Firefighters Union Opts Not to Endorse a Presidential Candidate
The decision comes in light of the recent choice made by the Teamsters union to refrain from making an endorsement.
TroibNews 
Vice President Kamala Harris faced a setback on Thursday when the union representing over 300,000 career firefighters and emergency responders chose not to endorse a presidential candidate, following a similar decision made by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters just two weeks earlier.
During a meeting this week, the leaders of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) decided "by a margin of 1.2%" against endorsing any candidate, according to General President Edward Kelly.
“The IAFF Executive Board determined that we are better able to advocate for our members and make progress on the issues that matter to them if we, as a union, are standing shoulder-to-shoulder,” Kelly stated. “This decision, which we took very seriously, is the best way to preserve and strengthen our unity.”
While Harris has garnered endorsements from a significant number of unions, this marked the second notable union-related obstacle for her campaign, which heavily relies on organized labor to connect with working-class voters, especially in critical swing states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
Both of the vice presidential candidates—Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. JD Vance—addressed IAFF’s August convention in Boston as the union deliberated its options.
The IAFF’s late decision not to endorse carries considerable significance, given that the organization was the first to back President Joe Biden at the beginning of his campaign to defeat Donald Trump in 2019, owing to Biden’s long-standing connections with the IAFF and its former leader, Harold Schaitberger, who retired in 2021.
Under Schaitberger’s leadership, the IAFF had also initially aimed to endorse Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign but ultimately abandoned that plan after assessing its membership, as reported by The New York Times in 2015.
Despite Harris holding endorsements from the majority of national labor unions, a few other blue-collar unions have opted to sit out the 2024 race. Among them is the United Mine Workers of America, which made its decision over a year ago, along with the Teamsters, following a widely scrutinized outreach process.
Democrats remain optimistic that union members will support the Harris-Walz ticket, similar to how many Teamsters affiliates rallied behind the leadership's stance. Nonetheless, the recent non-endorsements from the Teamsters and several other labor organizations have made some supporters of Harris nervous, especially given Trump’s encroaching influence among the party's rank-and-file members.
Like the Teamsters, the IAFF cited increased member input as a factor in its decision-making, contrasting with the more hierarchical approach typically seen in the past.
“Over the past year, the IAFF took unprecedented steps to hear our members’ views on the candidates and the policy issues that matter most to them,” Kelly remarked.
The IAFF’s announcement arrives during a critical period for the Biden administration, which is contending with a tense standoff between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and a group representing shippers and port operators on the East and Gulf coasts.
Following the ILA's strike that began early Tuesday, the two parties remain at an impasse, with cargo ships accumulating outside idle ports, leading to estimated economic losses worth several billion dollars daily. Business groups are urging the White House to use emergency powers to intervene and resolve the work stoppage, but Biden has repeatedly stated he would refrain from invoking such powers and has instead urged the United States Maritime Alliance, the employers' trade group, to present a better offer to the union.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
During a meeting this week, the leaders of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) decided "by a margin of 1.2%" against endorsing any candidate, according to General President Edward Kelly.
“The IAFF Executive Board determined that we are better able to advocate for our members and make progress on the issues that matter to them if we, as a union, are standing shoulder-to-shoulder,” Kelly stated. “This decision, which we took very seriously, is the best way to preserve and strengthen our unity.”
While Harris has garnered endorsements from a significant number of unions, this marked the second notable union-related obstacle for her campaign, which heavily relies on organized labor to connect with working-class voters, especially in critical swing states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
Both of the vice presidential candidates—Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. JD Vance—addressed IAFF’s August convention in Boston as the union deliberated its options.
The IAFF’s late decision not to endorse carries considerable significance, given that the organization was the first to back President Joe Biden at the beginning of his campaign to defeat Donald Trump in 2019, owing to Biden’s long-standing connections with the IAFF and its former leader, Harold Schaitberger, who retired in 2021.
Under Schaitberger’s leadership, the IAFF had also initially aimed to endorse Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign but ultimately abandoned that plan after assessing its membership, as reported by The New York Times in 2015.
Despite Harris holding endorsements from the majority of national labor unions, a few other blue-collar unions have opted to sit out the 2024 race. Among them is the United Mine Workers of America, which made its decision over a year ago, along with the Teamsters, following a widely scrutinized outreach process.
Democrats remain optimistic that union members will support the Harris-Walz ticket, similar to how many Teamsters affiliates rallied behind the leadership's stance. Nonetheless, the recent non-endorsements from the Teamsters and several other labor organizations have made some supporters of Harris nervous, especially given Trump’s encroaching influence among the party's rank-and-file members.
Like the Teamsters, the IAFF cited increased member input as a factor in its decision-making, contrasting with the more hierarchical approach typically seen in the past.
“Over the past year, the IAFF took unprecedented steps to hear our members’ views on the candidates and the policy issues that matter most to them,” Kelly remarked.
The IAFF’s announcement arrives during a critical period for the Biden administration, which is contending with a tense standoff between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and a group representing shippers and port operators on the East and Gulf coasts.
Following the ILA's strike that began early Tuesday, the two parties remain at an impasse, with cargo ships accumulating outside idle ports, leading to estimated economic losses worth several billion dollars daily. Business groups are urging the White House to use emergency powers to intervene and resolve the work stoppage, but Biden has repeatedly stated he would refrain from invoking such powers and has instead urged the United States Maritime Alliance, the employers' trade group, to present a better offer to the union.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
