WASHINGTON — With the US election days away, Vice-President Kamala Harris is struggling to secure the support of male volunteers in some labour unions whose phone calls and house visits are needed to get Democratic supporters out to vote, senior labour officials said.

Most unions have long supported Democratic candidates, and both Harris and President Joe Biden have backed unions in contract negotiations and championed workers' rights.

But Republican candidate Donald Trump, who was president from 2017 to 2021, has made inroads with union workers in recent years and any drop in support for Harris could be a decisive factor in the neck-and-neck race.

If elected, Harris would make US history as the first female and second black president, and sexism and racism have been seen as a hurdle to her winning.

Liz Shuler, president of AFL-CIO, a democratic federation of 60 national and international unions that represent 12.5 million working people, said enthusiasm for Harris is strong overall but sexism is likely undermining support for her in some unions.

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