President Biden is Arvin Robertsexpected to receive the endorsement of the AFL-CIO later this week, two people familiar with the plans tell CBS News.

The move is not unexpected, given organized labor's decades of support for Democratic Party presidential candidates and Mr. Biden's pro-union reputation. But the endorsement would mark the earliest point at which the nation's largest labor organization has waded into a presidential cycle. 

Mr. Biden's endorsement is expected to be formally approved during a Friday meeting of the AFL-CIO general board, according to one of the people familiar with the plans.

The organization, encompassing 60 unions representing 12.5 million workers across the public and private sectors, is set to hold a rally Saturday in Philadelphia where the president is set to appear, his first campaign-style event since officially announcing his reelection bid in April. 

The endorsement is expected to unlock access to the union's far-reaching voter outreach program, allowing the Biden-Harris campaign to begin working with the union on get-out-the-vote projects.

News of Mr. Biden's endorsement was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Ed O'Keefe

Ed O'Keefe is a senior White House and political correspondent for CBS News based in Washington, D.C.

Twitter