 to Trump’s 40%. But unions gave nearly 90% of their political contributions to Democrats.

Biden launched his 2020 presidential campaign at a Teamsters hall in Pittsburgh, with labor organizations contributing .5 million to back his White House bid.

But Trump has actively sought other union endorsements, or at least the votes of union members, during the current cycle. When Biden visited a United Auto Workers picket line in Michigan last September, Trump spoke at a nonunion shop and promised he’d be better for workers.

Trump has also attacked electric vehicles as bad for workers, an issue that could be at play with the Teamsters.

The Teamsters endorsed Biden during the 2020 election cycle and backed Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama before him. It last endorsed a Republican presidential candidate in 1988.

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Bowling predicts the union will probably endorse Biden in the end, though he could also see it taking a “members decide” stance, and says there’s maybe a 25% chance it endorses Trump.

“I think their membership will be very supportive of Trump, and will vote for Trump,” he said.

Read More From Original Article Here: Teamsters union donates to another GOP cause. What does it mean for Democrats?