The move aligns the caucus with other big organized-labor groups, but the Teamsters president, who spoke at the Republican convention, has indicated he is open to backing Trump.
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Vice President Kamala Harris received an endorsement from the National Black Caucus of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union.
The National Black Caucus of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency on Tuesday, setting it apart from its parent union, which has declined to make an endorsement and whose president spoke at the Republican National Convention.
“Their records reflect a deep dedication to advancing labor rights and supporting working-class Americans,” the caucus said of Ms. Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, in a statement announcing its endorsement. “As a key partner in leading the most pro-labor administration in our lifetimes, Vice President Harris has proven to be a tough and principled fighter for workers’ rights and a leader who delivers on her promises.”
The statement praised the bipartisan infrastructure bill President Biden signed, as well as steps his administration has taken to lower prescription drug costs and increase wages. It also credited Ms. Harris with pushing to expand the child tax credit — which the pandemic relief bill Mr. Biden signed in 2021 did temporarily, but Congress declined to do permanently — and with helping to preserve union members’ pensions.
It said that former President Donald J. Trump’s administration “was one of the most antilabor in modern history,” citing among other things his loosening of workplace safety regulations and his opposition to raising the federal minimum wage. And it criticized Mr. Trump as “contributing to a hostile environment for Black Americans.”
“Trump showed us for over 40 years who he really is: someone who is not for us,” James Curbeam, the chairman of the caucus, said in the statement. “Endorsing a candidate with his history would be a betrayal of the values that we have fought to uphold.”
The decision to endorse Ms. Harris aligns the Teamsters’ National Black Caucus with other major organized-labor institutions, including the A.F.L.-C.I.O., the United Automobile Workers and the American Federation of Teachers. But the overall Teamsters union has not endorsed either party’s ticket.
The Teamsters president, Sean O’Brien, requested speaking slots at both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, and spoke at the Republican convention in Milwaukee last month. (The list of speakers for the Democratic convention next week has not been finalized.) Mr. O’Brien has indicated that he is open to endorsing Mr. Trump, with whom he met privately earlier this year, as the former president tries to win support from union members, a traditionally Democratic constituency.
Mr. Curbeam, who did not immediately respond to an interview request on Wednesday, has previously condemned Mr. O’Brien’s overtures to Mr. Trump. The overall Teamsters union and the Harris and Trump campaigns also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Teamsters have 1.3 million members in a wide range of industries, including manufacturing and construction.
Maggie Astor covers politics for The New York Times, focusing on breaking news, policies, campaigns and how underrepresented or marginalized groups are affected by political systems. More about Maggie Astor
See more on: 2024 Elections, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump
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Source: nytimes.com
