In an upcoming roundtable discussion, Teamsters members will host Vice President Kamala Harris, while union President Sean O'Brien remains uninvited to speak at next week's Democratic National Convention. The 1.3 million member union, represented by spokeswoman Kara Deniz, confirmed on Friday that they are currently coordinating with Harris' campaign to finalize the dates for the roundtable. However, O'Brien, who previously spoke at the GOP convention, has yet to receive a response regarding his request to address the Democratic National Convention, set to commence on Monday in Chicago.

Deniz explained that O'Brien had made the request to both the Democrats and the Republicans simultaneously. Yet, as of Friday night, there has been no acknowledgement of his request by the Democratic party. On the other hand, a person familiar with convention planning revealed on Saturday, under condition of anonymity, that O'Brien will not have a speaking role. Nevertheless, the Teamsters will still have a presence on the convention stage, although no further details were provided.

Historically, Democrats have been closely aligned with labor unions, while Republicans have often displayed hostility towards them. The endorsement of prominent unions, such as the AFL-CIO and the United Auto Workers, has already been secured by Harris. However, the Teamsters met with her GOP opponent, Donald Trump, earlier this year. O'Brien's speech during the Republican convention in Milwaukee garnered mixed reactions as he criticized both major political parties for insufficiently supporting working people. The Teamsters have announced that their decision on endorsing a presidential candidate will be made after the conventions conclude.

Previously, Trump held discussions with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in an attempt to gain their support. Following this meeting, Trump confidently stated that a significant portion of union voters had pledged their backing, and suggested that a Teamsters endorsement was not out of the question. However, in a recent conversation on social media platform X with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Trump's praise for Musk's actions of firing striking workers drew criticism from unions who accused both men of being anti-labor.

The United Auto Workers took their discontent a step further by filing unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), alleging that Trump and Musk's statements interfered with workers' right to join a union. The NLRB confirmed that they would be investigating the matter. UAW President Shawn Fain released a statement, expressing his disapproval of Trump and Musk's approach, while O'Brien also condemned their actions, referring to the firing of workers as "economic terrorism."

As the Teamsters await the opportunity to address the Democratic National Convention, the outcome of the roundtable discussion with Vice President Harris and the union's ultimate presidential endorsement decision remain eagerly anticipated.