U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a celebration of NCAA championship teams on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC on July 22, 2024.
Andrew Harnik | Getty Images
The United Auto Workers on Wednesday endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris over Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump.
The union’s endorsement should come as no surprise. UAW President Sean Fein has been outspoken against Trump. The Detroit union has also historically supported Democrats, including President Joe Biden.
Fein’s criticism of Trump continued when he endorsed Harris.
“Our job in this election is to defeat Donald Trump and elect Kamala Harris to build on her proven track record of delivering for the working class,” Fein said in a statement. “We can put back into office a billionaire who stands against everything our union stands for, or we can elect Kamala Harris to stand shoulder to shoulder with us in our war against corporate greed.”
The endorsement comes after Biden withdrew his bid for re-election and endorsed Harris to become the Democratic nominee against Trump.
Fein and Trump have been at odds – statements of public negotiation – since the union leader was elected early last year. Trump called for Fein to be fired during a speech earlier this month at the Republican National Convention.
The union responded with a post calling Trump a “scab and a billionaire“, continuing “he represents. We know which side we are on. Not this.”
President Joe Biden celebrates with United Auto Workers President Sean Fein after Fein and the UAW endorsed Joe Biden for president at a Community Action Program legislative conference in Washington on January 24, 2024.
Leah Millis | Reuters
Immediately after Biden withdrew from the election, the UAW praised him and showed support for Harris, who toed a picket line with union members during a 2019 strike.
“The path forward is clear: we will defeat Donald Trump and his billionaire agenda and elect a champion of the working class to the highest office in this country,” the union said in a July 21 statement after Biden stepped down from the 2024 race. . This statement did not officially confirm Harris.
The UAW endorsement is crucial for any candidate looking to secure the battleground state of Michigan because of the UAW’s potential influence there. The Detroit-based union has about 370,000 active members and 580,000 retired members, many of whom reside in the Midwest.
“For our one million active and retired members, the choice is clear: We will elect Kamala Harris as our next President this November,” Fein said Wednesday.
Michigan voters, many of whom work in the auto industry, helped both Biden and Trump win the White House in the last two presidential elections.
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump looks on during his day addressing auto workers as he skips the second GOP debate in Clinton Township, Michigan on September 27, 2023.
Rebecca Cook | Reuters
