Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien and the union’s membership as it ponders an endorsement in the presidential race, the union said Thursday.
The Teamsters booked Sept. 16 as the meeting date. But a Harris spokesperson did not respond to questions about when the discussion would take place.
The planned huddle comes amid an unusual election year posture for the 1.3 million-member union, which included O’Brien speaking at the Republican National Convention.
“Our members are the backbone of this nation, working in all 50 states and representing every political background. We look forward to having a conversation on the direction of the country and the issues that matter to working people,” O’Brien said in a statement posted on the social media platform X.
It’s the latest development in a saga that has seen one of the nation’s most high-profile unions internally and publicly grapple with its endorsement decision. Harris agreed last month to meet with the Teamsters, but both sides have avoided publicly embracing each other, despite other major unions coalescing around the vice president after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.
The Teamsters met with former President Donald Trump in January as part of an interview process it threw open to all the 2024 candidates. The union invited Harris in July.
O’Brien angered Teamsters members by speaking at the RNC that month, where he complimented Trump following the attempt to assassinate him. He also scorched corporations for their hostility toward unions, though he refrained from criticizing the Trump administration’s record, which many union leaders say was an assault on organized labor.
O’Brien later accused Trump of “economic terrorism” when the former president applauded the idea of firing striking workers.
The Teamsters have historically backed Democrats, but the union has sought to court the GOP, and many rank-and-file union members are likely to vote for Trump, as they did in 2016.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this report misstated when the meeting was announced.
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
