President Joe Biden is scheduled to convene with members of the 1.3-million-strong International Brotherhood of Teamsters next month, an influential union yet to commit to a side in the 2024 presidential race, both the campaign and the union confirmed on Tuesday.
Biden will participate in a roundtable on March 12 at the union headquarters in Washington, following a prior meeting held by the Teamsters with his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump.
According to the Teamsters, the agenda will encompass discussions on workers’ wages, income disparity, reforms in corporate insolvency, antitrust measures within warehousing and parcel delivery sectors, and initiatives aimed at facilitating unionisation among workers.
Having secured the Teamsters’ endorsement in 2020, Biden reiterated his pro-labour stance in a recent speech, affirming, “Unions have been the backbone of the middle class.”
Labour unions, including the Teamsters, have experienced a resurgence across the United States, clinching substantial new agreements.
Both Trump and Biden are anticipated to vie for union support in battleground states like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
Following his session with the Teamsters, Trump underscored his alignment with union interests, citing backing for his tariffs on Chinese imports and his immigration policies.
“I’ve had a longstanding rapport with unions throughout my career,” Trump remarked.
The Biden camp expressed eagerness for the president’s encounter with the Teamsters, aiming to secure their backing.
Teamsters President Sean O’Brien maintained that inquiries needed to be directed to both Trump and Biden, asserting, “We have yet to reach a conclusion regarding endorsement.”
Endorsements from unions could wield significant influence in a closely contested presidential contest, particularly in key states where a mere few thousand votes could sway the outcome.
In a significant development, Biden garnered the coveted endorsement of the leadership of the nearly 380,000-member United Auto Workers (UAW) in January, reinforcing his standing in the Midwest, a pivotal electoral battleground.