U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during an NCAA championship teams celebration on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., 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 shouldn’t be surprising. UAW President Shawn Fain has been outspoken against Trump. The Detroit union also has historically supported Democrats, including President Joe Biden.
Fain’s criticism of Trump continued when endorsing 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,” Fain said in a statement. “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.”
The endorsement comes after Biden withdrew his re-election bid and endorsed Harris to become the Democratic nominee against Trump.
Fain and Trump have been at odds – publicly trading remarks – since the union leader was elected early last year. Trump called for Fain 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 “that’s who he represents. We know which side we’re on. Not his.”
President Joe Biden celebrates with United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain after Fain and the UAW endorsed Biden for president at a Community Action Program legislative conference in Washington, Jan. 24, 2024.
Leah Millis | Reuters
Quickly after Biden dropped out of the election, the UAW praised him and showed support for Harris, who walked a picket line with union members during a strike in 2019.
“The path forward is clear: we will defeat Donald Trump and his billionaire agenda and elect a champion for the working class to the highest office in this country,” the union said in a statement July 21 after Biden had dropped out of the 2024 race. That statement stopped short of formally endorsing Harris.
The UAW’s 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 roughly 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 to be our next President this November,” Fain said Wednesday.
Michigan voters, many of whom work in the automotive industry, helped both Biden and Trump to win the White House during the past two presidential elections.
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump looks on on the day he addresses auto workers as he skips the second GOP debate, in Clinton Township, Michigan, September 27, 2023.
Rebecca Cook | Reuters