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Jimmy Williams
The United Auto Workers (UAW) endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president on Wednesday, adding significant union support for her likely contest against Republican Donald Trump this November.
UAW President Shawn Fain emphasized the union’s commitment to defeating Trump in the upcoming election. “We can put a billionaire back in office who stands against everything our union stands for, or we can elect Kamala Harris who will stand shoulder to shoulder with us in our war on corporate greed,” Fain said.
The UAW boasts over a million active and retired members, with a strong presence in the key “blue wall” states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The endorsement was anticipated following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race. Biden had secured the UAW’s backing in January, with the endorsement coming during a speech at a union political convention in Washington. The AFL-CIO, which includes the UAW, had already endorsed Harris.
Fain waited for the union’s executive board to officially endorse Harris but had been vocal against Trump prior to the endorsement. “There is only one answer to the threat we face as a nation, and it’s not another billionaire in office,” Fain wrote on the X social media site early Wednesday.
The UAW has criticized Trump, calling him a “scab,” a term for workers who cross union picket lines during strikes. They also accused him of neglecting workers in Ohio when General Motors closed a factory in 2019.
Biden, who received the UAW’s endorsement for reelection in January, supported striking General Motors workers on the picket lines near Detroit. This solidarity helped the union secure significant raises last fall after strikes at all three Detroit automakers.
While the UAW traditionally leans Democratic, a significant number of its members support the GOP. According to AP VoteCast, 56% of union members and households backed Biden in 2020, while 42% supported Trump.
Trump has actively courted union members, promising to save the auto industry from “complete obliteration.” He falsely claimed that UAW President Fain allowed Chinese automakers to build factories in Mexico to ship electric vehicles to the U.S. without tariffs. Industry analysts, however, have found no evidence of such factories. Despite Trump’s claims, Detroit automakers continue to thrive, with auto manufacturing employment up 13.8% since Biden took office.
Trump also proposed tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, while Biden has already imposed tariffs on Chinese imports, including EVs.
The 1.3 million-member Teamsters union, whose president spoke at the Republican National Convention, has yet to endorse a candidate in the race.
