On a cool autumn morning last week, a UPS worker dressed in a brown uniform hurried towards the warehouse in Oshkosh, Wisconsin to begin his shift. As he made his way, a group of fellow Teamsters approached him and handed him campaign literature endorsing Kamala Harris for president.
The worker became visibly agitated, gesturing with his arms and raising his voice. He didn’t express anger towards those who were offering him a sample ballot. Instead, he passionately discussed the impact of former Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s 2011 attack on unions, which significantly weakened labor power in the state.
Additionally, he mentioned how former President Donald Trump had made promises of bringing numerous job opportunities to the state, such as through Foxconn, which unfortunately never came to fruition.
The man expressed disbelief at union members in Wisconsin supporting Trump, stating that Republicans have a history of attacking unions. He held up a sample ballot and separate flyers for Harris, Gov. Tim Walz, and Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, expressing his enthusiasm for their re-election.
During the 90-minute break at this UPS facility, numerous conversations occurred among the Teamsters members who supported Harris. These conversations were part of a persuasive strategy employed by the campaign, as peer-to-peer arguments are considered highly effective.
This approach was not limited to this particular facility but was implemented across Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. The objective was to engage white working-class voters, who tend to show a strong preference for Trump, according to surveys.
The Harris campaign has been strategically focusing on gaining support from various groups that have previously favored Trump, as crucial blue-wall battleground states remain highly competitive according to polls.
“I will contrast this with the type of top-down astroturf organizing that Elon Musk is attempting somewhat unsuccessfully,” noted Josh Orton, Harris’ senior adviser for labor, when discussing the Teamsters’ efforts.
Orton emphasized the importance of peer-to-peer conversations that are built on existing relationships, trust, and factual information in order to be successful and persuasive.
Sean O’Brien, the general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, made an announcement last month stating that the national union would not endorse any candidate in the race.
This decision was seen as a setback for Harris, especially considering that the group had endorsed President Joe Biden in 2020. However, there were indications in July that the group was reconsidering their endorsement after Biden’s concerning debate performance.
Despite the national organization’s decision, local Teamsters groups, including several of the largest ones, quickly threw their support behind Harris. According to the campaign, a total of 1.5 million Teamsters across the country have endorsed Harris.
Karoline Leavitt, spokesperson for Trump, attributed the absence of the national union’s endorsement to Trump himself, claiming that he has successfully neutralized the endorsement, a feat not seen in decades.
Although analysts have cautioned against placing excessive reliance on the polling average due to its inclusion of surveys from red-leaning firms that may skew the results, it is important to note that even these numbers fall within the margin of error.
Leavitt, however, highlighted an internal survey conducted by the Teamsters, which revealed an immense backing for Trump. The crowd erupted in chants of “Trump’s a scab! Trump’s a scab!”
The United Auto Workers union, a significant presence in the crucial swing state of Michigan, has thrown its support behind Harris. In a recent release, the union shared polling data conducted by Democratic pollster Celinda Lake, revealing that Harris now holds a 5-point lead among UAW members without a college degree.
UAW President Shawn Fain emphasized the importance of members hearing directly from other members regarding the stakes involved and which candidate will support them. According to Fain, this direct engagement allows the union to make a significant impact by addressing the issues that truly matter to its members – their paychecks, their families, and their futures.
In Oshkosh, Wisconsin, many workers are optimistic about the significant infrastructure development happening under the Biden administration. They believe that this will lead to a substantial increase in union jobs that will last for at least a decade.
As part of the investment, over $1 billion in funding was allocated to replace the John A. Blatnik Bridge connecting Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin.
Daniel Jones, a 37-year Teamster, highlighted that project and the fact that both Biden and Harris have actively participated in walking picket lines as clear indications of their support for labor.
Despite the involvement of many of his allies in drafting it, Trump has distanced himself from Project 2025.
As they briskly passed by, some workers enthusiastically gave a thumbs-up and snatched the flyers. One of them cheerfully called out, “Already taken care of!” while others expressed a similar sentiment.
Critics raised concerns about Trump’s behavior when he engaged in a public conversation with billionaire Tesla mogul Elon Musk. During their discussion, they were seen laughing about the idea of firing striking workers, which drew criticism from some individuals.
“I support Trump completely,” he declared. When questioned about Trump’s apparent approval of firing striking workers, he hesitated and added, “It’s definitely not something you’d want to witness.”
Jacob Ralph, a 28-year-old resident of Oshkosh, calmly accepted the flyers. He admitted that he hadn’t given much consideration to the upcoming election, but indicated that he was leaning towards supporting Harris.
According to one union member, he mentioned that she is much safer now. Meanwhile, another union member, Lori Jensen from Neenah, expressed her hesitation in revealing who she supports. She mentioned the highly unstable political climate in Wisconsin and the significant divisions within her own family.
She expressed that it was too explosive for her. She mentioned, though, that she is in favor of her local council, which has endorsed Harris.
A worker became curious and approached the group upon discovering that they were advocating for Harris. However, instead of engaging in a friendly conversation, he provoked them.
“I can’t believe you haven’t heard about Sean O’Brien not endorsing her,” he exclaimed. “I can’t speak for Sean,” one of the organizers remarked, emphasizing that individual members had the freedom to support any candidate they preferred.
The man responded with a retort, asking, “Don’t you support your president?” The organizer replied, “I will allow Sean to speak for himself.”