Vice President Kamala Harris met with rank-and-file Teamsters from around the country on Monday, September 16th, marking the final rank-and-file Presidential roundtable as the union considered its endorsement in the U.S. Presidential election.
At Teamsters headquarters in Washington, D.C., General President Sean M. O’Brien and General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman joined the General Executive Board and rank-and-filers to speak directly with the Vice President about issues critical to more than 1.3 million Teamsters.
“We know how valuable Vice President Harris’ time is and appreciate her willingness to meet with rank-and-file Teamsters face-to-face. Our members are the backbone of this country, and their voices matter most in this election. Their support can make the difference during any election cycle,” O’Brien said. “These roundtables were historic, transparent, and a top priority to ensure the Teamsters remain the most democratic labor union in America.”
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump attended Teamsters rank-and-file roundtables earlier this year. In December 2023, the Teamsters invited all declared candidates for U.S. President to participate in individual roundtables to discuss issues that are important to members and their families. Harris was not yet a declared candidate when the roundtables occurred initially.
The same day, nearly 200 Teamsters gathered in Washington, D.C. for the annual Political Coordinators Meeting. Teamsters Federal Legislative Director Sunshine McBride welcomed attendees and gave a recap of the legislative successes of the last year.
Teamsters Political Director Tyler Longpine and Special Assistant to the General President Jimmy Donovan discussed the Presidential roundtables that took place during the 2024 election cycle and gave an overview of union’s transparent and inclusive endorsement process.
Teamsters also heard about ongoing efforts to build worker power and hold Amazon accountable, which included remarks from Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), who has been a leader in Congress to help take on Amazon.
“We know that when a driver pulls up to our house in an Amazon truck, wearing an Amazon uniform, delivering an Amazon package, that is an Amazon employee,” Sen. Murphy said. “Companies like Amazon, Google, and other major retailers want to hide behind contractors to dodge responsibility for often miserable working conditions. The NLRB’s decision to recognize these workers as Amazon employees is a huge step forward, but the fight isn’t over and these issues speak to how badly we need the PRO Act, and how badly we need to reengineer the playing field.”
Teamsters Local 41’s Roy Nixon was in attendance from Kansas City.
Tristin Amezcua-Hogan is the Editor of The Labor Beacon and a member of LIUNA Local 264. Tristin also serves as the Director of Communications for the Greater Kansas City AFL-CIO and the Chair of the Kansas City Regional Transit Alliance.
Tristin grew up as the son of a UA Local 669 member in Tecumseh, KS and the great-nephew of George C. Amis, longtime leader of the United Rubberworkers (now USW Local 307) in Kansas. Growing up in rural Kansas as the child of teen parents, Tristin quickly came to appreciate the life-changing benefit of a union job.
Tristin and his partner, Rebeca Amezcua-Hogan, are residents of the Westside, Kansas City, MO's historic Mexican neighborhood. They are proud members of Kansas City's New Reform Temple.
