Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, rallied union members at a local union hall in Michigan on Thursday, seeking to drum up support among organized labor and draw a sharp contrast between the Democratic ticket and Donald Trump on labor issues.
In remarks focused on unity and community, Harris stressed the strength and fundamental “fairness” of collective bargaining, while tracing the common thread of how she believes that is reflected in her campaign.
Harris has voiced her support for unions in the past, including walking the picket line with striking workers in 2019. She praised unions for their contributions.
Walz, who was a union member as a teacher, thanked autoworkers for the “privilege” of joining their picket line last year and sharply criticized the former president on labor issues.
“We know that unions built the middle class,” he said, adding: “You know who doesn’t believe that? Donald Trump.”
United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain warmly welcomed the Democratic ticket, telling members that Harris and Walz were both “one of us.”
While Harris and Walz joined autoworkers on the picket lines during their major strike last year, Fain noted that Trump was “nowhere to be found” and instead traveled to Detroit to visit a nonunion company.
Remember: Last September, instead of participating in the second Republican presidential primary debate, Trump visited Drake Enterprises, a nonunion auto parts supplier in Clint Township, to appeal to a group of current and former union workers.