WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- The Teamsters union was reported ready Friday to endorse Democrat Richard Gephardt for president.
That was the word from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch which quoted three labor sources familiar with Teamster plans.
An endorsement from the 1.4-million member union could give Rep. Gephardt, D-Mo., much-needed political momentum as he and other Democratic presidential candidates attend an AFL-CIO meeting next week in Chicago to court union leaders from across the country.
A Teamsters endorsement would be the most potent political force yet to back Gephardt's campaign, which has struggled to meet its own fundraising goals.
He has been endorsed by nine other smaller unions, including two maritime labor groups that announced their support for Gephardt Thursday.
Union spokesman Bret Caldwell declined to confirm the endorsement. But he said Gephardt has been a longtime Teamsters ally.
