{"id":2344033,"date":"2024-09-20T16:06:02","date_gmt":"2024-09-20T20:06:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/teamsters-president-faces-internal-revolt-over-harris-endorsement-snub-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-20T16:07:52","modified_gmt":"2024-09-20T20:07:52","slug":"teamsters-president-faces-internal-revolt-over-harris-endorsement-snub-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/teamsters-president-faces-internal-revolt-over-harris-endorsement-snub-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Teamsters president faces internal revolt over Harris endorsement snub &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fteamsters-president-faces-internal-revolt-over-harris-endorsement-snub-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2344033&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The International \u200bBrotherhood of Teamsters, led \u2064by President Sean O&#8217;Brien, is facing significant\u200c internal turmoil following the union&#8217;s decision to remain neutral in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sen-rand-paul-offers-dr-rachel-levine-as-example-of-radical-agenda-riding-bidens-coattails\/\" title=\"Sen. Rand Paul Offers Dr. Rachel Levine As Example Of Radical Agenda Riding Biden\u2019s Coattails\">upcoming presidential election<\/a>, a\u2062 shift\u2063 from decades of endorsing Democratic candidates. O&#8217;Brien explained that neither major candidate made serious commitments to the union&#8217;s members, who are\u200b primarily truckers and \u2064warehouse workers. <\/p>\n<p>In response to the union&#8217;s non-endorsement \u2063of Vice President Kamala Harris, \u2063numerous\u2064 local chapters across the\u2062 country, including\u2064 those in Wisconsin and Nevada, have independently endorsed her, creating a \u2062rift\u2062 between \u200cthe national leadership and local leaders. This division is accentuated by\u2064 a survey indicating that 58% of Teamsters support former President\u2064 Trump, compared to 31% for \u200dHarris.<\/p>\n<p>O&#8217;Brien&#8217;s decision has drawn criticism, including a denunciation from former Teamsters president James \u200cHoffa, who labeled it a\u2064 &#8220;failure\u2062 of leadership.&#8221;\u200b The backlash highlights the tensions within the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/time-well-funded-cabal-of-powerful-people-saved-democracy\/\" title=\"TIME: \u2018Well-Funded Cabal Of Powerful People\u2019 Saved Democracy\">labor movement<\/a> regarding support for Trump\u200c and raises questions about the union&#8217;s direction under O&#8217;Brien&#8217;s \u200bleadership, who has sought to engage more with Republican\u200c leaders while avoiding commitments to Democratic candidates.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Teamsters president faces internal revolt over Harris endorsement snub<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1763869\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/teamsters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Teamsters<\/a>&nbsp;President Sean O&rsquo;Brien&nbsp;is navigating an internal revolt over the union&rsquo;s decision not to endorse Vice President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Kamala Harris<\/a>, with local chapters rushing to endorse her anyway.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The Teamsters executive board voted to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3158467\/teamsters-members-back-trump-over-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>stay neutral<\/a> in the presidential race on Wednesday, upending decades of precedent. In every election since 1996, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/unions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>union<\/a> has endorsed the Democratic candidate for president.<\/p>\n<p>O&rsquo;Brien said that &ldquo;neither major candidate was able to make serious commitments to the union,&rdquo; largely made up of truckers and warehouse workers, in explaining its choice. But the announcement did not sit well with some Teamsters leaders.<\/p>\n<p>Around two dozen councils from Wisconsin to Nevada have endorsed Harris in defiance of the national organization. Kevin Moore, the president of the Michigan Teamsters,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.freep.com\/story\/news\/politics\/elections\/2024\/09\/20\/michigan-teamsters-council-endorses-kamala-harris-for-president\/75303851007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">greeted her<\/a>&nbsp;on a tarmac Thursday in Detroit after extending his support.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In Michigan, we understand this is a blue-wall state,&rdquo; Moore&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wxyz.com\/news\/michigan-teamsters-endorses-harris-walz-campaign-in-presidential-race\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told<\/a>&nbsp;WXYZ, an ABC affiliate in Detroit. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve seen four years of Donald Trump. It&rsquo;s the same old rhetoric, and we&rsquo;re not going back.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/3160586\/who-has-hasnt-endorsed-harris-trump-election-cycle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong>WHO HAS AND HASN&rsquo;T ENDORSED HARRIS AND TRUMP THIS ELECTION CYCLE?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Chapter leaders, representing hundreds of thousands of members nationally, have softened the political black eye for Harris, who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3155618\/teamsters-withholds-endorsement-kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>days earlier<\/a> interviewed with the Teamsters at the union&rsquo;s Washington headquarters.<\/p>\n<p>On Friday, the Harris campaign <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/IanSams\/status\/1837201932269613203\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>celebrated<\/a> the endorsement of the Pennsylvania Conference of Teamsters.<\/p>\n<p>But the leaders have also exposed a growing rift within the labor movement over how to handle rank-and-file support for Trump. Fifty-eight percent of Teamsters back the former president, compared to 31% for Harris, according to a member survey O&rsquo;Brien released on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>O&rsquo;Brien, who took over the Teamsters in 2022 with a promise to increase member input, acknowledged the poll factored into his nonendorsement. But <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bidens-15-minimum-wage-would-raise-childcare-costs-hurt-families-heritage-foundation\/\" title=\"Biden\u2019s  Minimum Wage Would Raise Childcare Costs, Hurt Families: Heritage Foundation\">labor leaders<\/a> say he is sitting on the sidelines when there is only one clear choice for president.<\/p>\n<p>Harris has promised to sign pro-labor legislation broadly rejected by Republicans as harmful to small business. Meanwhile, Trump has made overtures to the working class, including a series of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3154823\/trump-tax-giveaways-harris-working-class-pitch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>tax giveaways<\/a>, but generally holds a more corporate-friendly stance.<\/p>\n<p>The backlash to O&rsquo;Brien has been brewing for months. The Teamsters&rsquo; National Black Caucus <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/08\/13\/teamsters-black-caucus-harris-endorsement-00173911\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>endorsed<\/a> Harris in August, and some local chapter leaders <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2024\/jan\/18\/teamsters-union-chief-trump-meeting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>denounced<\/a> him for his neutrality before Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>But the infighting has only grown more bitter since he made that neutrality formal. On Thursday, James Hoffa, the longtime former president of the Teamsters, called the nonendorsement a &ldquo;failure of leadership,&rdquo; prompting an angry swipe from O&rsquo;Brien.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We will not focus on the shortcomings or short-sighted opinions of one weak predecessor,&rdquo; Teamster spokeswoman Kara Deniz said of Hoffa in a statement to the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;We will make this union stronger and more influential by putting our members first.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sean O&rsquo;Brien, the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, speaks during the Republican National Convention on July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo\/Julia Nikhinson, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Teamsters&rsquo; membership had been less divided over President Joe Biden. In fact, the rank-and-file supported his candidacy over Trump&rsquo;s 44% to 36%, according to O&rsquo;Brien&rsquo;s polling.<\/p>\n<p>But O&rsquo;Brien was noncommittal on Biden, too, before he exited the race. Instead, he has made outreach to Republicans a priority.<\/p>\n<p>O&rsquo;Brien visited Mar-a-Lago in January and later spoke at Trump&rsquo;s nominating convention in Milwaukee. He received no such invitation from the Democrats.<\/p>\n<p>Trump ultimately failed to win the Teamsters&rsquo; endorsement despite tax break proposals on overtime and tip wages meant to signal his departure from GOP orthodoxy.&nbsp;O&rsquo;Brien, who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/newsletters\/playbook\/2024\/08\/14\/where-bidens-head-is-at-00173952?nname=playbook&amp;nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&amp;nrid=e7a80568-c451-4949-97ec-5407d227897b&amp;nlid=630318\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>condemned<\/a> seemingly anti-labor remarks Trump made to X CEO Elon Musk in August, based his decision in part on Trump&rsquo;s refusal to oppose &ldquo;right to work&rdquo; laws.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Harris, he said, did not assure him adequately that she would not intervene in labor strikes, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3159101\/labor-strikes-harris-union-headache-teamsters-snub\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>like what Biden did<\/a> with the rail industry in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;No endorsement, I think, sends a message to both parties that, if they truly want to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/legislator-says-illinois-senate-president-admitted-to-quid-pro-quo-at-dnc-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Legislator says Illinois Senate president admitted to \u2018quid pro quo\u2019 at DNC - Washington Examiner\">support working people<\/a>, they have to reevaluate it and understand that nothing is given. It is earned,&rdquo; O&rsquo;Brien told Fox News following Wednesday&rsquo;s announcement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1763869\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1763869\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Teamsters President Sean O\u2019Brien is dealing with an internal backlash following the union&#8217;s choice not to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, as local chapters are quickly moving to support her regardless. The Teamsters executive board decided on Wednesday to remain neutral in the presidential election, breaking a long-standing tradition of endorsing the Democratic candidate since 1996. O\u2019Brien explained that neither major candidate made significant commitments to the union, which primarily consists of truckers and warehouse workers. However, this decision has upset several Teamsters leaders. Approximately twenty councils from states like Wisconsin and Nevada have endorsed Harris in opposition to the national organization\u2019s stance. Kevin Moore, president of the Michigan Teamsters, welcomed her at a Detroit airport after expressing his support for her candidacy. He emphasized Michigan&#8217;s status as a crucial blue state and expressed a desire not to return to Trump\u2019s presidency.<\/p>\n<p>Local chapter leaders have somewhat mitigated the political fallout for Harris after she recently met with Teamster representatives in Washington D.C., and on Friday, her campaign celebrated an endorsement from Pennsylvania&#8217;s Conference of Teamsters. Nonetheless, this situation has highlighted a growing divide within labor regarding how to address rank-and-file support for Trump; according to a survey released by O\u2019Brien on Wednesday, 58% of Teamsters favor Trump compared to 31% who back Harris.<\/p>\n<p>O\u2019Brien acknowledged that these poll results influenced his decision not to endorse any candidate but faced criticism from labor leaders who argue he should take a stand when there is one clear option for president. While Harris has pledged support for pro-labor legislation often dismissed by Republicans as detrimental to small businesses, Trump has attempted outreach towards working-class voters through tax incentives but generally maintains corporate-friendly policies.<\/p>\n<p>The discontent towards O\u2019Brien had been building over several months; earlier this year, the National Black Caucus of Teamsters endorsed Harris while some local leaders criticized him even before Wednesday\u2019s announcement formalized his neutrality. The conflict intensified following comments from James Hoffa\u2014former long-time president of the Teamsters\u2014who labeled O&#8217;Brien&#8217;s nonendorsement as \u201ca failure of leadership,\u201d prompting an irritated response from O&#8217;Brien\u2019s team.<\/p>\n<p>Historically speaking, membership within the union was less divided during Biden&#8217;s candidacy against Trump; polling indicated rank-and-file members supported Biden over Trump by 44% versus 36%. However, prior to Biden exiting the race without securing an endorsement from O&#8217;Brien either way due largely in part because he prioritized engagement with Republicans instead\u2014visiting Mar-a-Lago earlier this year and speaking at Trump&#8217;s nominating convention without receiving similar invitations from Democrats.<\/p>\n<p>Despite Trump&#8217;s proposals aimed at winning over unions through tax breaks related specifically overtime pay and tips\u2014which were seen as moves away from traditional Republican views\u2014he ultimately did not gain their endorsement due partly because he did not oppose &#8220;right-to-work&#8221; laws nor adequately reassure O&#8217;Brien about potential intervention during labor strikes like what occurred under Biden with rail workers in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>O&#8217;Brien stated that withholding an endorsement sends both parties a message: if they genuinely wish to advocate for working individuals&#8217; interests they must reassess their approaches since such support must be earned rather than assumed<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2651,"featured_media":2344034,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/ap-teamsters-sean-obrien-meeting-092024.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[35892,41356,38629,19459],"class_list":["post-2344033","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-harris-endorsement","tag-internal-conflict","tag-labor-unions","tag-teamsters"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/ap-teamsters-sean-obrien-meeting-092024.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2344033","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2344033"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2344033\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2344034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2344033"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2344033"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2344033"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}