Harris to meet with Teamsters, but union president isn’t invited to speak at Democratic convention

DETROIT (AP) — Members of the Teamsters will host Vice President Kamala Harris for a roundtable discussion in the near future, but union President Sean O’Brien has yet to get an invitation to speak at next week’s Democratic National Convention.

Kara Deniz, a spokeswoman for the 1.3 million member union, said in an email Friday that the Teamsters are working with Harris’ campaign on dates for the roundtable.

But O’Brien, who angered some Democrats by speaking at the GOP convention last month, has not received a reply to his request to speak at the Democratic National Convention, which begins Monday in Chicago, Deniz said Friday night.

O’Brien made the request to the Democrats at the same time he asked Republicans, she said.

A person briefed on convention planning said Saturday that O’Brien will not speak, but the Teamsters will have a presence on the convention stage. The person, who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the schedule, would not give further details.

Democrats have been the party of labor unions for decades, while Republicans largely have greeted them with hostility. Most major unions, including the AFL-CIO and the United Auto Workers, already have endorsed Harris.

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