by Christi Parsons

The Teamsters' endorsement of Barack Obama for president is now official, according to an announcement from his campaign this afternoon.

In a statement, Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa called Obama the candidate "in the best position to lead our movement."

"Sen. Obama will fight for better wages, real health care reform, stronger retirement security, fair trade and an end to the outsourcing of good jobs," said Hoffa. "He understands the importance of giving workers a voice at work and will fight for strong unions to help rebuild America’s middle class.”

The union represents union’s 1.4 million members and their families, a formidable force in Obama's favor.