Speaking at the Pennsylvania Conference of Teamsters annual gathering in Hershey, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis committed to preserving union protections in the state. "As long as Josh Shapiro and I are in charge in Harrisburg, Right-to-work is dead in this Commonwealth and union organizing is alive," Davis told the conference, which represents approximately 95,000 working Teamsters.
Davis highlighted the administration's labor record, citing the recovery of more than $15 million in unpaid wages to workers over the past three years through enforcement actions against wage theft. He also promoted expanded apprenticeship programs as part of the Shapiro administration's worker protection agenda. The speech served as a campaign pitch as Davis and Governor Josh Shapiro seek a second term in the 2026 election.
The lieutenant governor criticized the Trump administration's approach to labor, alleging it has targeted workers through union busting and weakened protections. Davis pointed to rising gas prices as evidence of economic hardship, claiming Pennsylvanians spent over $238 million more in a recent month to fill their vehicles due to what he called reckless federal policies.
The Teamsters conference endorsed several Democratic candidates for statewide office, including the Shapiro-Davis ticket for governor. However, the union also backed State Treasurer Stacy Garrity, the expected Republican nominee for governor, in her successful 2024 reelection bid over Democrat Erin McClelland.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the parent organization representing 1.4 million workers, declined to endorse a presidential candidate in 2024, though the Pennsylvania Conference backed the Harris-Walz ticket. Despite that endorsement, survey data indicated 60 percent of Pennsylvania Teamsters members favored Trump.
Multiple Republicans addressed the conference alongside Democratic speakers, signaling continued bipartisan outreach. According to union officials and polling data, Governor Shapiro leads State Treasurer Garrity by double digits heading into the gubernatorial race. The union also emphasized the importance of securing Democratic control of the state legislature, noting they currently have a Teamster majority in the state House.
