Teamsters consider not supporting Biden in 2024 nomination race

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is on the verge of failing to secure the support of a key union as leaders of the 1.3 million-member Teamsters union consider not backing any candidate in the U.S. presidential race, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The decision by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters has not yet been finalized and is expected to be made in the coming weeks.

Failure to support Biden, whom the union backed in 2020, would deepen the political damage to the Democratic president’s re-election bid.

The Teamsters’ support for Republican candidate Donald Trump appears unlikely, according to some sources, but deep internal divisions could lead to the union not endorsing any candidate. It would be the first time since 1996, according to media reports.

Since his faltering performance in the June 27 presidential debate, Biden has already faced a number of calls from lawmakers and donors to step down, worried about his ability to win reelection and serve another four-year term. Some allies say they believe the assassination attempt on Trump on Saturday could silence those calls, but other Democrats doubt it.

Biden’s team has long considered Teamsters support almost inevitable and still counts a number of top leaders among its supporters. But months of deteriorating relations and growing concerns about Biden’s political resistance have soured the sentiment of some leaders of the union, which represents workers in fields ranging from trucking to manufacturing to clerical work.

“No final decision has been made,” said Teamsters spokeswoman Kara Deniz, adding that any reports suggesting an outcome are speculative.

Last week, United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain met with the union’s executive board to discuss concerns about Biden’s ability to defeat Trump.

Teamsters President Sean O’Brien will speak at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee Monday night, but he is not yet scheduled to speak at the Democratic convention in August.

O’Brien simultaneously contacted both the Democratic and Republican national committees to speak at their conventions, but received a response only from Republicans, Deniz told Reuters.

A person familiar with the planning of the Democratic convention said no final decisions have been made on their scheduling.

“We are hosting a convention in Chicago that will tell our story to the American people, including the stories of the union leaders and workers that President Biden has championed as the most pro-union president in modern history,” convention spokesman Matt Hill said.

Biden, Clinton and Obama

Founded in 1903, the Teamsters supported Biden in 2020, as well as Democrats Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, though they have sometimes chosen Republicans in previous elections.

The group’s frustrations with Biden’s team have grown in recent months. On a key priority, saving trucking giant Yellow Corp and its 30,000 union jobs from bankruptcy, O’Brien requested and was denied an Oval Office meeting to discuss the issue with Biden, according to one of the people familiar with the matter.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

Those frustrations have been compounded by the fact that some Democratic lawmakers and donors have since the debate called on Biden to abandon his reelection bid and open the door to another candidate, another person familiar with the union’s deliberations said.

Working-class groups helped lead Biden to victory in 2020 in hotly contested states like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Nevada.

Labor groups encourage their members to vote, volunteer and donate to campaigns, and they are a particularly important source of funds and manpower for Democratic presidential campaigns.

In return, they expect policies that increase union jobs, raise wages and make it easier to collectively negotiate contracts with employers. Biden’s moves include a $36 billion bailout of a union pension fund that has helped avert cuts to the incomes of more than 350,000 Teamsters workers and retirees.

In many unions, rank-and-file workers are more divided over Democrats than their leaders, and Trump has actively sought workers’ support.

This year, the Teamsters held roundtables with Trump and Biden and held some 300 local events with workers to get their views on the race.

Charles Lutvak, a spokesman for the Biden campaign, said the campaign had enjoyed broad support from unions, reflecting Biden’s “record of delivering for working families, while Donald Trump delivers for his wealthy donors and himself.”

He said Biden is “a champion of working people against greedy corporations – whether they vote for him or not.”

O’Brien said the union would conduct a survey and likely make a decision on whether to endorse after the conclusion of party conventions next month.