Teamsters To Endorse Obama

A bolster from Obama's weakest link, blue collar workers:

In a surprising boost for Senator Barack Obama, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters will announce this afternoon that it is endorsing him, a top union leader said.

With the Teamsters’ move, labor leaders said, Change to Win, a five-million-member coalition of unions that broke away from the A.F.L.-C.I.O., will likely vote on Thursday to endorse Mr. Obama.

The seven unions in that coalition — the service employees, the food and commercial workers, the Teamsters, the carpenters, the laborers the United Farm Workers and Unite Here (which represents hotel, restaurant and apparel workers) — are scheduled to hold a conference call on Thursday morning to decide on an endorsement.

With the service employees, the food and commercial workers and Unite Here having already endorsed Mr. Obama, the Teamsters endorsement will give him the two-thirds needed for the Change to Win Coalition to officially back him.