Teamsters endorse Clinton

by Tim Devaney - 08/26/16 4:17 PM ET

Hillary Clinton cemented her union support Friday, picking up a major endorsement from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

The Teamsters unanimously voted to endorse Clinton in a blow to GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, who has campaigned for the union vote.

{mosads}“We are proud to endorse Hillary Clinton for President of the United States,” Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa said in a statement. “She is the right candidate for the middle class and working men and women across the country.”

“The Oval Office needs to be occupied by a serious candidate who understands what it means to govern responsibly,” Hoffa added.

“Donald Trump supports national right-to-work laws that are proven to weaken the middle class and has a long track record of shipping jobs out of the country as a businessman. He is no friend to working Americans.”

The Teamsters were slow to endorse Clinton, even as many other unions rallied around her. She has already received endorsements from groups including the National Education Association, Service Employees International Union, and more recently, the AFL-CIO.

But when the Teamsters declined to make an endorsement last fall, reports emerged that the group was trying to set up a meeting with Trump.

Trump has continued to lobby for the support of the Teamsters and other unions.

In addition, Hoffa appeared at a pension rally with Bernie Sanders last year, stoking speculation that the Teamsters were considering endorsing him over Clinton in the Democratic presidential primaries.

And reports last year said the Teamsters were interested in backing Vice President Biden if he entered the race. He eventually decided not to run.

The Teamsters’ support of the Keystone XL pipeline could be a wedge between the group and Clinton. The union has said the pipeline would create high-paying union jobs. Clinton came out against the controversial oil pipeline last fall.

The Teamsters are also opposed to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal that has drawn criticism from Clinton, Sanders and Trump. Trump has stoked speculation that Clinton secretly supports the trade deal and would enact it as president, which she has denied.

Updated at 5:21 p.m.