By Craig Mauger
The Detroit News
(The Detroit News) — Kevin Moore, the president of the Michigan Teamsters, said Thursday that his members are “overwhelmingly” voicing support for Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, despite the national Teamsters union declining to endorse in the presidential race.
With about 1.3 million members, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters announced Wednesday that the national organization wouldn’t officially back Harris or Republican nominee Donald Trump this fall. The national union cited “independent electronic and phone polling” that found a majority of voting members selected Trump for a possible Teamsters endorsement.
However, also on Wednesday, the Michigan Teamsters, which has about 245,000 members in a battleground state, released its endorsement of Harris. Moore said he talks to his Michigan members regularly and there’s “no room for Donald Trump in the Teamster world in the state of Michigan.”
“The path to him getting to the White House is going to start in Michigan,” Moore said. “We’re going to make sure that’s not an obtainable goal for him.”
The Teamsters represent freight truck drivers, warehouse workers and individuals in a variety of other occupations.
Both Harris and Trump have been competing for the votes of union workers, as the economy remains one of the top issues in the presidential race.
In announcing its endorsement, Michigan Teamsters Joint Council No. 43, the statewide union, referenced Harris’ support for the labor movement, for expanding health care access and for protecting workers’ retirements.
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In an interview, Moore said Trump’s plans to place tariffs on products being shipped into the United States would spur thousands of dollars in extra costs for people.
“That’s middle-class Americans,” Moore said.
On Wednesday, Trump’s campaign touted the fact that the national union had declined to endorse in the race, labeling it a “crushing blow” to Harris after the Teamsters had endorsed Democratic presidential candidates since 1996.
Trump invited Sean O’Brien, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, to speak at the Republican National Convention in July.
Michigan Republican Party Chairman Pete Hoekstra wore a Teamsters jacket at a press conference outside party headquarters Thursday.
Hoekstra argued that the administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Harris has had an “anti-worker agenda.” He mentioned the cost of gasoline and the promotion of electric vehicles.
“You go with the Trump agenda that leaves more money in people’s pockets, but most importantly, puts more people in America and in Michigan back to work or you go with the Harris policy, which threatens American workers and their income at so many different levels,” Hoekstra said.
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