Jacob Ogles
Every Teamsters union in Florida just announced support for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
A half dozen unions issued endorsements, including Teamsters Local 79 — SW FL, Tampa, Teamsters Local 173 — Bradenton, Teamsters Local 385 — Orlando, Teamsters Local 512 — Jacksonville, Teamsters Local 769 — Miami and Teamsters Local 947 — Jacksonville.
The endorsements were issued as part of a joint endorsement of unions from Florida, Georgia and Alabama.
“The Executive Board of Teamsters Joint Council 75 is proud to announce our endorsement of the Kamala Harris and Tim Walz ticket for President and Vice President of the United States,” reads a letter from the North Miami-based regional Teamsters affiliate.
The council said the Democratic candidates’ “strong record on workers’ rights and advocacy stands in clear contrast to that of the Republican nominee, Donald Trump.”
The chapter action followed a decision by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters not to endorse for President this year, citing a division in polling of its national membership.
“The Teamsters thank all candidates for meeting with members face-to-face during our unprecedented roundtables,” said Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien.
“Unfortunately, neither major candidate was able to make serious commitments to our union to ensure the interests of working people are always put before Big Business. We sought commitments from both Trump and Harris not to interfere in critical union campaigns or core Teamsters industries — and to honor our members’ right to strike — but were unable to secure those pledges.”
The decision not to endorse sparked anger from many leaders across the country, especially after O’Brien this Summer became the first Teamsters President ever to speak at the Republican National Convention. The Teamsters union has issued a national endorsement of every Democratic nominee for President since 1996.
Local chapters across the country over the last week have opted to issue individual endorsements, often for Harris.
“As the election draws near, we believe it is important to share our perspective on which candidate truly stands up for all workers, especially Union members,” the letter from Joint Council 75 reads. “The record is clear — whether it’s backing funding for Union members’ and retirees’ pensions, ensuring a strong, pro-worker, pro-union National Labor Board, or supporting the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act), the Harris-Walz ticket is the best choice for organized labor.”
The letter also calls out Project 2025, the controversial blueprint from conservative think tanks for the next Republican administration. That agenda, the letter said, “would be a disaster for all workers, particularly Union members.”
“For these reasons, and many others too numerous to list, we strongly encourage your support for the Harris-Walz ticket in the upcoming Presidential election.”
31 comments
Stephen D
September 24, 2024 at 2:21 pm
I’ll be sure to avoid union products and services.
Jason
September 24, 2024 at 6:05 pm
And do you really think Trump is gong to look out for unions. He wants to destroy them! LOL!
Michael K
September 24, 2024 at 7:12 pm
That’s been the Republican platform for years.
Tom
September 25, 2024 at 6:59 am
Buy Chinese stuff then and pay the trump tariffs. Wouldn’t be my first choice but have at it.
Epstein did not kill himself
September 24, 2024 at 2:21 pm
One more reason not to do business with the Teamsters.
Jason
September 24, 2024 at 6:04 pm
And do you really think Trump is gong to look out for unions. He wants to destroy them! LOL!
rick whitaker
September 24, 2024 at 2:40 pm
STEPHEN D, you do that, cut your nose off to spite your face. do you hate workers getting fair pay? guys like you make me cringe.
Bobblehead Kammy
September 24, 2024 at 2:52 pm
Fair pay is fine. Holding a company hostage is extortion. At this current time it is stupid for the Boeing machinists to go on strike.
rick whitaker
September 24, 2024 at 8:47 pm
MAGA MARK, are you a boeing machinist, no, then you don’t know jack shit. my sister lives in seattle. her husband works at boeing, but everything in seattle is WAY high, so it cost more. you are jealous of union workers good pay. they have to fight for every dime increase, but the ceo get huge pay hikes regularly. you are rooting for the millionaires and against a worker getting fair pay. shame on you. before i retired, i paid my employees much better than my competition did. how many decades did you pay wages and run a company? you don’t know jack shit punk.
rbruce
September 24, 2024 at 2:55 pm
Can anyone name the top three policies from the Harris/Walz team that support the Teamsters? The most effective policy that will directly affect the Teamsters will be a reduction of gasoline/diesel prices which Pres. Trump will impose.
Jason
September 24, 2024 at 6:03 pm
Well for one Biden was one that saved their pension fund? Do you think Trump is going to look out for you. He wants to destroy the unions! LOL!
rick whitaker
September 24, 2024 at 8:34 pm
RBRUCE, you have no clue about future gas prices. trump is anti labor, you honestly don’t know that?
The Sage "E" [FKA ELVIS - FKA EARL]
September 24, 2024 at 3:38 pm
Everyone just relax your political sphincters. We are talking at best 8 or 10 votes for Kamalla based on the above artical.
Only a few Union Executives might follow the endorsment at the most.
The press release is designed to trick the Dook 4 Brains Leftys who read this into thinking the Union Members are gonna vote Democrat….ain’t gonna happen…..97.36% of all union members are voting Trump.
The DNC bribed a few upper level union management to issue the endorsement. And even then only about 8 or 10 of them are actually foolish enough to vote for Kamalla.
IN CLOSING:
The above artical means nothing.
“E”
Jason
September 24, 2024 at 6:02 pm
And how do you know. Do you keep count of how many teamsters there are in Florida? Gimme a break!
Jason
September 24, 2024 at 6:09 pm
Come again! There are 4,000 Teamster members in Florida. You math is a little off! LOL!
The Sage "E" [FKA ELVIS - FKA EARL]
September 24, 2024 at 8:19 pm
Jason the rank & file teamsters are Sage Manly Men & Beautiful Patriot Ladies that mostly drive 18 wheelers coast to coast keeping the goods & supplies flowing to our Great Nation. Jason, get real my dude these are Trump voters.
They will not follow their corrupt Union Boss’s endorsement.
Jason I’m so sorry you “Dook 4 Brains Leftys think otherwise but your people are wrong.
Jason I am counting on your Trump vote and Thank You,
The Sage “E” [FKA ELVIS – FKA EARL]
Cindy
September 24, 2024 at 3:40 pm
Personally teamsters have no women workers . Are most blue collar jobs. It kind of can leave you broken.. either way it will not make or break the already broken.
rick whitaker
September 24, 2024 at 3:59 pm
CINDY, you lied. shame on you
Cindy
September 24, 2024 at 4:14 pm
Are you saying 18 wheelers have girl drivers or UPS or fed Express. ? But I understand the bail out
Cindy
September 24, 2024 at 4:16 pm
re you saying we have plumbers ,electricians, roofers, brick layers. And so on
rick whitaker
September 24, 2024 at 5:40 pm
CINDY, you got to be kidding. there are lots of women truck drivers, plumbers electricians etc. my wife is a plumber and an electrician. you fool. you know jack shit about labor. stay in your lane, whatever that is.
Jason
September 24, 2024 at 6:12 pm
Such an ignorant comment. There are woman workers in all types of occupations! LOL!
rick whitaker
September 24, 2024 at 3:56 pm
EARL SHITTS, when you say an article means nothing, then it must mean a lot. are you afraid that those pesky workers are going to vote for a pro labor candidate like harris? that scares aholes like you doesn’t it. earl the sphincter freak will blow his sphincter out when harris wins. you never have told us the details of what happened to that dishwashing boy at your cincinnati bar-b-que joint. earl come on defend yourself. that’s some pretty bad stuff.
Michael K
September 24, 2024 at 4:56 pm
Unions are the backbone of the middle class in America – union jobs make it possible for millions of Americans to earn a living wage, buy a home, and send their kids to college, and retire with dignity.
Of course, the Teamsters would support a candidate who cares about workers. It is too bad that the national leadership does not understand what Locals across the nation clearly understand.
Jason
September 24, 2024 at 6:06 pm
Yes and it’s also and shame that Sean O’ Brien who is the president of the Teamsters didn’t endorse Kamala!
Ron Ogden
September 24, 2024 at 6:33 pm
Tell me all you professional Democrats posting here, which is more important to you, the vote of the membership or the political necessity of the leadership? Which best represents your Democratic ideals?
“During a voting window from July 24-Sept. 15, rank-and-file Teamsters voted 59.6 percent for the union to endorse Trump, compared to 34 percent for Harris.”–Official Teamsters Union press release, undated, but issued about September 18th, 2024.
Michael K
September 24, 2024 at 7:11 pm
Uh, no, not quite. No details of the polling data, timeline, and methodology were released.
More importantly. the local and regional Teamster Locals are overwhelmingly in support of Vice President Harris – along with every other major union organization.
The real question is, if “internal polling” favored Trump by such wide margins, why did they not endorse him?
rick whitaker
September 24, 2024 at 8:28 pm
RON OGDEN, if you vote for trump, you are helping destroy our country. let me guess, you don’t give a damn about our democratic country. move dude if you don’t like law and order and fairness.
The Sage "E" [FKA ELVIS - FKA EARL]
September 25, 2024 at 6:43 am
Good Morn ‘Ting Relax Your Political Sphincters,
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR:
1.) Your love and support of The Sage “E” [FKA ELVIS – FKA EARL].
2.) Your voting promises to elect The Sage Donald Trump.
3.) Your future voting promises to elect The Sage Ron & Casey Desantis for a 2 term POTUS in 2028 & 2036.
I, The Sage “E” [FKA ELVIS – FKA EARL], understand its fun for you guys to “Pretend” to be “DOOK 4 BRAINS LEFTYS”….enjoy your fun ….but when it counts I, The Sage “E” [FKA ELVIS – FKA EARL], know 100% y’all got my back and will support Don & Ron with your Sage Votes. I, The Sage “E” [FKA ELVIS – FKA EARL], know you all are just pertending to be “DOOK 4 BRAINS LEFTYS” for your own perverse amusement as nobody could be so Cray Cray as to actually throw their Sage Vote away on a Democrat Candidate….
IN CLOSING:
have fun my litter “Pretend Actors”,
Yours truley,
The Sage “E” [FKA ELVIS – FKA EARL]
Michael K
September 25, 2024 at 8:04 am
PS: Not a single Teamsters Local or regional has endorsed Trump. Not one.
The total number of union members represented by the Harris endorsement totals more than 500,000 people.
Cindy
September 25, 2024 at 11:43 am
Florida is still at will state. Money contributions don’t mean anything. Hire and fire at will