Spotlights
Prof. Rothstein talks with WWMT on the political split between the national and local chapters of Teamsters
Local unions within the International Brotherhood of Teamsters are endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for president, despite decisions on the national level to remain neutral.
Michigan Teamsters is among the local unions casting their support for the Harris-Walz campaign.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters announced Wednesday that there would be no official endorsement for Harris or former President Trump, choosing not to endorse a Democratic candidate for the first time in nearly three decades, according to The Washington Post.
Kevin Moore, president of Michigan Teamsters, said that although the international union is staying neutral, more needs to be done on a local level.
“The Joint Council and Teamsters of Michigan know it's too important for us to do a neutral endorsement. We're going to do a full force endorsement for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz," Moore said.
Moore, who has been in the labor union for 38 years, said labor unions work together.
“We'll be joining the other labor unions in Michigan to make sure we walk the same talk and deliver the same message and get our members out to vote,” Moore said.
Jeff Rothstein, professor of sociology at Grand Valley State University, said it’s quite rare for a local or state union to endorse a different candidate than the national union.
“Any time a union, or any organization, decides to sit out a presidential race, there’s got to be internal politics involved,” Rothstein said.
Rothstein added the decision not to cast an endorsement could have been fueled by a difference in opinion, with some members supporting Trump and others backing Harris.
“You could see where a leader of the union or the leadership of the union could say, 'our members feel very strongly in very polarized, different ways, and it would be wrong of us to take a position one way or another,'” Rothstein said. “Because the truth is, we’re split.”
Without an endorsement on the national level, state and local leaders are taking their own stand.
“I think that the national union taking no position opened the door for state and local offices of the Teamsters to make their own decision,” Rothstein said.
Rothstein said Michigan Teamsters endorsement could come down to policy.
“Aside from the Teamsters nationally, just about everybody else has endorsed Harris. I think that the Teamsters within Michigan wanted to be in that group,” Rothstein said. “The Harris-Walz policies are far more pro labor than the Trump policies.”
Rothstein added that the international union is basically “sitting it out” this election. He believes that Michigan Teamsters want their members more involved.
“I think that they probably were looking at what is in the best interest of our members and working people, and what would our members want us to do,” Rothstein said.
Full story here: MI Teamsters: 'We're going to do a full-force endorsement for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz' (wwmt.com)
Interest Area(s)
Sociology, Economics, Political Science
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