Teamsters Union Says Harris Has Accepted Offer to Meet Its Leaders
Vice President Kamala Harris accepted an offer from the leadership of the Teamsters union to meet for a round-table discussion, according to the union.
A date has not yet been scheduled for the discussion with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a powerful union with about 1.3 million members. Ms. Harris has tried to shore up support from unions, a key voting bloc with outsize influence in battleground states including Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Other large labor organizations like the United Automobile Workers and the A.F.L.-C.I.O. have lined up behind Ms. Harris. The Teamsters, which endorsed President Biden in 2020, has not endorsed a presidential candidate in this election.
“We look forward to Vice President Harris joining a round-table of rank-and-file Teamsters to discuss the issues of importance to workers,” Kara Deniz, a Teamsters spokeswoman, said in a statement on Friday.
Sean O’Brien, president of the Teamsters, spoke at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last month, which prompted criticism among union members. He also requested a speaking slot at the Democratic convention, which begins on Monday in Chicago. A final list of speakers has not been released.
On Tuesday, the Teamsters’ National Black Caucus endorsed Ms. Harris’s campaign, setting it apart from the overall union.
Mr. Biden has often claimed he leads the most pro-union administration in the country’s history. Ms. Harris, as Mr. Biden’s governing partner, has benefited from that impression, as the Black caucus cited Mr. Biden’s position on labor in its endorsement.
The Teamsters inched toward at least a break with Mr. Trump, if not an endorsement of Ms. Harris. The former president, during a discussion with Elon Musk,