The Teamsters Union surveyed their members to find out which political candidate to endorse for president. Trump was the preference of roughly 60%. Biden got less than 40% as minor candidates got a bit of support. Nevertheless, the union chose not to endorse this year and conservative pundits wonder why.
The answer lies in the straw poll data which favored Biden. Unions are interesting organizations. Most of the members belong either because they must, since they live and work in a state without right-to-work laws. Or they belong to get the benefits, but treat their membership as a “comes with the territory” sort of obligation like buying car insurance. In other words, most belong without getting involved in the inner workings of the union.
Who runs the union? The minority who get involved, who believe the union matters to them, who organize, run for office, serve as shop stewards. In short, those who believe and wish other member would share their belief. These are the one’s involved in straw polls because they attend all the meetings, even when no strike is pending.
Union activists are invested in the Democratic Party’s historic support for unions and its opposition to right-to-work laws. Activists are who ends up deciding if the union will make an endorsement, they sit on the committees and go to the routine meetings.
Activists supported Biden, and now Harris. The rank and file support Trump. Activists have enough clout to prevent an endorsement of Trump, but not enough to endorse Harris in the face of polling data showing their view to be a minority one. Hence, no endorsement.
